Two legendary Broadway musicals, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Beauty and the Beast,” are headliners in İstanbul’s Zorlu Centre Performing Arts Centre.
The PSM’s 2014-15 season lineup of international performers will also include the New York City Ballet, The Silk Road Ensemble with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the physical theater production “Blam,” Turkish composer-pianist Fazıl Say and pop singer Sezen Aksu, the London-based juggling theater production “Smashed,” the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Turkey, and a joint production of London’s Royal Opera House and the Turkish State Opera of Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.”
The PSM in Zincirlikuyu, which opened its doors last October, has hosted thus far 105 performances of 43 different events during its premiere season, according to the PSM’s general manager, Ray Cullom, who spoke to the press in PSM’s studio theater on June 5. He and the center’s assistant general manager, Mehmet Even, announced the new selections, which will span some 300 days.
“It’s the 20th anniversary of ‘Beauty and the Beast’,” said Cullom, “and this production is not only the original Broadway production team, but Zorlu is originating it.” Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film by Disney, “Beauty and the Beast” was the first and most successful Disney movie to be adapted for New York’s Broadway stage. Running for 13 years, it was nominated for nine Tony Awards and it captured London’s Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The creative team who put it together 20 years ago will reunite in İstanbul to produce it exclusively at the PSM from Oct. 9-19.
British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal 1986 hit “Phantom of the Opera” is the longest-running show in the history of Broadway. It has toured in 20 countries and 110 cities in over 65,000 performances around the world. Set in a fictional Paris opera house in 1880, the plot is the story of the amorous obsessions of a disfigured musical genius, known only as the Phantom, for the beautiful soprano Christine. Jealousy, madness and passions collide in the rich score that includes hits like “The Music of the Night” and “Think of Me” and a set that features an enormous magical chandelier. The show will open on April 8, 2015, and runs through April 26.
The New York City Ballet, slated for March 12-14, 2015, will present their classic choreographies by George Balanchine, Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins in pieces such as “Concerto Barocco” and “Dances at a Gathering.” The two productions of contemporary physical theater, “Blam” and “Smashed” are virtually wordless and use comedy, juggling and slapstick to convey their innovative approach to create entertaining stories for the whole family. “Blam” runs from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5, and “Smashed” is scheduled for Jan. 24-30.
Source Zaman