Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is proud to announce that their inaugural production for the Broadway stage, LESTAT, broke the box office record as the highest grossing world premiere musical in San Francisco history.

During its pre-Broadway run at the Curran Theatre, LESTAT grossed $4,315,293, breaking the record previously held by Wicked (LESTAT however ran an additional week and a half longer than Wicked to break the record).

In preparation for the Broadway run, Jonathan Butterell has joined the production as creative consultant to provide an objective overview as it undergoes revisions. To accommodate these revisions, LESTAT will now begin previews at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway at 47th Street) on Saturday, March 25, 2006, and open on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

As a choreographer, Jonathan Butterell's Broadway credits include The Light In The Piazza, Assassins, Nine, Fiddler On The Roof and Electra. In the United Kingdom Mr. Butterell directed Michael Ball in Alone Together: Divas at the Donmar, and Orpheus Descending and Strindberg's Creditors for Theatre Project Tokyo. He was associate director for RNT's Othello, and RSC's Hamlet. Mr. Butterrell co-directed Into the Woods (West End), Peter Pan (Royal Festival Hall), and Sweeney Todd (Opera North). London choreography credits include Passion, Company, Habeus Corpus, How I Learned to Drive, The Maids. He choreographed the film Finding Neverland.

Inspired by Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, LESTAT is the first theatrical score from the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, has a book by Linda Woolverton, and is directed by Robert Jess Roth with musical staging by Matt West.

Lestat, Anne Rice's most celebrated and beloved literary character, is being brought to life on the stage with a score by Grammy and Academy Award winning composer Elton John and 2006 Golden Globe Award-winning lyricist Bernie Taupin in their first theatrical collaboration. LESTAT is the romantic and heartbreaking story of the extraordinary journey of one man who escapes the tyranny of his oppressive family only to have his life taken from him. Thrust into the seductive and sensual world of an immortal vampire, Lestat sets out on a road of adventures in a quest for everlasting love and companionship but is forced to reconcile his innate sense of good with his primal need to exist.

LESTAT, starring Hugh Panaro in the title role, Carolee Carmello as Gabrielle, Drew Sarich as Armand, Jim Stanek as Louis, Roderick Hill as Nicolas, Michael Genet as Marius and Allison Fischer as Claudia, has a cast of 19 that features Rachel Coloff, Nikki Renee Daniels, Joseph Dellger, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Chris Peluso, Megan Reinking, Sarah Solie, Amy Sparrow, Will Swenson, Steve Wilson and Tommar Wilson.

LESTAT has a scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Jonathan Deans, visual concept design by Dave McKean, and hair design by Tom Watson. LESTAT has orchestrations by Steve Margoshes and Guy Babylon, with musical supervision by Guy Babylon, musical direction by Brad Haak, and vocal arrangements by Todd Ellison.

The playing schedule for LESTAT during previews is as follows: Monday through Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm. Please note there will be no 2pm matinees on Wednesday, March 29, or Wednesday, April 26. There will be an added 2pm matinee on Friday, April 28.

The regular playing schedule for LESTAT beginning Tuesday, May 2, 2006, is as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm.

Tickets range from $65 to $110, and can be purchased through ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100.

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