University News

WIU's 2008 Summer Music Theatre Cast and Crew
[Download Print-Quality Image]

"Children of Eden" Opens WIU Summer Music Theatre

June 13, 2008

Share Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University's Summer Music Theatre (SMT) will kick off its season with the Stephen Schwartz musical "Children of Eden" with showings Friday-Saturday, June 20-21 and Thursday-Saturday, June 26-28. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. in the Hainline Theatre.

The musical by Stephen Schwartz - - who also created "Wicked," "Godspell" and "Pippin" - - is based on the Book of Genesis. It tells the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah and the Flood, using storytelling techniques and a beautiful musical score. As one of the most frequently produced musicals, "Children of Eden" explores the relationships of parents and children, faith and perseverance. It has been described as, "A deeply humanistic work … [that] appeals to both religious and agnostic audiences."

Adam is played by Anderson Lamp (Ames, IA), a theatre major at the University of Iowa, and Eve is played by Western Illinois' senior musical theatre major Jillian Weingart (Twin Lakes, WI). Playing sons Cain and Able are Western Illinois senior musical theatre majors Micah Spayer (Peoria) and Kyle Motsinger (St. David, IL), respectively. Benjamin Danielowski (Byron, IL), a theatre production and design major at Illinois State University, is Noah, and WIU's Erin Glasnovich (Rio, IL), a junior musical theatre major, is Mama Noah. Seven more titled characters and an ensemble of 26 voices from Western and local communities make up the remainder of the cast.

Guest director is Karen Lamb, who directed "Little Women" during the 2007 Summer Music Theatre season. Lamb, an instructor of on-camera acting and improvisation for the Libby Stone Talent Agency, Charlotte, NC., is a professional colleague of Jeannie Woods, Western's theatre and dance department chair, having worked together at Actors Theater in Charlotte and teaching together at Winthrop University (SC).

Lamb has worked at theaters across the U.S. as a director, actor, teacher, dramaturge and producer. These theatres include the Dallas/Fort Worth Theaters of Undermain; The Dallas Theatre Center; The National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, CT; and New York's Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and Fishbowl. She has also worked at La Mama Umbria in Italy and Toi Whakarri in New Zealand. Lamb is also a commercial and voice-over talent for companies such as Exon, Radio Shack and Kroger. Musical director is WIU's School of Music vocal faculty member Lynn Thompson, who has directed 25 productions for the department of theatre and dance and for Summer Music Theatre.

Season tickets are $55 for three shows and $35 for two shows. Individual show tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors age 62 and older and for children age 12 and younger and $7 for WIU students admitted to Western before Summer 2006. Students admitted to WIU in Summer 2006 or later have paid an arts fee and will get in free of charge. For tickets, contact the box office at 309/298-2900 from noon-5 p.m. weekdays or order online at http://wiuartstickets.com.

For more information on the shows, call Western's Department of Theatre and Dance at 309/298-1543, or visit www.wiu.edu/summermusictheatre.

Posted By: Alisha Looney (AA-Looney@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing