'Bernarda Alba' at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater

Lincoln Center Theatre will present the world premiere of Bernarda Alba, a new musical with words and music by Michael John LaChiusa and direction and choreography by Graciela Daniele, adapted from the play The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garca Lorca.

Bernarda Alba opens at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on the 6 Mar 2006, following previews from the 11 Feb.

Adapted from Federico Garca Lorca's final play which is widely acknowledged as a masterpiece of 20th century dramatic literature, Bernarda Alba is the story of a newly-widowed mother (to be played by Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad), who enforces her iron will on her large household, only to have her daughters (to be played by Nikki M. James, Sally Murphy, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Saundra Santiago) overwhelm her tyranny.

The cast of Bernarda Alba will also feature Yolande Bavan, Candy Buckley, Laura Shoop and Nancy Ticotin.

The musical will have sets by Christopher Barreca, costumes by Toni Leslie-James, lighting by Stephen Strawbridge, orchestrations by Michael Starobin and musical direction by Deborah Abramson.

Composer/lyricist Michael John LaChiusa and director/choreographer Graciela Daniele are frequent collaborators whose past LCT productions include Marie Christine, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Hello, Again.

Ms. Daniele, an Associate Director of Lincoln Center Theater, also directed and choreographed LCT's productions of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Dessa Rose and William Finn's A New Brain and Elegies: A Song Cycle.

Mr. LaChuisa is currently represented off-Broadway with his new musical See What I Wanna See at the Public Theatre and Miss Daniele is currently directing and choreographing 'Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life' opening on Broadway next month.

Phylicia Rashad, who will be making her Lincoln Center Theater debut in Bernarda Alba, won the Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun, and last season was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean.