We're in the midst of creating a world premiere at Wayside Theatre. Southern Crossroads: The New Orleans Adventure will open next weekend. It's a prequel to the original Southern Crossroads we created two years ago and that has enjoyed some great success. Our audiences wanted to see more and we're working to deliver that. Normally I blog quite a bit about the process but I've been busy writing and re-writing as we've been in rehearsals but I think we're close to the writing period being over as we head into a weekend where we put all the bits and pieces together into the two acts.
To say I'm enjoying this would be an understatement. We've got a cast that is tearing up the stage and the wonderful music in the show. There as willing (so far) to roll with the punches of creation as they come and they are an amazingly talented group. After each rehearsal we're all exhausted, but we come at it hard the next day.
The story follow the Greene Family Singers back a couple of years. The original was set in a small Virginia town in 1933. This adventure is set in New Orleans in 1931 and the story tells us about how one of the five brothers killed a girl and was then acquitted for her murder. And yes, it's a musical and a comedy. Along the way we meet the girl, we meet a bad guy, we meet a Sheriff caught in the middle, and we meet a banjo playing bar owner who owns the place it all happens in. And we also get the Greene Family Singers themselves playing their music trying to make a living. The music is a big part of the story. It's a mix of Old Time, Bluegrass, Gospel, Jazz, and shows the band's style beginning to evolve based on their experiences in The Big Easy.
One way or the other this is going to be quite a ride for our audiences as we mix in the familiar with some new surprises. Here's a link to a brief video interview I did about the show. Hope you plan on joining us for all the fun.
