For Immediate Release: April 4, 2006
Media Contact: Todd Stuart or Rebecca Fullan, Theatre League of Philadelphia/Merriam Theater, 215.732.5997

"SEE IT. Or live to regret it." - London Independent
"It will change the way you see ballet forever." - What's On
"This Swan Lake should be seen far and wide." - Variety

Matthew Bourne ignited the theatre world in 1995 with his stunning reinvention of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Now, for its 10th Anniversary season, Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE continues its worldwide success with a new, North American tour which will arrive in Philadelphia from May 9th-11th, at the Merriam Theater (250 S. Broad St.)

Boldly shattering the traditional concept of swans in tutus, director/choreographer Bourne blends ballet, humor, spectacle and comedy to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times. The production has been lauded for introducing the world of dance to a whole new generation.

Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE became an audience phenomenon during its 1995 London premiere, and has since thrilled audiences around the world, with sold-out houses and thunderous standing ovations across Britain, Europe and in Tokyo. It's the longest running ballet on the West End and Broadway and the winner of more than 30 international theatre awards including three Broadway Tony Awards® and London's Olivier Award. The televised production of Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE has been seen on PBS' "Great Performances" (Emmy nomination), and is featured in Stephen Daldry's hit film "Billy Elliot."

Presented by Back Row Productions and NETworks Presentations in association with New Adventures, the production appears for the first time in North America outside of New York and Los Angeles, with an international company of 38 dancers, set and costume designs by Lez Brotherson and lighting by Rick Fisher.

Originally written by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, Swan Lake was staged at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1877, but it wasn't until 18 years later - and after the death of its composer - that it was finally staged in St. Petersburg, and became a timeless classic. Matthew Bourne's production retains two of the essentials that make Swan Lake so universally loved - Tchaikovsky's great score and the story of our constant yearning for an unattainable ideal.

Matthew Bourne (Director/Choreographer) most recently won London's Olivier award for choreographing Disney's new stage production of Mary Poppins. Play Without Words brought him another Olivier Award for choreography, and opened to critical acclaim in New York this March. His other credits include major revivals of classic musicals including Cameron Mackintosh's productions of Oliver! (1994) and My Fair Lady (2002) as well as the National Theatre's revival of South Pacific (2002). As the director and choreographer for Swan Lake Matthew Bourne is the only British director to have won the Tony Award® for Best Director and Best Choreographer of a Musical (1999). He is currently adapting Tim Burton's cult film Edward Scissorhands for London's West End.

Lez Brotherston (Set and Costume Design) won a 1999 Tony Award® for his work on Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE and an Olivier Award for Cinderella. Other credits include Play Without Words, The Car Man and Highland Fling (all with Matthew Bourne) and works at the Donmar Warehouse, Royal National Theatre and on London's West End. He will re-team with Mr. Bourne to design Edward Scissorhands.

Rick Fisher (Lighting Design), originally from Pennsylvania, is a two-time winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design, and won a 1994 Tony Award® for An Inspector Calls on Broadway. His designed Cinderella (with Matthew Bourne) and productions for the Donmar Warehouse and Royal National Theatre. His current project on London's West End is Billy Elliot the Musical.

Back Row Productions (Producer) For more than a decade, Back Row has successfully developed and presented innovative productions throughout the world. Credits include development and worldwide presentations of shows including Tap Dogs, Slava's Snowshow, the New York debut of Eddie Izzard, Ningail (the story of a remarkable young Australian aboriginal woman), the record breaking West End and European tours of Jerry Seinfeld and the award-winning Gumboots, presently touring Europe. With Clear Channel, the Back Row team launched the European tour of the award-winning musical Fosse in Hamburg, and co-produced the hit show about motherhood Mum's the Word for European, North American, Scottish and UK regional tours prior to a West End opening in 2003. The company has booked, managed and produced international seasons of Slava's Snowshow, Cats, Chicago, Bounce, Circus Oz, Gumboots, Tap Dogs, Fosse and Mum's the Word. Back Row's forthcoming productions include the tenth anniversary tour of Tap Dogs in Australia and the European, Asian and North American tours of Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE.

NETworks Presentations, LLC. (Producer) Founded by Kenneth Gentry in 1995, NETworks has offices in New York City, London and Maryland and has produced National and International Tours including: Show Boat, Rent, Cabaret, Ragtime, The Civil War, Cirque Ingenieux, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Bully, State Fair, Jekyll & Hyde, Big, Victor/Victoria, Seussical the Musical, Tick, tick...BOOM!, Cinderella, Oliver! and international production of Fosse. In addition to Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE, NETworks' 2005-2006 season includes productions of Little Women, Annie, Oklahoma!, The Full Monty, and Rent.

New Adventures (Producer) was formed in 2002 to create and perform both large- and small-scale work by Matthew Bourne. Its first work, Play Without Words, premièred in August 2002 at the National Theatre and was revived in Christmas 2003 before undertaking a UK tour and seasons in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Moscow. The company's second new production, Nutcracker!, in association with ATG and Sadler's Wells, has played two successful Christmas seasons at Sadler's Wells (2002 and 2003) and toured extensively in the UK and in Japan. The production was performed in California during Christmas 2004, and was also filmed by the BBC. Future productions for the company, in addition to the international tour of Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE, include Highland Fling - a revival of Matthew Bourne's ballet that will tour extensively in the UK in Spring 2005, and then a production of Edward Scissorhands, a new ballet of the Tim Burton movie with music by Danny Elfman for Christmas 2005.

Tickets for Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE are on sale now and are available at the Merriam Theater Box Office, or through Ticketmaster, at (215) 336-1234 or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. The ticket price range is $25-$72.50.

Performance Schedule:
Tuesday-Thursday at 8 PM

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