Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber.
An epic musical revealing life behind the scenes on a show boat. Magnolia falls in love with Gaylord, a river gambler, and leaves her father’s show boat to marry him in the 1880s. Years of heartbreak return her to the show boat in the 1920s.
Karla Burns achieved her first major success as Queenie in the Houston Grand Opera's 1982 revival of "Show Boat," a role that earned her a Drama Desk Award, a Tony Award nomination, and made her the first black person to win the Laurence Olivier Award. more...
Merwin Foard, who was part of the Broadway production of Show Boat, boasts an impressive career with roles in numerous other Broadway hits such as Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Sweeney Todd. more...
(Swing)
(Swing)
Paige O'Hara, who began her illustrious career on Broadway in 1983 as Ellie May Chipley in the musical Showboat, later gained widespread acclaim for voicing Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. more...
(Standby)
Ron Raines, a three-time Emmy nominee for "Guiding Light," showcased his talents in "Show Boat" on Broadway, adding to his extensive list of stage credits including "Chicago" and "A Little Night Music." more...
Awards and Nominations
1983 Drama Desk Awards
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Bruce Hubbard was nominated but did not win.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Karla Burns won.
1983 Tony Awards
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Karla Burns was nominated but did not win.
Production Team
Dorothy Danner Choreographer
John DeMain Musical Director
Richard Fitzgerald Sound Designer
Michael Kahn Director
Molly Maginnis Costume Designer
Helen Pond Scenic Designer
Herbert Senn Scenic Designer
Thomas Skelton Lighting Designer
Videos