Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Takes on Havana in the New Original Musical, CAMBIO

Apr 8, 2008

Media Contacts

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (April 8, 2008) — The Hunchback of Notre Dame meets Havana Nights in a creative spin on the classic tale in CAMBIO, an original Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival production and the most distinctive play of its 2008 season, running July 10 – Aug. 17, 2008.  Written by the Festival’s artistic director Jan Powell and Portland playwright Carole J. Dane, CAMBIO tells the tale of Victor Hugo’s timeless love story set in modern day Havana, Cuba bringing live music, dance and flair to the Festival’s theatre at Sand Harbor State Park.  

On stage the story of a young man who is rejected as a monster unfolds as his love for a beautiful, rebellious young woman grows.  Drenched in the simmering tensions of contemporary Havana, a city on the brink of tremendous change, CAMBIO fuses pulsating Latin beats and steamy Cuban nightlife with love, lust, passion and betrayal. 

“Drawing inspiration from the defiance of modern Cuban youth battling their country’s social and political mores, CAMBIO stands for change and shares the dialogue in a way that will embrace the audience and pull them in to the sights, sounds and emotions of the story,” notes Artistic Director Jan Powell, a well-known West Coast Shakespearean director who leads the Festival’s first in-house production team. “It is a compelling script backed by amazing talent…all the makings for a great theatrical performance.”

The play’s original music is composed and performed by Omar Alexander, a new generation U.S. Latin music singer, songwriter, composer and musician with a Latin Gypsy Funk Rock musical style.  The soundtrack of CAMBIO is complemented by original choreography and costuming by Soozi Childers, whose experience includes choreography for some of Las Vegas’s most talked about productions.  

“CAMBIO is a vibrant departure from our traditional playbill that will showcase the beauty and the flexibility of our venue and the exceptional talents of our new in-house production team,” said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.  “CAMBIO is lively, colorful and will make our audience want to get on their feet and enjoy the Latin sounds that will play live from our outdoor amphitheatre.”

 In addition to CAMBIO, the 36th annual season of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival presents two Shakespeare classics – the gleefully wicked Richard III and the impishly interfering immortals in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Tickets for the 2008 season are now available online at www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com with reduced handling fees for all online purchases, or by calling 888-32-SHOWS (888-327-4697).  Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier reserved seating section from $67.  Information about the 2008 season, membership, volunteer opportunities and sponsorships is available online. 

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno.  Annually drawing more than 30,000 attendees from across the country to the specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Festival is a regional advocate for producing the finest cultural events in the region.  Through its in-house artistic direction, the Festival produces three plays each summer, creating original costuming, set design and choreography, and attracting a team of national and international stage talent.  The Festival’s community outreach includes and annual program, InterACT, designed to educate future generations on the importance of the arts, theatre and music.