Abyssinia (musical)

Abyssinia (musical)

Infobox Musical
name= Abyssinia
subtitle= The Musical


caption=
music= Ted Kociolek
lyrics= James Racheff
book= Ted Kociolek
James Racheff
basis= "Marked By Fire" by
Joyce Carol Thomas
productions= 1987 Musical Theater Works
1987 Goodspeed Musicals
1988 Goodspeed Musicals
1995 North Shore Music Theatre
2005 North Shore Music Theatre
2005 Goodspeed Musicals
awards=

"Abyssinia" is a musical with music by Ted Kociolek, lyrics by James Racheff, and a book by both Racheff and Kociolek. It is the story of a young girl who is born during a tornado and grows up with the gift of song. It is based on the novel "Marked by Fire", by Joyce Carol Thomas. Abyssinia uses mainly gospel music.

Synopsis

"Abyssinia", set in rural Oklahoma at the turn of the last century, begins with a tornado just as a young, widowed sharecropper, Patience Jackson, is about to give birth. The community healer, Mother Vera, sends it away just before it reaches the people in the cotton field it is approaching. Jackson's child is born. Her daughter, Abyssinia, has a beautiful voice and healing powers. She also has an enemy; Trembling Sally, a cruel and angry village woman who lost her children to the tornado that touched the earth on the day Abyssinia was born. Sally is determined to bring pain and sorrow into this young girl's life. Abyssinia's innocence is destroyed when she is raped by a gang of boys. She loses her faith and her singing voice.

Mother Vera teaches Abyssinia folk medicine and that life is a mix of good and bad. After a long inner journey, Abyssinia is lifted out of the depression she was in, and Trembling Sally is redeemed as well.

Productions

Abyssinia was first produced in 1987 by Musical Theater Works at the CSC Repertory Theater. It was directed by Tazewell Thompson. The scenery consultant was Evelyn Sakash, the lighting consultant was Clarke W. Thornton, the costume consultant was Amanda Klein, musical supervision and choral arrangements were by Daryl Waters, the choreography consultant was Julie Arenal, and the production stage manager was Greta Minsky. The same year, the musical was produced by CSC Repertory Theater in New York, directed by Tazewell Thompson.

The North Shore Music Theatre produced "Abyssinia" twice, once in 1995 and once in 2005. It also sponsored a reading in 1994 at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's New Works Festival. The 2005 production ran at the Schubert Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. It was directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Todd L. Underwood, with music direction by Michael O’Flaherty, lighting design by Kirk Bookman, and costumes by Pamela Scofield. The orchestra consisted of Michael O’Flaherty, Mark Pinto, Jay Daly, Walter Bostian, Ed Krauss, Michael Ambroszewski, and Gregory M. Brown.

"Abyssinina" was also presented three times by Goodspeed Musicals, in 1987 and 1988 at the Norma Terris Theater and in 2005 at the Goodspeed Opera House, directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Todd L. Underwood. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E3DF103FF930A15753C1A9639C8B63 NY Times review of the 2005 production] ]

Casts

References

*http://www.joycecarolthomas.com/musical.html

External links

*http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B0DE4DD1F31F931A25757C0A961948260
*http://www.wbur.org/arts/2005/51246_20050830.asp
*http://www.theatermirror.com/CRabyssiniansmt.htm
*http://aislesay.com/MA-ABYSSINIA.html


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Abyssinia — may refer to the nation of Ethiopia, also formerly known as Abyssinia.Abyssinia may also refer to: * SS Abyssinia , 1870 Canadian Pacific steamship * HMS Abyssinia (1870), British armoured ship * Abyssinia, Henry, 1975 episode of the M*A*S*H… …   Wikipedia

  • African American musical theater — Early History= Before the late 1890s, the image portrayed of African Americans on Broadway was a secondhand vision of black life created by European American performers. [Woll, 1.] Stereotyped coon songs were popular, and blackface was… …   Wikipedia

  • international relations — a branch of political science dealing with the relations between nations. [1970 75] * * * Study of the relations of states with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities (e.g., bureaucracies and political… …   Universalium

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

  • History of Islam — This article is about the history of Islam as a culture and polity. For the history of the Islamic faith, see Spread of Islam. For Islamic civilization, see Islamic civilization (disambiguation). For military conquests, see Islamic conquests. For …   Wikipedia

  • Helen Hayes Awards Non-Resident Acting — These Helen Hayes Awards are given for outstanding acting in non resident or touring productions that are staged in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.Lead actingOutstanding Lead Actor in a Touring Production* 1985 Derek Jacobi Cyrano de… …   Wikipedia

  • M*A*S*H (TV series) — M*A*S*H The M*A*S*H title screen (1972–77). Format Medical drama / Dramedy / Situation comedy / Black comedy / S …   Wikipedia

  • Islāmic world — Introduction  prehistory and history of the Islamic community.       Adherence to Islām is a global phenomenon: Muslims predominate in some 30 to 40 countries, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and along a belt that stretches across northern… …   Universalium

  • YEMEN — YEMEN, country in S.W. corner of the Arabian Peninsula; capital, Sanʿa. The Land and the People The southern part of the Arabian Peninsula is called al Yaman (the south), after which the country is named in the West. In pre Islamic times there… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Europe, history of — Introduction       history of European peoples and cultures from prehistoric times to the present. Europe is a more ambiguous term than most geographic expressions. Its etymology is doubtful, as is the physical extent of the area it designates.… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”