SOS Presents
presents
Children Of Eden
Book by John Caird
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Directed by Adam Myers
Musical Direction by Amy Wardle
Choreography by Zoie Golding MBE
An SOS Presents Production
Children Of Eden is a rarely performed musical gem by the composer Stephen Schwartz. This July, award-winning SOS Presents will be taking the show to new creative heights at Southampton’s Mayflower Studios in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter. With innovative staging (involving animated graphics projected onto moving panels), bold choreography and a score packed with musical theatre classics including ‘Lost in the Wilderness’, ‘The Spark of Creation’ and ‘In Whatever Time We Have’, this production of Children Of Eden promises to be an unmissable theatrical experience.
The musical explores the stories of Adam and Eve, their children Cain and Abel, and other characters from the Book of Genesis through the personal lens of the families involved, captivating audiences with its universal themes of family, relationships, betrayal and redemption.
Despite its many successful ingredients, Children Of Eden did not achieve the commercial success enjoyed by Stephen Schwartz’s better known shows (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin and The Prince of Egypt). Some of this may be due to timing: it debuted in London’s West End in January 1991 and closed just three months later, a casualty of the reduction in tourism brought about by the Gulf War. It is also a big show demanding a larger than usual cast, making it expensive to produce at a professional level. Plans for a Broadway transfer were soon abandoned and the show eventually found itself relegated to an adventurous choice on the amateur circuit. But as lovers of musical theatre will appreciate, economic success is not a reliable benchmark for creative brilliance. If you don’t know the show it could be one of the best musicals you’ve never seen. And if you’re already a fan, this is a rare opportunity to see it performed at the level it deserves.
Tickets: £12.50 – £24.50; Group discounts for 10+ via the Box Office; Tickets available from Box Office (023 8071 1811) or online here.
