The musical Tabaluga & Lilli is to premiere Sept. 24 at the Theatro Centro in Oberhausen, Germany. The musical is based on three albums by German singer Peter Maffay and children's authors Helme Heine, Gregor Rottschalk and Rolf Zuckowski about a little green dragon. In 1994 the story toured through Germany and was seen by over 700,000 people. A 26 part animated television series followed in 1997.

Andras Fricsay Kali Son, who also directed the 1994 tour version, directs Tabaluga & Lilli. The choreography is by Brazilian Cristina Perera.

American actor Bernie Blanks as Tabaluga leads the cast. Bernie Blanks has played many leading roles in Germany in musicals like Starlight Express, Grease and Shakespeare & Rock 'n' Roll.

Lilli is played by Alexandra Wilcke, while Andreas Bieber (who played Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jospeh and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Essen) is the Magician and Danish actor Kristian Vetter plays the part of Arktos.

Tabaluga & Lilli will play the new, 1,800 seat Theatro Centro, part of an extensive new shopping and entertainment complex in Oberhausen in the heart of Germany’s industrial area, the Ruhr gebiet. The Centro includes a shopping mall, a 11,500-seat arena, more than 20 different restaurants, a 140-room hotel and a 2,200-seat multiplex cinema. -- Maxim Bezembinder,
Germany Correspondent