La Jolla firms up season

'Nightingale' set to nest at Playhouse

By ADDIE MORFOOT

The untitled Carmen project, "The Seven" and "The Nightingale," from the "Spring Awakening" team of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, are among six shows in the upcoming 2007 La Jolla Playhouse season, the last under the artistic directorship of Des McAnuff.

A musical being developed by Cirque du Soleil veteran Franco Dragone, the Carmen project is based on Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella "Carmen," with flamenco-flavored original contemporary music by composer John Ewbank. The production is aiming for a subsequent Broadway berth. Creative team includes writer-choreographer Sarah Miles, lyricist AnnMarie Milazzo and set designer Klara Zieglerova.

Scribe Will Power's "The Seven" is a hip-hop adaptation of Aeschylus' "Seven Against Thebes." The modernized Greek tragedy, which infuses musical styles including hip-hop, calypso, R&B, funk and blues, had a hit run last season at Off Broadway's New York Theater Workshop. Director Jo Bonney ("A Soldier's Play"), choreographer Bill T. Jones ("Spring Awakening") and a cast of 12 join Power on the project.

Rounding out the three selected shows is the Page to Stage production of "The Nightingale." The show by Sater and Sheik is based on the fairy tale of the same name. La Jolla began its relationship with the composing duo when it commissioned them to begin work on Off Broadway hit "Spring Awakening," which reopens at the Eugene O'Neill on Broadway in the fall.

The season's three other plays will be announced at a later date.