The musical, which boasts an all-female cast, was conceived by Chen Shi Zheng, who also directs the July 27-30 run at John Jay College's Gerald W. Lynch Theater. Shaw will star as Danish author Hans Christian Anderson in the Stephin Merritt (music)-Erik Ehn (libretto) musical, which also features Brown as the Mother, Mia Maestro and Mary Lou Rosato.
My Life As a Fairy Tale, according to production notes, considers Hans Christian "Andersen’s writings in a new context, making transparent the relationship between his life and work." The musical draws from such tales as "The Little Match Girl," "The Story of a Mother," "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Nightingale."
The production features set design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Caitlin Ward, video design by Peter Flaherty and lighting design by Christopher Akerlind.
On Broadway Fiona Shaw starred in the 2002 revival of Medea for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She is the recipient of several Olivier Awards for her work on the London stage; her U.K. theatre credits include The Good Person of Sichuan, Machinal, The Way of the World, Richard II, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Power Book, Philistines, As You Like It, Les Liasons Dangereuses, Mephisto, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Hyde Park, The Taming of the Shrew, Electra, As You Like It, Footfalls, Hedda Gabler, Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher and The Waste Land. Shaw's film credits include "My Left Foot," "Mountains of the Moon," "Three Men and a Little Lady," "Undercover Blues," "The Butcher Boy," "The Triumph of Love," "The Last September" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Blair Brown received a 2000 Tony Award for her work in Copenhagen, and her other theatre credits include Humble Boy, James Joyce’s The Dead, Arcadia and Cabaret as well as the Kennedy Center production of A Little Night Music. Perhaps best known for her work on TV’s “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,” Brown’s other screen credits include “Dogville,” “Space Cowboys,” “Law & Order: CI” and “Smallville.” Tickets for Lincoln Center Festival 2005 productions are now on sale by calling (212) 721-6500 or by visiting www.lincolncenter.org.
