State Theatre presents Elton John And TimRice'sAida

The newly conceived North American touring production of Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA, the award-winning timeless love story, will make its New Brunswick premiere when it arrives at the State Theatre for three performances Friday, January 19, 2007 at 8pm and Saturday, January 20 at 3pm & 8pm. Based on the story from the classic Verdi opera, AIDA is a new musical with Elton John's modern pop score. Tickets range from $40-65 (group, college student, and senior discounts available).

The cast of AIDA includes: Leah Allers, Casey Elliott, Marja Harmon, Dane Harrington Joseph, DJ Rudd, Michael Johnson, Ebony Blake, and Edward C. Smith.

Winner of four 2000 Tony® Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA is a musical bursting with contemporary energy chronicling the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country; Amneris, an Egyptian princess; and, Radames, the soldier they both love. AIDA is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal with an exhilarating Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning score by Elton John and Tim Rice, their first collaboration since writing the music for the worldwide phenomenon The Lion King.

Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA features music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. AIDA was originally directed by Robert Falls and produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Big League Theatricals, Inc., who recently produced the acclaimed North American tour of Miss Saigon, has conceived and developed this new touring production. Staging is by T.J.Young and choreography is by Sarita Allen. The design team for this new production includes Neil Patel (scenery), Emilio Sosa (costumes), and Charlie Morrison (lighting).

"Aida is filled with glorious pop anthems" raved the Detroit Free Press, while USA Today praised Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA's "crowd-pleasing score." The Star Ledger proclaimed, "Elton John's high-energy theater score swoons with romance."

The score for Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA was hailed by Time Magazine as "filled with luscious melodies and soulful lyrics." The show produced a number of hit songs including "Written in the Stars" (recorded by Elton John and LeAnn Rimes, which hit #2 on Billboard's AC charts in 1999), "Easy as Life" (recorded by Tina Turner and also as a dance remix by Deborah Cox that hit #24 on the U.S. Dance charts in 2004), "Elaborate Lives," "My Strongest Suit," and "The Gods Love Nubia." The original broadway cast album is available from Disney Records. The concept album, featuring a host of music superstars from Tina Turner and Elton John to Boyz II Men and Lenny Kravitz, was released on Island Records.

The original production had its world premiere (as "Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida") at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on September 17, 1998. A new, revised production opened on December 9, 1999 at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago. The Broadway production, named Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA, opened at the Palace Theatre on March 23, 2000 and ran a total of 1,852 performances, making it one of the longest running shows in Broadway history, generating a successful national tour, and several international productions.

"AIDA is not opera. It's truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel inspired songs, ballads and, of course, Crocodile Rock songs."-Elton John

By www.statetheatrenj.org