CHILDREN OF EDEN

AN UPLIFTING MUSICAL REVIVAL

~Doc Lawrence

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA-It is through the magic of the arts that communities can grow strong and establish a permanence. In particular, a theatrical company with an outstading performance venue sends a positive message to the world at large of harmony, inclusiveness, openness and imagination. Combine these and you have a recipe for civic excellence, a place where you want to live and work.

Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre, a magnificent $7.5 million facility is the cornerstone for the city’s revitalization. Their current production of Children of Eden adds to their glowing reputation as a top venue in the Southeast for musicals.

Written by John Caird and with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz whose credits include Godspell and Wicked, Children of Eden tells in word, song and dance stories from the Bible’s Book of Genesis, beginnning with Adam and Eve and their children Cain and Abel, followed seamlessly by the saga of Noah, his family and his Ark.

God, honored by the divinely commanding voice and imposing physical presence of Brad Raymond, is portrayed as father. His mortal creations, Adam and Eve, don’t quite follow instructions and we all know the consequences of their disobedience. They fail the first tests of faith, but there is redemption: timeless juxtapositions of good with evil, sin and forgiveness. The affirmation of humanity.

The Forbidden Fruit

The bite of the forbidden fruit can be irresistible. The pain from knowledge is built into experience. But, there is a lesson: A better world is possible if we are willing to pursue a higher life.

While Brad Raymond is the thunderous backbone of the production, Naima Carter Russell who many remember for her award-winning performance in Memphis, is the show’s heart and soul. Her lightening-bolt version of Eve is magnified by a commanding voice that would make Aretha Franklin proud.

Through the majesty of advanced music, Children of Eden as an interpretive of the Book of Genesis soars, taking the audience back in time, embracing those who feel the spirit with the universal themes of love, hope, redemption and forgiveness. 

Children of Eden is Aurora Theatre’s 24th season opener. Headed by a stellar cast, backed by an outstanding orchestra, the choreograyphy is flawless and the sets work some divinely-inspired magic like a rainstorm where no one gets wet. 

Parking is easy. Lawrenceville is alive and growing.

Through September 1.

Tickets: (678) 226.6222  

auroratheatre.com