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Peer Reviews
Children of Eden A review by Kate Barry Entire contents are copyright © 2009 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
Have you ever noticed musicals are about one of two things, love or God. And in some cases a love for God. Popular musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Godspell take biblical stories and throw in a dash of pop music and humanistic view of theology for more cultural appeal for theater audiences. A lesser-known musical influenced by the Bible takes the aforementioned elements and applies them to the opening chapters of Genesis. Children of Eden is a fable combining familial issues, maturation themes and love with the creation story and the story of Noah's Ark. Currently, JCC CenterStage is performing this production, which is great fun. I believe the term "musical" is used lightly for this production, as there is more singing than spoken word. And the cast of strong singers was full of energy as they transitioned from singing to speaking. The costumes were admirable as well. Butch Sager supplied colorful printed costumes that gave a range of all sorts of different cultures. In both acts, "animals" appear on stage. With the creative costumes and headdresses, it was almost reminiscent of Broadway's Lion King. The second act opens with a bright and vivid dance number appropriately titled "Generations," sung by the Storytellers, also known as the chorus, which gives a timeline between Adam and Eve and Noah. I tried finding the two soloists in the program, but alas, I was unsuccessful.1 At any rate, they gave a very fine performance with their moment in the spotlight. Jay Nelson was a kind and loving Father who is disappointed by Adam and Eve and their decision to eat the fruit of knowledge. His disappointment lasts through generations until he has finally learned to let go of the past and let his children live their own lives. Kelley Brady played Eve as cute and naïve about the world around her. She is fascinated with the words "mystery" and "beyond." Brady's rendition of "Spark of Creation" was exciting and anything but naïve. Towards the end of the first act, Eve and Father share a moment on stage in which he forgives his daughter for her actions. For anyone who has ever had to struggle with their parents over conflicting virtues, ideologies or way of life, this part strikes a chord within the lesson of forgiveness and acceptance. This production is very much a spectacle with wonderful music, but I had a concern. Perhaps the Storytellers could've been utilized more effectively rather than sitting on the stage floor half the time. Acting and reacting are nice and keep an actor involved but distract the audience at key moments as well. The abundance of Storytellers is just a minor distraction to an entertaining show. And like the above-mentioned musicals influenced by the Bible, this show has themes and a message that can be understood by anyone, no matter what the denomination is.
Children of Eden
Posted Mar. 17, 2009; updated Mar. 24, 2009
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