East West Players presents the Los Angeles premier of PASSION

East West Players, the nation’s premier Asian American theatre, begins its 38th Anniversary Season – Politics of Passion – with the haunting and intensely emotional one-act chamber opera PASSION, book by James Lapine, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Tim Dang, EWP’s Artistic Director, will direct the musical’s Los Angeles premiere, with musical direction by Scott Nagatani.

Dang is a celebrated director of Sondheim productions in Los Angeles, earning critical and box office success with past productions such as SWEENEY TODD (Ovation Award and Drama-Logue Award), PACIFIC OVERTURES (Ovation Award and Backstage West Garland Award) INTO THE WOODS (Drama-Logue Award), A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and FOLLIES. Nagatani is a veteran Los Angeles musician and has collaborated with Dang on many of his musical projects, earning a Drama-Logue Award for SWEENEY TODD.

From the creators of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and INTO THE WOODS, Lapine’s and Sonheim’s PASSION earned four Tony Awards including best musical. It explores the wondrously complex landscape of the human heart. Set on a remote military outpost in 1863 Italy, a handsome army captain, separated from his beautiful (but married) mistress, is forced to re-evaluate his beliefs about love when he becomes the object of the obsessive, unrelenting passions of Fosca, his Colonel’s plain, sickly cousin.

“We were one of the first to bring Sondheim to an intimate setting with SWEENY TODD in our old 99-seat theater on Santa Monica Blvd. With PASSION we hope to continue creating high quality work with the amazing talent in the Asian American community,” Dang said.

The creative team for PASSION is set designer Victoria Petrovich, lighting designer Jose Lopez, costume designer Naomi Yoshida Rodriguez, sound engineer Kaname Morishita, property master Ken Takemoto and stage manager Ricardo Figueroa.

All performances are in the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, located in Little Tokyo at 120 Judge John Aiso St. (formerly San Pedro St. between Temple and First streets). Opening night is September 10, 2003 (includes gala reception with the director, cast and crew) and closing on October 5, 2003. Previews are September 4-6 at 8 pm and September 7 at 2 pm. Regular performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm (no Saturday matinee on September 13). An American Sign Language-interpreted performance is schedule for October 4 at 2 pm.

Ticket prices are $63 for Opening Night; regular performances are $38 in the orchestra and $23 for the balcony. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday, 11 am – 5 pm by calling (213) 625-7000 x20. Senior, student and group discounts are available.

PASSION is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Music Theater International, 421 W. 54th St., New York, NY 10019. Tel.: (212) 541-4684, FAX: (212) 397-4684, www.MTIShows.com.

Questions? Email gwangung@u.washington.edu