Friday, April 3, 2009

A 'Cast' of Hollywood's Brightest Tells King David's Story

King David comes alive Off-Broadway with a “cast” of Hollywood’s biggest stars as David M. Sanborn impersonates the voices of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sean Connery, Jimmy Stewart, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Gene Kelly, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey and others to depict key characters in this epic Biblical tale.

The production, taken word for word from the scriptures, is set to music by Sanborn and his mother, Ellen Sanborn (who also directs), with orchestrations by David Onn-San . Previews begin April 9, with performances April 16 through June 27 at the Promise Theater, 316 East 91st Street, New York, Tuesdays at 7 pm, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm, and Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm.

Sanborn has performed the musical for 12 years on five continents for more than 50,000 people since its premiere in 1997 at the University of Nations in Hawaii.

“We decided to write this script because King David is our favorite warrior-poet,” said Sanborn. “In many ways, his Psalms are his intimate diary. We loved the idea of writing a musical that adapted the very lyrics that David recorded when he faced his various trials."

The script was taken word for word from the Jewish Publication Society and the New King James translations. Once the script and score were near completion, and they realized they had more than 20 characters to bring to life on stage, the Sanborns were confronted with a dilemma: how to do this efficiently and effectively? The solution they arrived at was simple: why not cast the show with an all-star cast of Hollywood actors, past and present? Since Sanborn is a master of impersonation – he has more than 50 under his belt – it was decided he would do all the roles, or at least as many as possible.

They include Arnold Schwarzenegger as Goliath, Sean Connery (as the prophet Nathan), Jimmy Stewart (as Jesse, David’s father), and Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Billy Crystal, Kirk Douglas, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly, Tom Hanks, in other key roles. Over the years, like most long-running shows, there have been “cast” replacements, including the addition of Antonio Banderas, Matthew McConaughey and Christopher Walken as David’s advisors.

King David is produced for this run by Felicia M. Lopes, Eastern Gate Entertainment; Ellen Sanborn, Sanborn Productions; and Joseph Callari.

For tickets or more information, call 212/352-3101 or (toll-free) 866/811-4111 or click here.

1 comment:

Rich Swingle said...

I'm looking forward to this!

Daily Inspiration

The Blind Side

Read about the real life mom from "The Blind Side."

Lifeway: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169816

Guideposts: http://www.guideposts.com/story/sandra-bullock-blind-side-football?page=0,1

Read Matt Mungle's review of the movie at http://www.buddyhollywood.com/.

Lauren Yarger, Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the 2000 Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists.

Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.

In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with a Christian perspective for Reflections in the Light (http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/) and is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection. She also is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com

She also reviews books for Publisher's Weekly and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. She formerly was Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp, a national theater web site bsed in New York and a reviewer for American Theater Web.

She also served as Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

She is a freelance writer and member of the Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The CT Critics Circle.

A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger lives with her husband in West Granby, CT and has two adult children.

Copyright Notice

All contents copyright © Lauren Yarger 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, contact masterworkproductions@yahoo.com.

Scripture from THE MESSAGE Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Twitter Updates

    follow me on Twitter

    Subscribe to This Feed