Part of the Prospect troupe's 2005-06 season of new musicals, the show is based on a National Book Award-winning novel by Walter Wangerin Jr., and is "set in a time when the sun turned round the earth and animals could speak."

In it, "Chauntecleer, an all too human Rooster, battles the evil forces of Wyrm for nothing less than the fate of the earth," according to the Prospect announcement of the New York premiere.

Prospect Theater Company's producing artistic director Cara Reichel directs, with choreography by Jessica Hendricks (The Shaggs), set design by Paulo Seixus, costumes by David Withrow, lighting design by Stacey Boggs, and sound by Sara Bader.

Author Wangerin will perform the role of "The Narrator" at performances on Feb. 4 at 8 PM, Feb. 5 at 3 PM and Feb. 6 at 8 PM. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

According to Wangerin, "St. Germain and Courts have created a musical play astonishing in its range: fast and delightful, then contemplative, reaching deep into the human condition. Here is motherwit and a marvelous story and music I cannot, cannot forget!" Mark St. Germain (bookwriter, lyricist) and Randy Courts (composer, lyricist) have written the musicals The Gifts of the Magi (10 consecutive seasons at the Lamb's Theater, two national tours, over 200 productions worldwide), Johnny Pye and the Foolkiller (Lamb's Theater, AT&T New Plays of the Nineties Award), Joseph and Mary (Los Angeles, Dallas, Indianapolis and in concert in New York starring Kris Kristofferson), Jack's Holiday (Playwrights Horizons, three Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, including Best Musical), and The Gingerbread House (Playwrights Horizons, commission from Playwrights Horizons and Dreamworks). They also contributed songs to the revue A… My Name is Still Alice and to Cass Morgan's True Home.

Mark St. Germain has written the plays Camping with Henry and Tom (Outer Critics Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award), Out of Gas on Lover's Leap and Forgiving Typhoid Mary (Time Magazine's "Year's Ten Best"). His play Ears on a Beatle premiered at the Barrington Stage Company and was produced Off-Broadway by Daryl Roth. His newest play, The God Committee, which also premiered at Barrington Stage, will be produced in Spring 2006 by the Lamb's Theatre Company. He also wrote Stand by Your Man, The Tammy Wynette Story, for Nashville's Ryman Theater and a later national tour.

Randy Courts collaborated with author Walter Wangerin Jr. on the Christmas oratorio Angels and All Children, and they are currently finishing Potter, an opera based on the book of the same title by Wangerin. His upcoming projects include a collaboration with writer Will Osborne on a musical adaptation of The Magic Tree House, a popular children's book series by Mary Pope Osborne.

The Book of the Dun Cow will be presented at The West End Theatre in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew (263 West 86th Street at Broadway).

Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM with matinee performances on Sundays at 3 PM. There are additional performances on Feb. 6 and Feb. 22 at 8 PM. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $12 for students, which can be purchased in advance by contacting Theatermania at (212) 352-3101 or by visiting www.theatermania.com. (Service charges will apply.)

Depending on availability, tickets may also be purchased at the box office which opens one hour prior to performance.

For more information on Prospect Theater Company, please visit www.prospecttheater.org.