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CARNIVAL!

Music and lyrics by Bob Merrill
Book by Michael Stewart
Based on material by Helen Deutsch
Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom
Original production directed and choreographed by Gower Champion
Produced for the Broadway stage by David Merrick

Based on the MGM motion picture Lili, this lovely musical follows a naive young orphan girl who eagerly joins a traveling French circus. Falling for the troupe's manipulative magician, she also enchants a disillusioned puppeteer, who can only show his love through his whimsical creations. Colorful characters and puppets, wonderful dance sequences, and memorable songs like "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" make Carnival! a mesmerizing story about love in all its permutations. Featuring a book by Michael Stewart (Hello, Dolly!) and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill (Funny Girl), the revival is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee Robert Longbottom, who helmed the Kennedy Center's production of Mister Roberts to glowing reviews.

Carnival! premiered at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway in 1961 and starred Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Mitchell, Kaye Ballard, Pierre Olaf, and Jerry Orbach (making his Broadway debut). Gower Champion both directed and choreographed. The production was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 1962, including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, and won two, for Best Actress in a Musical (Anna Maria Alberghetti) and Best Scenic Design.

Although Carnival! has never received a full Broadway revival, it has been revived twice off-Broadway in 1977 and in 1993. In 2002, New York City Center Encores! mounted a concert production with Anne Hathaway as Lili, Brian Stokes Mitchell as Paul, Douglas Sills as Marco, and puppets by the Jim Henson Company Muppet Workshop.

Carnival! opens on an empty stage without even a curtain. A scruffy man, Jacquot (Sean Martin Hingston), wanders in and sits down to squeeze out a ragged tune on an accordion. Gradually the music builds as the orchestra joins in the melody. The lights brighten as roustabouts begin to raise the carnival tent and the performers trickle in. While the colorful scene is quickly built, a waif appears, fascinated by the hubbub. Clutching a tattered suitcase and wearing threadbare clothes, lonely orphan Lili (Ereni Sevasti) is captivated by the sights and sounds materializing before her. With nowhere to go and no one to care for her, she decides to join this glamorous family.

Led by ringmaster Schlegel (Johnathan Lee Iverson), the traveling circus has seen better days and is now coasting on its former glories. Still young and naive, Lili is not very good at the jobs she is assigned at the carnival. Trying her hand as a magician's assistant, Lili is mesmerized by the charms of Marco the Magnificent (Sebastian La Cause) and his dazzling tricks. Marco's longtime partner, The Incomparable Rosalie (Natascia Diaz), has had years to see through the magician's empty promises and they frequently bicker and quarrel over their future together.

Also vying for Lili's affections is the puppeteer Paul Berthalet (Jim Stanek). Emotionally scarred from his war injury, Paul is too shy to speak directly to Lili, so he uses his puppets to communicate with her. Lili soon joins Paul's act and becomes friends with the puppets but remains blind to Paul's feelings. The fierce rivalry between Marco and Paul finally comes to a head and Lili must make a choice between the dashing Marco and the sincere Paul.

Robert Longbottom (Director/Choreographer) has directed and choreographed Anything Goes, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Side Show on Broadway, as well as Flower Drum Song, for which he was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for Best Choreography. As an actor and dancer, his Broadway credits include Me and My Girl, Little Johnny Jones and the original production of 42nd Street. Longbottom directed the Kennedy Center production of Mister Roberts in 2005.

Paul Tazewell (Costumes) has designed extensively for Broadway, including The Color Purple (Tony Nomination); Caroline or Change; A Raisin in the Sun; and Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk (Tony Nomination). He has also designed for off-Broadway and many more regional theaters including Arena Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, and The Goodman Theatre among others.

Ed Christie (Puppet Design) has been associated with The Jim Henson Company for 27 years. He is currently a creative and managerial consultant at Sesame Workshop, primarily designing characters for Sesame Street. He has designed, built, and wrangled puppet characters on most of Henson’s productions including The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Muppets Take Manhattan, as well as the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors. He is the winner of eight Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street and received the Oasis of Peace Award for his work on the Israel/Palestine production of Sesame Street.

Andrew Jackness (Set Design) has designed sets for Broadway including the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as Precious Sons, Spoils of War, Grown Ups, The Little Foxes starring Elizabeth Taylor, Beyond Therapy, Whodunnit, Michael Feinstein On Broadway, and Wings; as well as the Hal Prince production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's Whistle Down The Wind. Mr. Jackness is a graduate of The Yale School of Drama, and has taught the Film Design program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for the last seven years.

Joe Eddie Fairchild (Magic Effects) has designed, fabricated, and performed illusions and magical apparatus for over 30 years. His credits include International Magic Spectacular, Jubilee on Ice, Razzmatazz, "The Statler Brothers" television show, Stars of Magic, Dave Koz and Friends, and Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show.

David Chase(Music Direction) has directed music for Broadway shows that include The Pajama Game, Flower Drum Song, Music Man, Side Show, Little Me, and Damn Yankees and as a dance arranger: Curtains, The Wedding Singer, The Pajama Game, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Flower Drum Song, Kiss Me, Kate, Seussical, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Chase’s credits also include the film Beyond the Sea.

Carnival! was presented in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater from February 17 – March 11, 2007.