• by Fern Siegel , January 28, 2010

Bugs Bunny, one of the stars of Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes series, is back on Broadway.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has capitalized on the initial success of Bugs Bunny on Broadway, an orchestra-and-film concert that debuted in 1990, with a sequel, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony.

Created and conducted by Emmy winner George Daugherty, it fuses on-screen Looney Tunes characters and a live symphony orchestra. By highlighting original cartoon classics in the Looney Tunes archive, it introduces the characters to a new generation.

"Music has always been an important part of the beloved Looney Tunes and their appeal to a worldwide fan base," stated Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

Like its previous incarnation, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony will debut in a series of major global performances in mid-2010. Two high-profile premieres include Australia's Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra on May 7-8, and at The Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on July 16-17. The Bowl performances will include a fireworks display choreographed to the WB animated classic "What's Opera, Doc?"

In Symphony, additional Looney characters will join the roster: Tweety, Sylvester and Pepe LePew, as well as stars from Hanna-Barbera, such as The Jetsons and Scooby-Doo.

Bugs Bunny on Broadway sold out its 1990 run at the Gershwin Theater, with its extraordinary Wagner/Rossini/Strauss/Tchaikovsky-inspired Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn scores. Among the most beloved are send-ups of famous operas, such as "The Rabbit of Seville" and "Baton Bunny." The show played to an estimated 2 million people in venues from Chicago to Moscow.

Steven A. Linder, senior vice president, attractions for management agent IMG Artists, said the sequel "marries the musical passion of the concert hall with the artistic passion of some of the greatest creative minds in Hollywood."