City premiere for musical on Grace Kelly

Published on Tuesday 4 August 2009 11:03

A MUSICAL based on the life of Grace Kelly is to make its world premiere at the Capital's Church Hill Theatre.

By Grace – The Musical aims to capture the buzz and excitement which erupted in 1956 when the Hollywood actress married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, becoming Princess Grace.

The musical follows everyone from the MGM seamstresses, who kept her wedding dress under lock and key, to her friends and family and the Catholic schoolgirls who experienced the thrill of celebrity for the first time through tabloid newspaper reports.

As even as those closest to Princess Grace grab their 15 minutes of fame, they soon discover that it does not last, and only loneliness ensues when the fleeting fame has passed.

The Fringe show has original music and lyrics written by an all-female team and features American high school students from 40 schools around the US, who were selected from 1,500 applicants.

The show runs from 10 to 15 August and will also have a 15- minute showcase at the 2009 Fringe High Street Event on 13 August. After its run in Edinburgh it will head to Charlotte in North Carolina and is due to open on Broadway in 2011.