Heartwood Regional Theater Presents World Premiere of THE LEGEND OF JIM CULLEN - A DRAMATIC MUSICAL, Now thru 8/2
The Heartwood Regional Theater Company presents The Legend of Jim Cullen - A Dramatic Musical at the Parker B. Poe Theater, 81 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle, Maine. The production runs today, July 24, 25, 26 evenings at 7:30pm, with a matinee on July 27 at 3:00pm and July 31, August 1 & 2 in the evening at 7:30pm.
ABOUT: The Legend of Jim Cullen weaves storytelling, drama and history, songs and musical numbers, dance and movement into a spectacle driven dramatic musical. Our production evokes a world of vaudeville, carnival or early American theater. With an ensemble of players supporting the story told by the central character, Professor Bateman, the play arcs in style from vaudeville to realism to fantasy in scenes that include a river baptism on the ice in New Brunswick, a log drive, an axe murder, and a lynching. Perspectives on how legends grow, personal responsibility, and multiple viewpoints weave around Professor Bateman's examination of the question: "What is the soul of man?"
The music landscape for Jim Cullen presents a broad aesthetic; while rooted in traditional music appropriate to the period, the approach includes modern sounds, a strong Broadway fell, large choral pieces and character driven solos. In our workshop and auditions, comparisons have been made to Floydd Collins, Big River and other muscials deeply rooted in American lore. At the same time, the play delves into modern myth with a visual spectacle that combines a sense of place with an urgent sense of storytelling.