Mandy Patinkin Leads Menier Chocolate Factory's PARADISE FOUND in West End

WhatsOnStage.com is reporting Mandy Patinkin will star in the upcoming production of PARADISE FOUND, the new musical co-directed by theatre legends Susan Strohman and Hal Prince. The musical will play the Menier Chocolate Factory from May 19th through June 26th. The show is expected to move to New York sometime following the Chocolate Factory run.

Paradise Found will have a book by Richard Nelson, lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and music by Johann Strauss II and Jonathan Tunick. The show is based off of Joseph Roth's novel "Tale of the 1,002nd Night". In the novel, which takes place in Vienna, the Shah of Persia falls for a beautiful countess. The Austrian officials arrange for him to spend the night with the "countess", but unbeknown to the Shah she is a prostitute who merely resembles the countess. Patinkin will play the Shah's eunuch, who advises him on a number of issues.

The show is set to go into rehearsal April 12th for the Chocolate Factory production, which is planned to run seven weeks and then move quickly after that to New York.

Also expected to star in the musical is John Cullum, Shuler Hensley, Judy Kaye and Emily Skinner are all expected to take leading roles in the production, after having appeared in a number of New York readings.

Mandy Patinkin won the Tony Award for his Broadway debut in Evita and was again nominated for Sunday in the Park with George and The Wild Party. He also appeared on Broadway in Trelawny of the ‘Wells,' The Shadow Box, The Secret Garden, Falsettos, and his solo concerts Dress Casual, Celebrating Sondheim, and Mamaloshen. For the New York Shakespeare Festival/The Public Theater, Mandy appeared in Leave It to Beaver Is Dead, The Knife, The Winter's Tale, Henry IV - Part I, Rebel Women, Hamlet, and Dress Casual. Other theatre credits include The Split, Savages, Enemy of the People, and most recently The Tempest at Classic Stage Company. Film appearances include The Choking Man, Pinero, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Lulu on the Bridge, Men with Guns, The Princess Bride, Yentl, The Music of Chance, Daniel, Ragtime, Impromptu, The Doctor, Alien Nation, Dick Tracy, The House on Carroll Street, True Colors, Maxie, and Squanto: Indian Warrior. Television series include Chicago Hope (Emmy Award), Showtime's Dead Like Me, and Criminal Minds. His solo albums include Mandy Patinkin, Mandy Patinkin Dress Casual, and on the Nonesuch label: Experiment, Oscar and Steve, Mamaloshen, Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim, and Kidults. Mandy continues to tour his concerts Dress Casual, Celebrating Sondheim, Mamaloshen, and An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.

Harold Prince directed the premiere productions of Cabaret, the original Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, The Phantom of the Opera, She Loves Me, Company, Follies, Candide, Pacific Overtures, Evita, Parade and LoveMusik. Mr. Prince's producing credits include The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello! and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Among the plays he has directed are Hollywood Arms, The Visit, The Great God Brown, End of the World, Play Memory and his own play, Grandchild of Kings. Recently he prepared a new version of Phantom, which is running in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel. His opera productions have been seen at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Vienna Staatsoper and the Theater Colon in Buenos Aires. He served as a trustee for the New York Public Library and on the National Council of the Arts of the NEA. Recently, he became an officer with the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Government for "contributing significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world." He is the recipient of a National Medal of Arts for the year 2000 from President Clinton for a career spanning more than 40 years, in which "he changed the nature of the American musical." The recipient of 21 Tony Awards, he was a 1994 Kennedy Center Honoree.

Throughout its history, the Menier Chocolate Factory building has been inspired by both individuality and the pursuit of quality. Built in 1870 to house a chocolate factory, this unique space now comprises a restaurant and bar, rehearsal room and 150 seat theatre. Having maintained the original exposed wooden beams, unusual cast iron columns and an amazing brick feature interior, the Chocolate Factory is a stimulating environment to enjoy a high-quality and entertaining theatrical experience.

For more information, visit www.menierchocolatefactory.com.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride