Dee & Flavin Star in 'Lost' Porter Musical

This year's Lost Musicals series continues in September with two performances of Cole Porter's Gay Divorce, starring Tim Flavin and two-time Olivier Award-winner Janie Dee. The musical will be staged at the West End's Palace Theatre on Sundays 17 and 24 September 2000.

The 1932 musical, which highlights the strangely fun side of divorce, was seen at the Palace in 1933, starring Fred Astaire. It features music and lyrics by Porter with book by Dwight Taylor. This will be the first time the show will be revived complete with original book, orchestration and dances. Songs include 'I've Got You on My Mind', 'After You, Who?', 'Night and Day' and 'How's Your Romance?'. The 1934 Hollywood version, Gay Divorce, starring Astaire and long-time partner Ginger Rogers, incorporated only one song, 'Night and Day', from Porter's score.

Janie Dee and Tim Flavin lead a cast of 20 in this new production. Dee this year won the Evening Standard, Critics Circle and Laurence Olivier Best Actress awards for her portrayal of an acting android in Alan Ayckbourn's comedy Comic Potential, which finished its run at the Lyric Theatre last month. Dee has also won an Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical for the National's production of Carousel. Tim Flavin's stage credits include On Your Toes and Crazy for You. He will also choreograph Gay Divorce.

Ian Marshall-Fisher, producer of the Lost Musicals, directs, with Kevin Amos conducting the BBC Orchestra. Since founding the Lost Musicals in 1989, Marshall-Fisher has worked closely with the estates and families of the writers to rediscover and reconstruct the shows. In ten seasons, he has directed over 40 musicals. The BBC will transmit Gay Divorce later in the year.

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