The cast of the Josh Rosenblum-Joanne Sydney Lessner musical, inspired by the book of the same name, includes Peter Büchi, Susan Derry, Keith Byron Kirk, Joanne Lessner, Rebecca Panovka, Rebecca Spencer and John Sloman.

Peter Flynn directs, with musical direction by David Loud.

Einstein's Dreams, subtitled A Musical Romance, is based on Alan Lightman's novel.

Joanne Sydney Lessner (book and lyrics) and Joshua Rosenblum (music and lyrics) previously collaborated on Fermat's Last Tango, which enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run at The York Theatre and is preserved on a cast recording and a DVD.

The reading will be accompanied by a five-piece ensemble featuring David Loud, piano; Ed Matthew, woodwinds; Paul Woodiel, violin; Tara Chambers, cello; and Pete Donovan, bass. The work has had several developmental presentations in New York. The show gets its European premiere in Portugal in January 2005.

"Einstein's Dreams is adapted from Alan Lightman's 1993 bestseller, a fantasy-meditation on what the great physicist may have been dreaming about in the months prior to the publication of his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905," according to notes for the reading presentation. "In 30 fables, Lightman conjures up 30 theoretical realms of time.  In one world, time is circular, its people fated to repeat triumph and trial over and over again. In another, men and women try to capture time—which appears as a nightingale—in a bell jar.  In yet another, there is no time, only frozen moments.  All are visions that gently probe the essence of time, the adventure of creativity, and the glory of possibility."

Brian Schwartz, physicist and vice president of the CUNY graduate center, and writer and artist, Linda B. Merman, commissioned Lessner and Rosenblum to adapt the novel into a musical.  The musical is especially timely, because 2005 is the centennial celebration of the publication of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, with 2005 being declared the International Year of Physics.

Teatro da Trindade, Lisbon's oldest, most respected theatre, will present the European premiere of Einstein's Dreams in January 2005.  The troupe gave the successful European premiere of Lessner and Rosenblum's Fermat's Last Tango.

The previous reading of Einstein's Dreams was presented at Elebash Recital Hall in the CUNY Graduate Center, and a concert presentation played to a sold out crowd at the American Museum of Natural History as part of their acclaimed Einstein exhibit.

For more information about this reading of Einstein's Dreams, please contact Jen Bender at (646) 325-9447 or email [email protected].