Press Release

LONDON TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW MUSICAL  MARCO POLO – AN UNTOLD LOVE STORY

By Angela Oakes PR Director - Marco Polo: An Untold Story
London
May 31, 2016



Marco Polo, An Untold Love Story includes over 20 original scores, combining moving lyrics with haunting, memorable music; not least the beautiful love song I Choose You. 

The story features Marco Polo travelling through Northern Asia, where he meets and falls in love with Kogajin, the royal Princess of Cathay. Marco aspires to become one of the ruling barons of Cathay in the realm of the great Kublai Khan in order to deserve a royal princess. Meanwhile, Marco’s pride and ambition create a personal struggle between power and true love – which will he choose?

This poignant East-West encounter of two lovers from different parts of the world is a timeless tale, rich in historical significance.  The musical is the first to tell an untold love story of the adventurer Marco Polo on the London stage. This highly original musical piece explores universal themes that appeal to all. Is there truly an invisible thread that ties those who are destined to meet and love each other?

Previews of the show have been staged in Manila and Paris in 2015 to great acclaim.
In London the show will reach a global audience and is being presented by the Artists Theatre Company (UK). Marco Polo will have a limited world premiere run of 41 performances and is open to the public from August 5^th to September 4^th in the intimate setting of the Shaw Theatre.

The truly international cast of 30 represents a strong collaboration between the East and West and features some of the finest musical talent in theatre today.

Cast members have been hand-picked from the UK, US, France, Belgium and the Philippines.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

AUTHOR & COMPOSER – ROGELIO SALDO CHUA
Author, composer and lyricist Rogelio Saldo Chua is an accomplished Philippine-Belgian singer and actor, inspired by his own travels to write the musical Marco Polo. In addition to stage performances as an actor and singer in musical productions, his theatre experience has included roles as a director, producer and artistic director.

Roger obtained formal vocal training as a classical singer at the Leuven Conservatorium in Belgium. He currently sits on the board of various foundations that promote the performing arts and considers the Philippines, the USA and Belgium as home. He was awarded Officier de L’Ordre de Leopold II by the Kingdom of Belgium in 2013.

THE CAST
Marco Polo, An Untold Love Story is the first musical theatre production to include such a broad international cast on the London stage. Thirty cast members have been hand-picked from the UK, US, France, Belgium and the Philippines. This strong East – West collaboration reflects the theme running through the story.

The talented cast includes Stephanie Reese, playing the female lead Princess Kogajin. Stephanie has an international reputation as a concert singer and stage actress.  Previous starring roles include Tuptim in the West End revival of “King and I”, Kim in the German production of “Miss Saigon” and Esmeralda in Walt Disney’s world premiere of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

THE LYRIQUE MUSICALE TRADITION
Marco Polo, An Untold Love Story, a New Musical, rightly belongs to the genre of French lyricism – songs that spontaneously express individual thoughts and feelings. Indeed, Marco Polo, an Untold Love Story is a celebration of songs in the tradition of Ronsard and Du Bellay from the 16th century, applied to the lyric prose of Rousseau in the 18^th century and nourished by the 19th century poetic works of Chateaubriand, Chénier and de Lamartine. This blossomed further in the songs of Victor Hugo and Paul Verlaine and metamorphosed in the 20th century into the dream of Baudelaire of "a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and without rhyme, supple enough, but strong enough, to adapt to the lyrical movements of the soul."

MODERN SCENOGRAPHY
The modern scenography used in the musical production has been strongly influenced by 20^th century Eastern European set design artists. Combined with French lyricism, the author and composer Roger Saldo Chua has created the perfect atmosphere and a unique emotional mood for Marco Polo, an Untold Love Story.

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Tickets for the show are priced at £40, £60 and £80 each.

There is an Early Bird discount offer of 30% on ticket prices through booking on the website   www.marcopolo-newmusical.com

Use voucher code RSCTRNTHR. 

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