RAMAAVAN - A MUSICAL From India Plays Next Week In Hoboken

Surati's popular and consistently sold-out show Ramaavan-A Musical is back again this year with a bang. With a bigger cast and venue, and an added dimension to the concept, the show, a part of Surati's Lights of Diwali festival, is expected to be sold out, just like last year.

The musical is in English, performed by an international caste, with elements of Indian classical dance and music, Shakespearean style verse, musical theater, poetry, opera, jazz and contemporary genres. Ramaavan - A Musical is conceptualized, choreographed, produced and directed by founder- artistic director of Surati, Rimli Roy, based on the great Indian epic, The Ramayana. The original script is by Arati Roy, while the musical score is by renowned music composers based in India, Sumit Roy and Rajesh Roy.

The story as depicted in the play, though based on the legendary epic Ramayana, questions its very existence of right and wrong, fair and unfair.

The age-old concept of the hero and his family being depicted as light skinned virtuous Gods as against the villain and his clan as dark skinned demons and monsters has been eliminated from the heart of this play. The softer, humane and talented side of the antagonist, and the weaknesses of the protagonist and his family has not been ignored. Hence, the play in its own sweet but subtle way, condemns racism and deifies acceptance, peace and harmony.

The show brings together performers from different ethnic backgrounds and communities to tell this story from India, in order to highlight Surati's mission of artistic expression crossing boundaries of war, color, race and gender, promoting acceptance, respect, peace, harmony and brotherhood.

The overall story of the Ramayana remains exactly the same in the play. However, the fiercely neutral script of the same brings to light practical facts that leave a lot more in the audience's mind to ponder on their way out, than a usual, cliché thought like "the white hero won and the black demon lost".

The multicultural cast includes Geo Perez (Ram), Tavishi Sharma (Sita), Seth L. Hale (Laxman), Jeff Brackett (Ravan), Harsh Gupta (Indrajeet), Lesly Pierre (Hanuman) Shurmi Dhar (Surpanakha & Soul of Sita opera), Kira Godley (Surpanakha), Courtney Costello (Jatayu, dancer), Sarah Bialkin (Golden Deer, dancer), Chantelle Broomes (Dancer), Kijana Lewis (Dancer), Christina Dowling (Dancer), Vishnupriya Haldar (Dancer), Imroz Maur (Actor), Akshata Rangarajan (dancer) and Rijah Banerjee (dancer)
The shows will be staged on Wednesday the 30th of October (preview at 7:30 pm) & Friday, November 1st (opening at 8 pm), Saturday, November 2nd (3 and 8 pm), and Sunday, November 3rd (12 and 4 pm) in Hoboken, NJ. Tickets, ranging between $25-$100 have children, student and senior discounts, are online at www.suratifpa.org.