Angels cancells its pre-Broadway engagement due to technical problems

Angels The Musical, which was recently announced for the current 2008-2009 Broadway season, has cancelled its pre-Broadway engagement in Shreveport, LA, where it was to have played at the Strand Theater from 29 Aug - 13 Sep 2008, due to technical requirements.

Plans for Broadway are unaffected by this production delay.

Producer Marcus Cheong said "We are very disappointed to not be able to debut Angels in Shreveport as planned, Angels is a very complex production with specific needs and, of course, can only be performed when absolutely ready."

He added, "Everyone at The Strand and the wonderful people of Shreveport have been very warm and supportive, and we hope to eventually play that legendary theater.�

Angels tells the extraordinary story of the ancient war between the Angels and Lucifer�s fallen minions. This timeless tale of good versus evil, hope versus despair�angels vs. demons�is told through the eyes of Sera, the Angel of Light. Though she is gifted with the power to control light, she aspires to a more heroic role. Her ambition is manipulated by Lucifer, which results in tragic consequences to the Angels and the humans they protect. Sera must find the courage and power to defeat her nemesis.

Angels will feature Robert Cuccioli, Jessica Grov� and Nicholas Rodriguez with Todd Buonopane, Kevin T. Collins, Kerri Jill Garbis, Trey Gillen, Alan H. Green, Brittney Lee Hamilton, Holly Heiser, Tim Hunter, Erica Jacob, Kolina Janneck, Melina Kalomas, Erin Kruse, Brian Mathis, Adam Monley, Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone, Ellie Mooney, Ron Nahass, Shane Rhoades, Caesar Samayoa, Rena Strober, Molly Tynes, Kevin Vortmann and Eric William Whitehead.

The musical will be directed by Richard Fowler and choreographed by Lynne Hockney, who are making their Broadway debuts.

The creative team features Skip Mercier (set & costumes), Lightswitch New York (lighting) and Bernard Fox (sound).

Angels was imagined by two University of Sydney students (Cheong and Lai) in 1998 (the two met some years earlier when they collaborated on their first musical) Cheong, then a 24-year-old architecture graduate, wrote the book and lyrics, and Lai, a budding aeronautical engineer, composed the music. They soon abandoned those fields of study to pursue their theatrical careers (their journey is the subject of an Australian public television network documentary currently being filmed). Since then, Angels has been revised, and received a 2006 workshop production at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Angels is produced by Marcus Cheong, Frank Monteleone, Dale Smith; Tamara Lovatt-Smith, producing associate; and Bob Blume, consulting producer.