A true classic of American musical theater, this tale of life on the Mississippi from the 1880s to the 1920s is both a poignant love story and a powerful reminder of the bitter legacy of racism. Music by Jerome Kern • Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber Heidi Stober, Magnolia Hawks • Michael Todd Simpson, Gaylord Ravenal • Bill Irwin, Cap’n Andy Hawks • Patricia Racette, Julie La Verne • Angela Renée Simpson, Queenie • Harriet Harris, Parthy Ann Hawks • Kirsten Wyatt, Ellie Mae Chipley • Morris Robinson, Joe • John Bolton, Frank Schultz John DeMain, conductor • Francesca Zambello, director • Peter Davison, set designer • Paul Tazewell, costume designer • Mark McCullough, lighting designer • Tod Nixon, sound designer • Ian Robertson, chorus director • Michele Lynch, choreographer A co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera and Houston Grand Opera; presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals.