Directed by The Little Mermaid's Francesca Zambello, the June 10 benefit for Carnegie Hall will boast the talents of Jessica Bogart (Ellie May Chipley), Carolee Carmello (Julie LaVerne), Nathan Gunn (Gaylord Ravenal), Marilyn Horne (Old Lady on the Levee), Gavin Lee (Frank Schultz), Alvy Powell (Joe) and Celena Shafer (Magnolia Hawks); show time is 8 PM. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. Musical director Paul Gemignani will conduct the Orchestra of St. Luke's. The creative team will also feature Robert Longbottom (musical staging), Doug Wright (concert adaptation), lighting designer Alan Adelman, scenic designer Scott Pask and costume designer Gregg Barnes with sound design by Acme Sound Partners.
Show Boat has music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and is based on the novel by Edna Ferber. The original Broadway production opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Dec. 27, 1927. Harold Prince directed the most recent Broadway production of the musical, which opened in 1994.
The musical was the first to tackle such weighty issues as racial prejudice, poverty and abandonment. The show's songs include "Make Believe," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Bill" and "Ol' Man River."
The gala evening will begin at 6 PM with dinner at Remi Restaurant (144 West 54th Street), followed by the 8 PM concert. Gala tickets, priced $1,000-$2,500, are available by calling (212) 903-9679.
Beginning April 21, a limited number of concert-only tickets, priced $36, $44, and $58, will be available by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800.
For more information visit www.carnegiehall.org.