AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP WILL OFFICIALLY RE-OPEN BOSTON’S HISTORIC EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE WITH PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF “MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL”
AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
EMERSON COLLEGE
WILL OFFICIALLY RE-OPEN
BOSTON’S HISTORIC
EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE
WITH THE
PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE ENGAGEMENT
OF
“MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL”
PERFORMANCES BEGIN LATE JUNE 2018
New York, NY – Reviving a great theatrical tradition, Boston’s newly renovated Emerson Colonial Theatre (106 Boylston Street) will officially re-open its doors in late June 2018 with the highly anticipated pre-Broadway World Premiere engagement of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on the 2001 Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture by Baz Luhrmann. The announcement was made today at the Emerson Colonial Theatre by Ambassador Theatre Group’s Kristin Caskey and Stephen Lewin, Emerson College President Lee Pelton, and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
As previously announced, Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the world’s number one live-theater company, has entered into a long-term lease agreement with Emerson College to operate the landmark venue, including investing several million dollars in much-needed capital improvements to the historic theater, and renewing the tradition of the Emerson Colonial Theatre as the birthplace of new Broadway musicals. In its storied history, the Emerson Colonial Theatre has debuted such seminal Broadway shows as Anything Goes, Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, Born Yesterday, Annie Get Your Gun, Follies, A Little Night Music, Grand Hotel, and La Cage aux Folles, among others.
“Renovating venues, including the venerable Emerson Colonial Theatre to its former glory, has been central to ATG’s role in North America. We couldn’t be more excited for the pre-Broadway engagement of Moulin Rouge! to help us reopen this landmark building which is so important to this history of the American Theater. We can’t wait to welcome Boston audiences, and patrons from across the country, to this beautiful home,” said Ambassador Theatre Group’s leadership team: Kristin Caskey, Executive Vice-President of Content & Creative, North America; and Stephen Lewin, CEO, North America
“Since Emerson began operations at the Colonial Theatre fourteen years ago, our long-term commitment has been to revive and reanimate the legendary theater. Working with Ambassador Theatre Group has reaffirmed our vision, and we are thrilled to be raising the curtain on Moulin Rouge!” said Emerson College President Lee Pelton.
“I want to thank both the Ambassador Theatre Group and Emerson College for their partnership in bringing the Emerson Colonial Theatre back to life,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “The Colonial is an important part of Boston’s story, as the oldest, continually-operated theater in America. This is an exciting new chapter for the Colonial and for Boston’s arts scene, and I look forward to seeing a resurgence of its legacy.”
Elkus Manfredi Architects is overseeing all renovation and design aspects for the Emerson Colonial Theatre, greatly enhancing the venue’s functionality as well as reviving the design of the legendary theater.
Construction of the Emerson Colonial Theatre is being handled by Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Renderings of the renovated Emerson Colonial Theatre are available at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/ycw2pvs5
The Emerson Colonial Theatre, which opened in 1900 with a production of Ben-Hur, is the oldest continuously operated theater in Boston; as well as being amongst the most magnificent, having retained most of its original period details.
With a book by John Logan, direction by Alex Timbers, and choreography by Sonya Tayeh, the design team for Moulin Rouge! The Musical includes Derek McLane (Sets), Catherine Zuber (Costumes), Justin Townsend (Lighting), Peter Hylenski (Sound) and David Brian Brown (Wig and Hair Design).
The score embraces and honors the musical conceit of the film by weaving together popular music of the last 50 years. Iconic songs from the film combine with additional songs from the 15 years since the film’s release in a musical score updated and re-imagined for today. Justin Levine is Music Supervisor, Orchestrator and Arranger and Matt Stine is Music Producer.
Carmen Pavlovic (Global Creatures) is the Producer. Bill Damaschke is the Executive Producer. General Management is by Foresight Theatrical.
Casting, by casting directors Jim Carnahan and Stephen Kopel, will be announced in the coming months.
Set in Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France, Moulin Rouge! The Musical tells the fictional story of a young poet-writer, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress Satine, while evoking the authentic atmosphere of the famous dance hall during the Belle Epoque at the turn of the 20th Century.
Released by Twentieth Century Fox, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two.
The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is the world’s number one live-theater company with 47 venues in Britain, the United States and Australia, and an internationally recognized award-winning theater producer with productions in the West End and on Broadway and touring productions in the UK, North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. ATG is also the market leader in theater ticketing services through ATG Tickets, LOVETheatre and Group Line. ATG presents an average of 40 productions a year, demonstrating the unique quality and range of ATG Productions in a diverse number of theaters and markets worldwide. ATG has been behind some of the most successful and innovative productions in Britain and internationally, and has subsidiary offices in London, New York, San Antonio, Houston, Sydney, Mannheim and Cologne, Germany.
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems and change the world through engaged leadership in communication, the arts, and the liberal arts — a mission informed by liberal learning. The College has approximately 3,780 undergraduates and 670 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 90 student organizations and performance groups. Emerson is known for its experiential learning programs in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic. The College has an active network of 39,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in communication and the arts. For more information, visit emerson.edu.
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