Antarctic Adventure Musical Ernest Shackleton Loves Me Headed Off-Broadway

Get ready for an Antarctic journey: The new musical Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is set for a limited off-Broadway engagement beginning April 14 at the Tony Kiser Theatre. Described as an epic musical adventure, the show stars Valerie Vigoda (who also wrote the lyrics) and Wade McCollum (Wicked; national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and is directed by Lisa Peterson. Ernest Shackleton Loves Me will open on May 7 and run through June 11.

The new musical features a book by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis, Nice Work If You Can Get It, All Shook Up, Living On Love), music by Brendan Milburn and lyrics by Vigoda, the electro-violinist of GrooveLily. The creative team includes Alexander V. Nichols (production design), Chelsea Cook (costume design) and Rob Kaplowitz (sound design and original compositions).

Vigoda is cast as a sleep-deprived single mom and video game music composer who is contacted across time by the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (McCollum). Inspired by her music, he shares his epic Antarctic journey with her in video and song, and the two discover that their greatest inspiration lies in each other. The off-Broadway production will use green screen technology to present vintage photography from Shackleton’s 1915 expedition, placing the actors in the actual Antarctic landscape faced during the explorer's perilous journey.

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me arrives off-Broadway after successful productions at Seattle Rep, George Street Playhouse in New Jersey and Paramount/Arts Emerson in Boston.