Tony Award-winning 'Curtains' to open at Possum Hall April 19
The highly successful songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb had their last collaboration on the musical comedy whodunit "Curtains," which is being performed by the Possum Point Players. It will run for six performances, April 19-28.
Kander (music) and Ebb's (lyrics) greatest acclaim came from both the live musical and film version of "Cabaret," which won a Tony Award as the season's best musical, and its original cast recording won a Grammy Award. The film won eight Academy Awards. Kander and Ebb’s musical "Chicago" has become the longest-running revival in Broadway history, and the 2002 film version was also a great success. Other Kander and Ebb Broadway successes include "Woman of the Year" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman."
Ebb died at 76 of a heart attack at his home in New York City, while he was working with Kander on "Curtains." The musical, with additional music by John Kander and Rupert Holmes, had already lost its book writer, Peter Stone, who died in 2003. The show's orchestrator, Michael Gibson, also died while the project was under way. Coincidently, "Curtains" is about a series of deaths during the production of a Broadway musical. Kander continued working on the project with new librettist Holmes, writing new lyrics when necessary. "Curtains" ran on Broadway from March 2007 through June 2008.
In the play, Boston’s Colonial Theatre is host to the opening-night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theater fan.
"Curtains," directed by Jim Hartzell of Georgetown, with musical direction by Liz Messick of Laurel and choreography by Deni Robinson of Lewes, is being performed at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, April 19, 20, 26, 27 and at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 21 and 28 at Possum Hall in Georgetown. Tickets are $23 for adults, $22 for students and seniors. Tickets are on sale at www.possumpointplayers.org and also by phone at 302-856-4560.
"Curtains" is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide, 570 Seventh Ave., Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018; 866-378-9758; www.theatricalrights.com.
Possum Point Players is supported, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
