PODCAST: Karen Olivo, Todd Almond and Lear deBessonet Preview Public Works' THE ODYSSEY

This weekend marks the third year the Public Theater's Public Works hits Central Park's Delacorte Theater with a brand new musical spectacular based on a classic piece of literature, mixing the talents of a handful of Equity actors with performing arts groups and community organizations from throughout New York's five boroughs.

Click here for a podcast recorded for WNYC, where host Leonard Lopate chats with director Lear deBessonet, composer/actor Todd Almond and actress Karen Olivo about their new production based on Homer's The Odyssey. This will be deBessonet and Almond's final collaboration in the series, having created Public Works' premiere production based on THE TEMPEST and last year's mounting of THE WINTER'S TALE.

Inspired by the historical pageantry movement of the early 1900s-known for blending mass spectacle with community engagement-this final work in deBessonet and Almond's grand trilogy reimagines the Greek epic with Public Works' signature blend of professional actors, community members and special guests. Man-eating Cyclops, a sorceress that turns sailors to beasts and the deadly sweet song of the Sirens explode onto the stage with spectacular numbers in this joyful, larger-than-life musical about finding your way home-no matter where fate may lead you.

THE ODYSSEY will feature cameo group performances by The Bobby Lewis Ensemble; The D.R.E.A.M. Ring; Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana II; The Marching Cobras; The New York Youth Symphony; and TADA! Youth Theater. The five Public Works community partner organizations are Children's Aid Society (Manhattan); DreamYard Project (Bronx); Fortune Society (Queens);Brownsville Recreation Center (Brooklyn); and Domestic Workers United (all boroughs, including Staten Island).

PHOTO CREDIT: The Company of Public Works' The Winters Tale by Joan Marcus