A little bit of Broadway comes to the red rocks when the Sedona International Film Festival hosts the big-screen debut of the Tony Award-winning musical “Show Boat” — a brand new, full-staged production from the San Francisco Opera House — premiering May 28. The musical premieres in high definition at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. There will be two shows at 4 and 7 p.m.
“Show Boat” — a true classic of American musical theater — is a tale of life on the Mississippi from the 1880s to the 1920s. It is both a poignant love story and a powerful reminder of the bitter legacy of racism. Director Francesca Zambello’s grand-scale production is "a triumph—a stylish, fast-paced and colorful show that had the capacity audience on its feet, cheering loud and long" (Chicago Classical Review).
The magnificent Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II score, which includes such classic songs as "Ol’ Man River," "Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man," "Make Believe" and "You Are Love," will sound glorious "under the authoritative baton of music-theater maestro John DeMain" (Chicago Tribune). "No one should miss it" (Chicago Sun-Times).
According to General Director David Gockley, "Show Boat” will be done in grand theatrical fashion in the way the creators conceived. “The Opera House is — I believe — the appropriate venue for these great classic musicals that require full-voiced singing."
"One memorable song follows another, each an enduring thread in the fabric of American popular culture." – Chicago Tribune
Francesca Zambello's Show Boat offers "rollicking dance numbers and big crowd scenes, balanced by intimate emotion and sheer romance." – SF Chronicle