New Musical Coraline Extends a Week Before Opening at MCC

MCC Theater’s world premiere musical Coraline, adapted from the dark children's book by graphic novelist and writer Neil Gaiman, has extended its limited engagement before opening night due to popular demand. Currently in previews at the Lucille Lortel Theater, the production opens June 1 and was scheduled to run through June 20. The show, directed by Leigh Silverman, will now play until July 5.

Coraline features Jayne Houdyshell as the title star, as well as book writer David Greenspan, Juilian Fleisher, Francis Jue, January LaVoy, Elliot Villar and William Youmans. Adapted by Greenspan from Gaiman’s twisted children's book, the production features music and lyrics by Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields.

The story of bored nine-year-old Coraline, left to rattle around her perpetually distracted, workaholic parents’ house all by her lonesome, turns wild when her dreams of a better reality come true as she opens a big, carved, wooden door at the far end of the drawing room and passes into a perfect replica of her own world. When she’s greeted there by a vastly loving Other Mother and a kindly Other Father, she’s thrilled. But as the rats start to creep from the floorboards, and the way home becomes increasingly unclear, Coraline begins to suspect that, perhaps, all is not as perfect as it seems.

The production marks the first musical ever produced by MCC. The Focus Features animated film version of Coraline opened at theaters nationwide on February 9.