The Three Musketeers

Based on the timeless swashbuckler by Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers is a tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and above all, honor. The story, set in 1625, begins with d'Artagnan (Gilberto Martin del Campo) who sets off for Paris in search of adventure. Along with d'Artagnan goes Sabine (Lauren Bair), his sister, the quintessential tomboy. Sent with d'Artagnan to attend a convent school in Paris, she poses as a young man - d'Artagnan's servant - and quickly becomes entangled in her brother's adventures. Soon after reaching Paris, d'Artagnan encounters the greatest heroes of the day, Athos (Ken Potts), Porthos (Devin Hennessy) and Aramis (Jeff Gorham), the famous musketeers, and he joins forces with his heroes to defend the honor of the Queen of France (Kelly Godell). In so doing, he finds himself in opposition to the most dangerous man in Europe, Cardinal Richelieu (Garland Lyons). Even more deadly is the infamous Countess de Winter (Melissa Whitney), known as Milady, who will stop at nothing to revenge herself on d'Artagnan - and Sabine - for their meddlesome behavior. Little does Milady know that the young girl she scorns, Sabine, will ultimately save the day.

Others in the cast include: Brad Bolchunos, Christy Bigelow, John Killeen, Matt Miller, Burl Ross, and Matt Loehrke.

The production, directed by Don Alder (Noises Off, A Midsummer Night's Dream), opens Friday, July 11 at Lakewood Theatre Company and continues until August 24 with the following performance schedule:  Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 PM; Sundays at 7:00 PM on July 13, 20, 27 & Aug 3; Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM on July 20, August 10, 17 & 24.

History of the Play:
This adaptation, noted as an "adventure" was commissioned by the Bristol Old Vic in England for their 2006 holiday production. Lakewood Theatre Company is the first Oregon theatre to produce The Three Musketeers.

What the London reviewers said:

"[A] slick, swashbuckling romp that cleverly updates the Dumas novel ... Ken Ludwig's new version of the story simply refreshes it, distilling its energy and strengthening its timeless appeal."

The Guardian

"Four Stars Out Of Four. The Bristol Old Vic has come up with a real winner for its festive production. Ken Ludwig's adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's classic yarn is completely in keeping with the most popular Hollywood versions."

The Bristol Evening Post

"Breathtakingly authentic. Just the right seasonal mix of low comedy, stirring music, catch phrases ancient and modern and designs that suggest Hollywood in its heyday."
The Stage (London)

"[A] humorous script, lively characters and plenty of swash-buckling action ... the best Christmas show the Old Vic has produced in several years."
The BBC

"Ken Ludwig's script is fairly groaning with giggles. In short, about as much fun as you would expect, and then a little more."
Venue Magazine

About Ken Ludwig:

Born in York, Pennsylvania, Ludwig was educated at Haverford College, Harvard Law School, and Trinity College at Cambridge University. His first Broadway play, Lend Me a Tenor (1989), garnered him his first Tony Award nomination; his second was for Best Book of a Musical for Crazy for You (1992), which won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Helen Hayes, and Laurence Olivier Awards as Best Musical. Other Broadway credits include Moon Over Buffalo (1995) featuring Carol Burnett, the book for an ill-fated musical adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001), and a new adaptation of the classic Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur play, Twentieth Century (2004).

Among Ludwig's other works are Shakespeare in Hollywood, which was presented at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., in 2003 and won the Helen Hayes' Award for Best Play of the Year; Leading Ladies, premiered at The Cleveland Playhouse in 2004; Be My Baby, again at the Alley Theatre, with Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter; and the completion of Thornton Wilder's adaptation of George Farquhar's Restoration comedy The Beaux' Stratagem, staged at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 2006. Ludwig's adaptation of The Three Musketeers opened at the Bristol Old Vic in England in December 2006.