Remember the Pines Premieres at the Shore Cultural centre

Remember the Pines, a new Musical by Brian Smallwood with Music by Nicholas Underhill

There aren't so many new shows coming out of Northeast Ohio. Most producers feel safer with the tried and true shows which have a proven plot line and familiar music. They sell tickets, and a good time is had by all. Maryann Nagel agreed with this assessment. I was delighted when she agreed to direct our newer, darker, more quirky show conceived by Brian Smallwood. Based loosely on the novel Germinal by Emil Zola, which dealt with union-management issues in an 1840 France mining town, this story is transferred to a mining town in 1940 West Virginia, where the playwright has family roots. Because of its location, the musical setting requires some indigenous music: Bluegrass, Gospel, as well as other styles which are thrown in as seems appropriate.

The award winning poet/playwright Brian Smallwood's visceral poetry is combined with a musical style that ranges from folk to rock and classical. It shows the struggle of the mining families in the context of continuous hard, dangerous work with little pay and no future in sight for the young except more of the same. There is an adversity, occasionally humorous, between the hard working miners and their employers. The morally challenged manager of the Company Store uses his power to extract goods and sexual favors from the town women in exchange for a loaf of bread. A stranger named Luther Mullins comes to town with an agenda related to this adversity, but we don't know exactly what he wants at the outset-unlike the protagonist in Sweeney Todd, who is clearly crazed with vengeance against those in his past. Luther quietly exerts his influence with the miners, and tensions build between workers and management.  Meanwhile, Sarah, a young girl, works in the mines disguised as a boy, secretly hoping for a better life. The tensions in the town mount toward an inevitable climax of action.

Remember the Pines, like Les Miserables, is about 90 percent sung. The songs are orchestrated with a 12 player ensemble conducted by Cleveland composer Ty Alan Emerson. Included in the band are the Appalachian instruments Mandolin, Banjo Guitar, Fiddle and Bass, complimented by classical strings, woodwinds and Brass.

Maryann Nagel directs the show, with set and light designs by Trad Burns, choreography by Martin Cespedes. The role of Luther will be sung by Andrew Lipian.

Performances will be Oct 3,4,5,10,11,and 12, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 P.M. and Sunday matinees at 2 P.M.  For tickets please contact Christine Cipriani at the Shore Cultural Centre 216-289-8578.

For more information, contact Nicholas Underhill at 216-486-1884.

Nicholas Underhill

A pianist and composer living near Euclid.

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Volume 5, Issue 8, Posted 4:43 PM, 09.04.2014