Bourne's Edward Scissorhands to Make U.S. Debut at the Ahmanson

Director/choreographer Matthew Bourne's take on the 1990 Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands will have its American premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre. The show will run at the California venue from December 12 through December 31, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Based on Tim Burton's film of the same name, the stage verion of Edward Scissorhands features music composed, arranged and adapted by Terry Davies based on the original motion picture score by Danny Elfman.

The musical first opened at the U.K.'s Plymouth Theatre Royal in November of this year with dancers Sam Archer and Richard Winsor alternating performances in the title role. It then played an extended engagement at Sadler's Wells, where it received mixed reviews. Debra Craine of The London Times wrote of the show: "Using his acute directorial skills, a £1.3 million budget and the incredible design flair of Lez Brotherston, Bourne has fashioned a tender, dark and funny dance play about the ultimate outcast… While not as profound as Bourne's Swan Lake or as sparky as his Mary Poppins, this new creation is amusing and attractive, an entertaining story well told. If the choreography feels like a work in progress and that's the real disappointment of this show, at least it keeps the dancers moving." Edward Scissorhands played its final performance at Sadler's Wells on February 4 and is currently in the midst of a U.K. tour.

The Ahmanson has been a frequent home to Bourne works, starting with his acclaimed Swan Lake, which made its American debut at the theater in 1997. Swan Lake is returning to the Ahmanson in March for a two-week stint.