New Jersey - Dear World at Bristol Riverside Theatre

Dear World

A musical fable, with the forces of poetry, idealism and love pitted against materialism, power and greed.

Originally produced on Broadway in 1969, composer Jerry Herman, best known for Hello, Dolly! and Mame, adapted this quirky, yet elegant parable into one of his most beautifully melodic and lyrical scores. He has revisited Dear World in recent years, restoring the piece to its original concept as an intimate chamber musical. This production will feature the 2006 revision of the book by David Thompson (Steel Pier, McCarter Theatre's A Christmas Carol), with brand new songs and orchestrations by Mr. Herman himself.

Countess Aurelia, the enchanting 'Madwoman' of Chaillot, learns that an obsessive Prospector and a group of profit-mongering Businessmen intend to drill for oil in downtown Paris. She enlists her eccentric, yet charming friends to concoct a fantastical scheme to rid themselves of their heartless adversaries and save their homes. A tale full of warm humor, witty simplicity, and subtle romance, this innocent satire strikes an extremely relevant chord in today's bottom-line world. [ more information ]