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June 16 - For Immediate Release Wildhorn’s DRACULA to Come to Kelsey Theatre New Edition of Broadway Hit to Debut in October 2006 The most notorious horror story of all time will be set to the music of one of the most accomplished composers of the American musical theatre in October 2006, when Cheng / Ferrara Productions joins with the Kelsey Theatre of West Windsor to present the premiere of a new edition of Dracula: The Musical, music by Frank Wildhorn, book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Auditions for Dracula: The Musical will be held on Saturday, August 5, and Sunday, August 6, 2006. This is a non-equity performance opportunity; all roles are open. Auditioners are asked to prepare one complete song from contemporary musical theatre and bring sheet music (no recorded accompaniment, please); an accompanist will be provided. Candidates unable to attend these auditions may submit a videotaped audition by arrangement. Audition appointments are strongly recommended; please contact Cheng / Ferrara Productions at chengferraraproductions@gmail.com or call director Frank Ferrara at (609) 499-1388 to make an appointment. For a complete listing of characters and more on this production, visit www.chengferrara.org. Dracula: The Musical, based on Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel, premiered at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre on July 30, 2004.. After the production closed in January 2005, Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Victor/Victoria) joined with Academy Award winning librettists Black and Hampton (Tony Award winners for Sunset Boulevard) to reconstruct the show prior to a sold-out run at Stadttheater in St.Gallen, Switzerland. The production at Kelsey Theatre will mark both the first time Dracula: The Musical will be presented by a nonequity theatre company, and the first time this revised edition of the work will be performed in the United States; it will include songs not heard in the Broadway production. The production at Kelsey Theatre will also feature original orchestrations by producer and musical supervisor Nicholas Cheng, who also works as the assistant to Frank Wildhorn. In an unusual twist for a nonprofessional theatre, Mr. Wildhorn himself will be directly involved in the development of the new production; he will also lead a master class following one performance of Dracula: The Musical (see below). Dracula: The Musical will be presented by special arrangement with the authors and with Music Theatre International. It will be directed by Frank Ferrara, with choreography by Jillian Potash. Performances will be held at Kelsey Theatre, on campus at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. There will be a total of eight performances: 8:00PM performances on Friday, October 20, Saturday, October 21, Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28; 2:00PM performances on Sunday, October 22 and Sunday, October 29; a performance at midnight on Saturday, October 28; and a final performance on Halloween (Tuesday, October 31). To order tickets, please contact the Kelsey Theatre box office at (609) 584-9444 or visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. ________________________________________________________________________________ Master Class With Frank Wildhorn Composer Frank Wildhorn, co-author of the Broadway musicals Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, and Dracula: The Musical, will lead a Master Class for students interested in pursuing a career in the musical theatre immediately following the Sunday, October 22 performance of Dracula: The Musical at Kelsey Theatre. Wildhorn will answer questions from audience members, and give direct feedback to a limited number of singers. Admission to this Master Class is $35, and also includes a ticket to the Sunday, 10/22 performance of Dracula: The Musical. Tickets may be purchased through the Kelsey box office (see above); a $15 deposit is required, with the balance due on the date of the master class. If you are interested in performing for Mr. Wildhorn at this Master Class, please submit a headshot and resume to chengferraraproductions@gmail.com by September 15; performers will be selected at random from among interested candidates (both performers and auditors must purchase a ticket in order to attend the Master Class). MEDIA PLEASE CONTACT: Frank Ferrara, Director, by telephone at (609) 499-1388, or via e-mail at ferrarafc@comcast.netmailto:chengferraraproductions@gmail.comhttp://www.chengferrara.orghttp://www.kelseyatmccc.orgmailto:chengferraraproductions@gmail.commailto:ferrarafc@comcast.netshapeimage_11_link_0shapeimage_11_link_1shapeimage_11_link_2shapeimage_11_link_3shapeimage_11_link_4