Ionescopade: York presents musical vaudeville

York Theatre Company are to present a new production of Ionescopade, a "musical vaudeville," taken from the works of Eugene Ionesco, and featureing music and lyrics by Mildred Kayden, based on anoriginal idea conceived by Robert Allan Ackerman.

Ionescopade will open at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's on 2 Feb 2012, following previews from 23 Jan 2012, and is currently selling tickets through to 26 Feb 2012.

Ionescopade will be directed and choreographed by Bill Castellino, with music direction by Christopher McGovern, scenic design by James Morgan, costume design by Nicole Wee, and lighting design by Mary Jo Dondlinger.

Casting and the full creative team will be announced shortly.

James Morgan, the York's Producing Artistic Director said, "Ionescopade deserves a much wider life, and a recording; we hope to help it along in both respects. It is particularly meaningful to be revisiting it with composer/lyricist Mildred Kayden and director Bill Castellino, both of whom I've wanted to collaborate with for awhile."

Ionescopade: Plays, playlets, and poetry by absurdist playwright Eugene Ionescoturned into a musical vaudeville, where humor is the antidote to the world's realities.

Ionescopade, a musical vaudeville, premiered Off-Broadway in 1974, directed by Ackerman, and ran for almost a year at various theatres. It subsequently ran for over a year in Los Angeles directed by Castellino and has been seen around the world in various productions. In 1994 The York produced a reading featuring Ruby Dee and Barbara Feldon; the following year The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. presented a revival starring Lilianne Montevecchi and Ron Holgate, which was also directed by Castellino.