Blackbird Theatre Announces Premiere of MYTH Musical

By: Mar. 04, 2015
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After four critically acclaimed seasons, Nashville's Blackbird Theater will produce what company founders call their "magnum opus," the new musical Myth, set for a world premiere run July 16-26.

"Set in the world of Greek mythos, this is the story of how and why the gods were cast from Mt. Olympus," according to Blackbird founders Wes Driver and Greg Greene, with music composed by Michael Slayton, chair of composition at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music. Myth will premiere July 16-26, with a run at Hillsboro High School Theatre in Green Hills.

"The princess of Athens and the prince of Thebes are to be married. But an oracle portends doom. The mortals challenge the Fates. The gods intervene. And what follows is an impassioned tale of surprising romances, unlikely heroes, and, of course, the incomparable gods in all of their majestic, decadent glory," according to Driver and Greene.

Among cast members of Myth are: Corinne Bupp, Darci Wantiez, Ronnie Meek, Tony Nappo, Brad Brown, Derek Whittaker, Will Miranne, Patrick Kramer, Preston Orr, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Caroline Davis, David Arnold, JJ Rodgers, Mallory Mundy, Kristopher Wente, Catherine Birdsong, Tadd Himelrick, Ashley Glore, Taylor Chew, Melissa Garner Campbell, Memory Strong, Leslie Marberry, Cat Arnold, Elizabeth Wuellner, LaDarra Jackel, Jocelyn Kasper and Tyler Osborne.

Since 2010, Blackbird Theater has established a reputation for theatrically and intellectually challenging productions, working in collaboration with some of the region's top theatrical talent, focusing on infrequently produced plays and musicals by some of the stage's greatest writers and creating original works which have gained national attention.

Driver and Greene's comedic thriller Twilight of the Gods - which has been staged twice in the Memphis area since its 2010 premiere - will receive its fourth and fifth productions this spring, presented by The King's Players, April 17-19, at King's College in New York City, and by Four and Twenty Blackbirds Productions April 23-25 in Jefferson City, Missouri.

"Finally staging Myth is a bucket list achievement for Wes, Michael, and me," says Greene, Blackbird's Managing Director. "We've poured years of thought, scripting, and scoring into this show, and in many ways, it's the epitome of what we've done with this theatre company. The fact is, we created Blackbird so we could create Myth."

Blackbird Theatre artistic director Driver says Myth is the company's "most ambitious production yet...It's an epic musical that explores the wondrous world of Greek mythology while winding between outrageous comedy and harrowing tragedy. Our hope is that the production not only entertains and ultimately inspires but proves that original works of this scale can be successfully developed with the talented collaborators, actors, and theatre artists we have right here in Nashville."

Tickets for this limited engagement of Myth will go on sale May 1 at blackbirdnashville.com. This production is recommended for ages 13 and above.

Blackbird's past productions include: Twilight of the Gods, Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, G.K. Chesterton's Magic, Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures (Nashville Scene's Best Musical 2012), John Logan's Red (First Night Honors' Outstanding Play of 2012), Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (Nashville Scene's Best Drama 2013), David Mamet's Oleanna, George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman, and Roger's Version (Nashville Scene's Best Original Drama 2014), based on the novel by John Updike.

Driver's stage adaptation of Roger's Version has been nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association's ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award.



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