After winning major critical acclaim with a revival of
Lynn Ahrens' and
Stephen Flaherty's Broadway musical, Ragtime - winning 3 Off West End Theatre Awards and nominated Best Musical Revival in the Whatsonstage Awards - the
Landor Theatre is to present the European premiere of the composing duo's multiple Drama Desk-nominated Off-Broadway musical, The Glorious Ones.
The Glorious Ones will preview from Tuesday March 6 and run for a limited season to Saturday
April 7.
Press night is Monday 12 March at 7.30pm.
The Glorious Ones reunites the award-winning creative team behind Ragtime - director Robert McWhir, Designer Martrin Thomas and Lighting Designer Howard Hudson.
Set in 17th-century Italy, The Glorious Ones concerns a theatre group in the world of commedia dell'arte and theatre of the Italian Renaissance. It's a sung valentine to the actor's life, with its joys, hardships and sorrows, set during a period when the comic theatre was beginning to shed its vulgar roots and evolve toward a greater refinement. The Glorious Ones travel the length and breadth of Italy, playing commedia dell'arte in the streets and palaces with equal vigour. Founded by the ingenious madman Flaminia Scala, the small company of players endures passionate affairs, riots, disgrace - all manner of triumph and hardship. Pantalone the miser, sunny Armanda the dwarf and gossip loving Columbina view their myriad shared adventures through markedly different eyes. Yet not one of them is prepared for the strange twisting of the road brought about by the mysterious arrival of Isabella Andreini, who is about to change their wayward troupe....
Casting to be announced.
Although longtime somgwriting teams have become a rarity,
Lynn Ahrens (Lyrics) and
Stephen Flaherty (Music) have proved the recent exception. They won the Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards and received two Grammy nominations for their score of the Broadway musical Ragtime. They also garnered two Oscar nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the songs and score of the animated feature film, Anastasia (Gold Record and Number One Song.) They are co-creators of the Broadway musicals Once On This Island (eight Tony Award nominations, Olivier Award for Best Musical) and Seussical (Grammy and Drama Desk nominations. One of the most frequently performed show in America). Other Broadway and off-Broadway credits include My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance (Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Musical);
Dessa Rose (winner, 2005 Audelco Award for Best Musical, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations); Lucky Stiff (Helen Hayes Award, Best Musical); and
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life.