The new works will play in addition to the previously announced stagings of Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, and The Two Noble Kinsmen — which will run in repertory at the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, June 25-Sept. 26, 2004.
From the songwriting team of Side Show — music by Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls), lyrics by Bill Russell (Pageant) — comes the new musical take on the classic "The Ugly Duckling" story. Russell and Jeffrey Hatcher (Compleat Female Stage Beauty) provide the book for Lucky Duck which follows the homely songbird Serena from her awkward childhood years to her later success — as a supermodel swan. Her journey from barnyard to catwalk is feathered with animal allies, a national singing contest and a handsome prince.
The musical (once titled Everything's Ducky) is aimed at adult audiences and is set to play at the Old Globe Theatre, July 10-Aug. 15. Rando has directed past Old Globe summer presentations of The Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night's Dream as well as New York stagings of The Dinner Party, A Thousand Clowns and Polish Joke.
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow focuses on a 22-year-old genius who suffers from a debilitating obsessive-compulsive disorder. The resourceful young woman uses her internet-connected computer, her pizza-delivering friend and her robot replica of herself as she sets out to find her biological mother in China.
The comedy recently received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory. The San Diego staging will play at the Cassius Carter Centre Stage, June 12-July 18. Director to be announced. Darko Tresjnak, who directed the Globe’s 2002 staging of Pericles, will spearhead the annual Shakespeare Festival. He will direct Antony and Cleopatra (June 25-Sept. 26) and The Two Noble Kinsmen (July 2-Sept. 24) while associate artistic director Karen Carpenter directs As You Like It (June 29-Sept. 25).
Subscriptions for The Old Globe’s 2004 Summer Festival are available by calling (619) 23-GLOBE (4-5623). For more information, visit The Old Globe website at www.theoldglobe.org.
