River's End Plays the Spirit of Broadwy Theater Thru April 10

As the Artistic Director of The Spirit of Broadway Theater, it is my job to find the very best in new musicals - not just in craft and construction, but also musicals that continue to redefine what musical theater can be. It is always a challenge and it is never easy. RIVER'S END has been on my short list of shows since I first heard a 45 minute version of the show at The National Alliance for Musical Theater some years ago.

I think RIVER'S END has stayed with me all these years because it is a deeply moving, true story, with a powerful storytelling structure and a musical score that captures the sweep, the mystery and the promise of this haunting story.

The story itself is known. RIVER'S END is based on the true story of newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde, who vanished on their daredevil honeymoon in the Grand Canyon in 1928. Their dream was to earn a place in the record books by running the entire length of the Colorado River in a wooden boat they built themselves, then create a vaudeville act based on their adventures to cash in on their fame. A little over 6 weeks after they began their voyage, they disappeared. After an extensive search of the river, the couple's scow was discoveRed Moored in quiet water, their supplies intact. Their disappearance remains a mystery to this day-a mystery that's greatly enhanced by the disquieting accounts of the last people to see the Hydes alive, and the emergence in the 1970's of several women who claim to have been Bessie Hyde.

The book to this show is exceptional theater writing!! The book writer and lyricist - Cheryl Coons - has put the mystery of what happen at the center of the story by not telling one story, but telling 2 different stories...at the same time. To achieve this, she has created 2 river guides - Kent and Georgie. As the show opens, Kent and Georgie are each taking a group of river rafters down the Colorado River. Each of them has their own "version" of what really happen to Glen and Bessie Hyde. They lay out the background of the story and then, introduce you to "their own version of Glen and Bessie" as the characters enter the stage. Where Kent's version has an angry and violent Glen Hyde paired with a timid and shy, Bessie; Georgie's version has a "down home Glen Hyde" and a feisty, demanding, "modern woman" Bessie. Since the actual facts of their lives remain somewhat sketchy, the writer does not seek to create a singular "this is Glenn and Bessie" but instead puts the mystery of who they were, squarely on the table from the very first moments of the show. Throughout the show, you are witness to the 2 different versions of Glen and Bessie as Kent and Georgie continue to narrate the story - each story growing progressively more divergent throughout the evening.

The musical score is true poetry and compositional excellence. This is a musical score - by Chuck Larkin - that celebrates the musical theater singer by crafting melody lines that are as complex as the mystery of the story and a musical accompaniment that captures the river in all its splendor. At times, the musical score and the singer seem to be at odds with each other and yet they are actually engaged in "a dance with the river" - to quote one of the characters from the show. There is an energy to this musical score that is always asking "what happened?". As the show begins, the orchestra plays a short musical piece that captures the tension, the mystery and the intrigue of this story...just a very short opening that skillfully and artfully captures the entire feeling and emotion of the entire evening!! Throughout the evening, the use of counterpoint and linear orchestral harmonies, creates a verdant backdrop against which the story of Glen and Bessie is played out. Additionally, the use of American folk music idioms reminds use of time and place, like nothing else could do so more effectively. From humorous to deeply moving, this is a musical score that celebrates the the musical theater singer and paints a vivid portrait of a river who never gives up its secrets.

One of the things I always ask myself in considering a new work for the stage is "do the elements of the musical - script, music and lyrics - achieve more collectively than they could separately? In the case of RIVER'S END, this is a brilliant masterpiece of musical theater! When these three elements come together, they create something so magical that the end result is one of those rare moments where you have been granted an experience that is truly transcendent and fleeting and that forever leaves its mark upon you.

While everyone enjoys an evening at the theater that is full of laughter and "feel good" moments, this new musical combines honest humor with the tragedy and mystery that IS this true life story. While you would never consider RIVERS END to be a comedy, it does have much humor, as does all of our lives, even at the worst of times.

Throughout the story, Kent - one of the river guides - is searching for his own lost love. While he exists in the "present day world" his heart is lost to time. Later in the show, Kent states "I believe that what they had between then was so strong, that it got them out of the canyon and carried them through whatever came next. I just gotta believe that a love like that is possible." Perhaps that is the lesson of the mystery of Glen and Bessie Hyde: that love can overcome all things and that in the end, love triumphs, no matter what others believe. I cannot think of a better story to tell.

In these days of war, turmoil, name calling, fighting and lack of civility everywhere, RIVER'S END reminds me that despite the chaos and the craziness, there is a place of peace, healing and calm; a place that exists at the center of us all; where we can be vulnerable, share our deepest fears and secrets and "come home" to that one person who gets us through the rough waters of the day. That no matter how crazy this world gets and no matter how frightened we may be on this ride through the river of life, in the end, what gets us through is love.

"I just gotta believe that a love like that is possible."

I am proud to share this musical with SBT audiences. I am delighted to present this amazing cast. I am blessed by the generosity of the writers who have given us permission to present this work. In these confusing days and times, RIVER'S END is the perfect musical to share!

I look forward to seeing you at the theater!!!

RIVER'S END runs March 9 - April 10, 2011 with performances Wednesday through Saturday evening at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $30, All seating Reserved. Ask about our BYOB program for ALL performances!! Best seats available March 10 - March 17, 2011.

Call the SBT Box Office for tickets at
860.886.2378
Major Credit cards Accepted www.spiritofbroadway.org

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