Musicals Tonight's CARNIVAL! Begins Tonight at The Lion Theatre

Musicals Tonight! will present CARNIVAL!, running today, October 21-November 2, 2014.

The story: The somewhat rundown carnival of B.F. Schlegel (JEREMY LAWRENCE) is touring France just after the end of W.W. II. A magician, Marco the Magnificent (JAMES PATTERSON) and his assistant, The Incomparable Rosalie (CATHERINE LEFRERE) are the headliners. Another attraction is the puppet theater operated by Paul Berthalet (SCOTT GUTHRIE) and his assistant, Jacquot (MICHAEL CASTILLEJOS). Into "Schlegel's Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris" walks the recently orphaned Lili (ALI EWOLDT) seeking a job from a friend of her late father - Grobert (JEFFREY T. BOERWINKLE).

In Lili's innocence, she believes that Paul's puppets are real and not at all a reflection of who he is. The bitterness caused by a war injury that ended Paul's dancing career is all that Lili sees. Her only sources of comfort from loneliness and despair are the puppets Carrot Top, Horrible Henry, Marguerite, and Reynardo. By the final curtain, Lili realizes that Paul was expressing his true feelings for her through his puppets and all ends happily ever after.

Acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, strong men, magicians and puppeteers complete our Carnival cast (SARAH COONEY, CHAZ JACKSON, STEVEN A. MILLER, STACIA NEWCOMB, DREW POURNELLE, AMY SHURE, JACOB L. SMITH, J. MORGAN WHITE).

Songs include: Love Makes the World Go 'Round, Mira, I've Got to Find a Reason, Her Face, Yes, My Heart, Sword, Rose and Cape.

The original Broadway production of Carnival! opened in 1961 starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, Kaye Ballard and Jerry Orbach and was directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick.

Musicals Tonight Resident Director and Choreographer: Thomas Sabella-Mills. Musicals Tonight Music Director and Vocal Arranger: James Stenborg.

Carnival! will be performed at The Lion Theatre (410 West 42nd Street), today, October 21 - November 2. Schedule: Tues/Wed/Thurs/Sat @ 7:30; Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun @ 2:00. Tickets are $26.25. Purchasable at the Box Office or from TeleCharge (212-239-6200).

To post a comment, you must register and login.