SHOW BOAT

Director Harold Prince says "Show Boat" is not just another American musical, but rather a "love affair with theatre people."

In Prince's notes from the musical he has directed for the past two and a half years, he writes that it is the first great contemporary modern musical, the first to "merge the traditional, happy-go-lucky naivete of Broadway musical comedy with serious themes."

"Show Boat," the $10 million Tony Award-winning musical production starring Cloris Leachman, will dock at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis for a limited engagement beginning Sunday and continuing through July 20.

Preview performances are on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $17-$62 and are on sale at the Fox Theatre box office. The box office number is (314) 534-1111.

"Show Boat," is considered an American musical masterpiece and a milestone in the history of the musical theater. The production includes such characters as Parthy, played by Emmy Award-winner Cloris Leachman, and Capt'n Andy, played by Tony Award-winner Len Cariou.

Adapted from Edna Ferber's sweeping novel by composer Jerome Kern and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, it remains one of musical theater's most vital and timeless works.

The musical saga is about five couples whose lives intertwine to form a tapestry of life and love along the Mississippi River from the 1880's to the 1920's.

With such memorable songs as "Ol' Man River," "Cotton Blossom," "Why Do I Love You?" and "After the Ball," "Show Boat was a phenomenal success on Broadway and also a highly popular movie.

There has been some concern about the revival of "Show Boat," Prince says, on the basis of alleged racism. Prince eliminated any inadvertent stereotype from the original material, dialogue which may seem "Uncle Tom" today.

"However, I was determined not to re-write history," he wrote. "The fact that during the 45-year period depicted in our musical there were lynchings, imprisonment and forced labour of the blacks in the United States is irrefutable. Indeed, the U.S. still cannot hold its head high in regard to racism."

Directed by Prince and produced by Garth H. Drabinski and Toronto-based LivEnt, Inc., the majestic $10 million production is an entirely new version based on the musical's various scripts and motion picture versions during the past 69 years.

LivEnt's production of "Show Boat" had its world premier in Toronto on Oct. 17, 1993, and opened on Broadway the next year, setting the all-time record for the largest box office advance for a revival/recreation and repeatedly breaking the record for the highest weekly Broadway box office gross in history.

It was the most honored show of the 1994-95 Broadway season, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

"Show Boat" calls for a company of 84 actors and musicians, in addition to 60 people backstage. It is one of the largest theatrical productions to tour in recent history.

Leachman is celebrating her 40th year in a career that has seen her tackle diverse roles in more than 30 motion pictures, 75 television series, 30 films for television, a dozen TV specials and two dozen theatrical productions.

Her many awards include six Emmys, a Golden Globe, an English Academy Award and an Oscar. In 1993 alone, Leachman starred in four television films and two motion pictures, including last year's "The Beverly Hillbillies" as Granny.

Five children from the St. Louis area have been chosen to appear in the production. Selected from a field of 120 at the open call audition on May 31 were Hannah Evert, 7, of Washington; Cameron Quincy Robertson, 11, of Florissant; Alexander Allen, 7, of Villa Ridge; and Erin Dowling, 9, and Bakara Hudson, 5, both of St. Louis.

Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by calling the Fox group sales office at (314) 535-2900.