New Musical SONG OF ILION To Have NYC Developmental Reading

SONG OF ILION will have its New York debut reading on December 16 at The Actors Temple Off-Broadway. 

Inspired by the beach siege at Normandy and the shores of ancient Troy, this new musical blends WWII Europe with Homer's timeless tale of gods and heroes.

Level Ground Productions has received a Support for Artists grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the new work, Song of Ilion. Sponsored by Fractured Atlas, this grant is helping fund the developmental reading of this new theatrical work. Through New York State's continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded over $80 million since Spring 2023 to more than 1,500 artists and organizations across the state.

ABOUT SONG OF ILION

Conceived by composer and lyricist Shane Litchfield, with a book by Bethany Schwartzkopf, Song of Ilion sets Homer's Iliad against the sweeping backdrop of WWII. In a small European town, the local resistance, along with reinforcements from overseas (the Greeks), fight to reclaim their town from the occupying forces (the Trojans). However, apathy and long-entrenched fighting have taken a toll on the morale of both sides.

In this wartime epic, the actions of man are overseen by the gods, who enter the world through propaganda, embodying various wartime archetypes that blur the line between fate and free will.

Through the daily struggles between resistance fighters and the occupying enemy forces, this musical blends real-world characters with supernatural forces that seem to guide the feet of all those who live through times of great upheaval.