Children of Eden

Staging a lesser-known musical is something that WAOS do fairly regularly and with success. This show is the account of The Creation in Genesis and it follows through to chapter six in which Noah is chosen by God to build an ark and save his family, along with two of each animal. These  first few chapters  of the bible were brought to life in an absorbing way and although the music is not familiar one or two of the songs were more unforgettable. I particularly enjoyed ‘In Pursuit of Excellence’ which is sung by the snake, (think of apple and temptation!) represented by three girls and two men who moved sinuously to imaginative choreography, and ‘Aint it Good’ sung by Mama Noah, a song in the style of a Negro Spiritual. Vocal ability was first rate and it would be unfair to pick out any one individual. Animal silhouettes moved across the stage against an orange background, and as the dove flew from the ark an enchanting ballet was performed by Olivia Harty. She was dressed in a white tutu as The Dove, and was complete with large white wings. The murder of Abel by his brother Cain was an especially dramatic moment and the end of the first act was fabulous with superb lighting effects adding to the drama of Eve’s passage from life to death. Ian Peters had worked the company hard and they sang the difficult songs with competence and confidence. I enjoyed this unusual and exciting musical tremendously.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.