The House Theatre of Chicago Opens PLOUGHED UNDER: AN AMERICAN SONGBOOK, 4/28

The House Theatre of Chicago ventures into new territory, giving life to a concert-style telling of American folk and tall tales. Composer Kevin O'Donnell delves into our nation's early history illuminating stories often outside of the mainstream. The production begins performances April 19, 2013 at The Chopin Theatre (1543 W. Division St.) Ploughed Under: An American Songbook will open to the press on Sunday April 28 at 7:00pm and run through June 9.

evin O'Donnell's enveloping, rich musical scores for The House have propelled the Sparrow to flight, Valentine to victory, and Houdini to battle Death. His original compositions now come front-and-center as The House weaves American folk stories and tall tales into a rich tapestry of all-original music. This theatrical concert is carefully focused on vocal and rhythmic dynamics, echoing the clarity and power of African and Native American folk music. Each song is a story unto itself, some familiar, some forgotten, connecting our musical roots to the churning of our early history.

This is Company Member Kevin O'Donnell's first time leading a new work for The House. Pairing new compositions with familiar folk tales and tall tales, O'Donnell remarks, "The point for me is to find a way to be proud without ignoring the horrible truths and contradictions of our history. I want to be proud of Central Park's beauty without ignoring the fact that we took this land from the Native Americans. I want to be proud of California's beauty without forgetting that the people of Mexico were once the native people of that state's southern half. And jazz music, often called the only truly American art form, would simply not exist if we had never had a slave trade."