Aida Opening: March 23, 2000 Closing: September 5, 2004 Co-Starring: Heather Headley, Sherie Rene Scott, John Hickok Music: Elton John Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang (suggested by the opera) Director: Robert Falls Official Site IBDB: Aida IMAGE GALLERY • MEDIA • DISCUSSION ADAM'S RUN • Chicago, Cadillac Palace: November 12, 1999 to January 9, 2000 • New York, Palace Theatre: March 23, 2000 to June 15, 2003 (Previews: February 25 to March 23); June 28, 2004 to September 5, 2004 PLOT SYNOPSIS Set against the exotic landscapes of Ancient Egypt, Aida is the thrilling tale of a true, but forbidden, love that brings two unlikely people together. Aida, a Nubian princess, is captured and brought to Egypt as a slave, but is saved from certain death in the copper mines by an Egyptian captain, Radames, who sends her as a handmaiden to his bethrothed, Princess Amneris. However, Aida's strength and determination in the face of such overwhelming circumstances amazes Radames and he soon falls in love with her, making him question his fidelity to both Amneris and the Pharaoh. Weaving a backdrop of loyalty, betrayal, and forbidden love, Aida is the story of three people who are forced to make difficult choices that will alter history forever. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION Radames is Captain of the Egyptian Army, bethrothed to Princess Amneris, and in line to be the next ruler of Egypt. Yet, he hates the responsibilities that have been placed on him by his father, Prime Minister Zozer, and the Pharaoh and wishes for nothing else than to explore the vast lands of Egypt, a sentiment shared by Aida, the Nubian Princess he has captured. And although he is bound by emotional barriers and she by physical ones, it is this desire for freedom that ultimately brings them together. SHOW TRIVIA From the Atlanta staging, only Heather Headley, as Aida, and Sherie Rene Scott, as Amneris, remained. Adam Pascal joined the cast as Radames for the Chicago run. The Chicago run at the Cadillac Theatre also had its share of drama. On November 13, 1999, a set mishap during the final moments of the performance felled stars Headley and Pascal. According to an eyewitness report, while the two actors were being conveyed in a suspended boxlike "tomb" at the climax of the show, the set piece broke from its support and plunged approximately eight feet to the stage. A subsequent press release from the show's publicist stated that Headley and Pascal sustained minor injuries and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for examination. Both were released from the hospital a few hours later. From then on, the tomb remained on the ground. Credit: IBDB, Wikipedia, and StageAgent.com BACK • HOME