Show Boat to Play London's Royal Albert Hall in Summer 2006

The Royal Albert Hall will play host to a production of Show Boat this summer. The famous London venue, built in 1871, has previously had concert presentations of tuners on its stage, but Show Boat will be the first ever fully staged musical to ever be produced there.

Show Boat is a musical that evokes the Deep South at the return at the turn of the century; not only its passion and flamboyance, but also its radical prejudice, poverty and abandonment. This panoramic story of romance spanning almost fifty years depicts life on the Cotton Blossom floating theatre, the Hawks family and their show boat troupe of actors. The show features music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Show Boat will be staged in the round by director Francesa Zambello the opera helmer who is attached to the stage musical version of The Little Mermaid. Peter J. Davidson will design the set.

The show is scheduled to run at the Royal Albert Hall from June 10 through June 25.