Lost Musicals Presents FLAHOOLEY and Cole Porter's ALADDIN, May & Aug 2012

The 2012 LOST MUSICALS season presents two extraordinary musical productions – the fantastical 1951 FLAHOOLEY and Cole Porter's magical 1958 ALADDIN at the Lillian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells in May and August 2012.

IAN MARSHALL FISHER's concert productions are a celebration of shows that have been lost since their first incarnation, but now get to see the light of day in these exclusive weekend performances, often for the first time in the UK, in the intimate space of the Lilian Baylis Studio. MARSHALL FISHER spends months in U.S. Universities researching and working with Broadway's finest writers Estates, to faithfully reconstruct these wonderful neglected and lesser known shows.

FLAHOOLEY (1951) was one of the most wildly imaginative musicals Broadway has ever seen, with lyrics and book E.Y. Harburg (Finian's Rainbow, Brother Can You Spare A Dime and film The Wizard Of Oz) and Fred Saidy, with music by Oscar-winning Sammy Fain (Calamity Jane, I'll Be Seeing You, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing). This funny, satirical and allegorical fairy tale, with genies, magic lamps and a doll maker had an underlying contemporary social satire that HARBURG bravely registered in one of the few attacks on McCarthyism to be heard on the American stage, whilst also lampooning big business practice. HARBURG had been named by McCarthy, and there is real rage in this musical that makes it historically fascinating, at a time when America was in the middle of the Korean War. FLAHOOLEY is never solemn or preachy and FAIN has written his best Broadway tunesin this fascinating score; whilst HARBURG's marvellous lyrics include the brilliant opening number You Too Can Be a Puppet. Barbara Cook and Yma Sumac made their Broadway debut's in this now forgotten musical - a show that was too challenging for it's time and place, and became an exceptionally beautiful flop that ran for a mere 51 performances. The LOST MUSICALS, FLAHOOLEY plays Sundays throughout May.

In August, LOST MUSICALS will present Cole Porter's last work ALADDIN (1958), which was especially written for a one-off live American television broadcast, and has never been seen since. Written by PORTER and S.J. Perelman (One Touch Of Venus and the Marx Brother's Monkey Business / Horse Feather) this unique collaboration was to be PORTER's last work. The show starred Basil Rathbone and Sal Mineo and featured the song Come To The Supermarket In Old Peking –"If you want to buy a kite / Or a pup to keep you up at night / Or a dwarf who used to know Snow White / Or a frog who loves to sing / Come to the supermarket in old Peking".

With nothing but a piano, the script, the lyrics, the music and a full company of 20 actors (drawn from the West End, RSC and RNT), the LOST MUSICALS™ allows the expertly crafted material to once again speak for itself, in these unique revivals of FLAHOOLEY and ALADDIN. The musical director on both productions is Mark Warman (West End: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into The Woods, Pacific Overtures, Les Miserables).

FLAHOOLEY runs Sundays – 13, 20, 27 May at 4.00pm, and Sunday, 3 June at 1.45pm & 5.30pm.

ALADDIN runs Sundays – 19, 26 August at 4.00pm, Saturday, 1 September at 2.30pm & 5.30pm and Sunday 2 September at 4.00pm.

All shows are located at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN. Ticket prices: £23.00 & £29.50 Box office: 0844 412 4300. For more information visit www.sadlerswells.com or www.lostmusicals.org.

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