Heavens Cafe
Encyclopedia
Heavens Cafe is a rock opera
written and composed by John Miner
. It was first staged in Las Vegas, Nevada
in 1996. The opportunity to perform the musical theater project came after his demo was heard by investor Mike Lewis of Las Vegas-based Tributary Music Label after his departure from California
-based progressive rock group Mantra Sunrise
. Miner put a new band together Art Rock Circus
with drummer Jon Weisberg and Jon Cornell to stage the live performances at the Flamingo Theater in Las Vegas. Former Follies Bergere performer Kristine Keppel directed the original casting. In 2003, Los Angeles based theater director John Beane, approached John Miner
about staging the opera in the Los Angeles area later that year. Beane's new vision for the project came to fruition in May 2004 with a six-week California run at the Insurgo Theater which included Ken Jaquess on bass and Nolan Stolz on drums. Art Rock Circus
continues to perform and record music as recent as 2007.
his previous self (Classical Man), his current incarnation (Lark), and his future potential self (Robin). Along his suspenseful journey
through the afterlife, he is accompanied by his protective angel (Guardian Angel), and the protagonistic negative force (Devil). His
alter ego (Kral, Lark spelled backwards) is the caretaker of the coffee house where much of the opera takes place. Kral also acts as
the comic relief of the play. Once the lead character (Lark) leaves the cafe', he embarks on a soul-searching journey in quest of the mysterious "Tower of Information" where he hopes to find all the unanswered questions he has remaining about the meaning of life and the purpose of existence. After finding out that he cannot proceed past "The Tower" he finds himself lost without a cause until he finds the beautiful "Robin" in the plays "dream within a dream" sequence, and falls in love with her energy and beauty. They consummate their love in this place between life and death and Lark is hurled back to the next earthly reincarnation now as the baby "Robin" at the plays end.
meets The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The tower itself is not a far cry from the elusive city of "OZ" and the idea of meeting different aspects of past and present would bring to mind "A Christmas Carol". Miner's dabbling in metaphysics as exemplified in earlier works from his band "Mantra Sunrise" would suggest such concepts put to rock music. The release of a CD recording of the live Las Vegas performances on the Tributary Music Label in 1998 found a healthy audience in the progressive rock
music scene. The album received much attention around the world in progressive rock fanzines and radio shows. A five-page article highlighted both the Las Vegas and Los Angeles shows in the industry magazine Progression Magazine (issue #46 2004).
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
written and composed by John Miner
John Miner
- Information :Composer John Miner may be best known for his rock opera Heavens Cafe, which was staged at the Flamingo Theater in Las Vegas 1996, the Charleston Performing Arts Center in 1997, and later at Insurgo Theater in Los Angeles in 2004. Miner formed the progressive rock group Art Rock...
. It was first staged in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 1996. The opportunity to perform the musical theater project came after his demo was heard by investor Mike Lewis of Las Vegas-based Tributary Music Label after his departure from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based progressive rock group Mantra Sunrise
Mantra Sunrise
-Information: was a progressive rock band that performed and recorded in the early 1990s. The band's power trio format featured vocalist and bass guitarist Joel Bissing, guitarist John Miner, and Wayne Garabedian, who doubled on drums and keyboards....
. Miner put a new band together Art Rock Circus
Art Rock Circus
- Key Members :* John Miner * * Kelton Manning * Milo - Information : has been the brainchild of composer John Miner. The band was originally put together after his departure from California based progressive rock group Mantra Sunrise. The band's first mission was to perform the rock opera...
with drummer Jon Weisberg and Jon Cornell to stage the live performances at the Flamingo Theater in Las Vegas. Former Follies Bergere performer Kristine Keppel directed the original casting. In 2003, Los Angeles based theater director John Beane, approached John Miner
John Miner
- Information :Composer John Miner may be best known for his rock opera Heavens Cafe, which was staged at the Flamingo Theater in Las Vegas 1996, the Charleston Performing Arts Center in 1997, and later at Insurgo Theater in Los Angeles in 2004. Miner formed the progressive rock group Art Rock...
about staging the opera in the Los Angeles area later that year. Beane's new vision for the project came to fruition in May 2004 with a six-week California run at the Insurgo Theater which included Ken Jaquess on bass and Nolan Stolz on drums. Art Rock Circus
Art Rock Circus
- Key Members :* John Miner * * Kelton Manning * Milo - Information : has been the brainchild of composer John Miner. The band was originally put together after his departure from California based progressive rock group Mantra Sunrise. The band's first mission was to perform the rock opera...
continues to perform and record music as recent as 2007.
Synopsis
The Classical Man suffers an untimely death and arrives at an afterlife coffee house called "Heavens Cafe' It is here he meetshis previous self (Classical Man), his current incarnation (Lark), and his future potential self (Robin). Along his suspenseful journey
through the afterlife, he is accompanied by his protective angel (Guardian Angel), and the protagonistic negative force (Devil). His
alter ego (Kral, Lark spelled backwards) is the caretaker of the coffee house where much of the opera takes place. Kral also acts as
the comic relief of the play. Once the lead character (Lark) leaves the cafe', he embarks on a soul-searching journey in quest of the mysterious "Tower of Information" where he hopes to find all the unanswered questions he has remaining about the meaning of life and the purpose of existence. After finding out that he cannot proceed past "The Tower" he finds himself lost without a cause until he finds the beautiful "Robin" in the plays "dream within a dream" sequence, and falls in love with her energy and beauty. They consummate their love in this place between life and death and Lark is hurled back to the next earthly reincarnation now as the baby "Robin" at the plays end.
Analysis
Some critics have drawn parallels to Miner's rock opera as A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
meets The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
The tower itself is not a far cry from the elusive city of "OZ" and the idea of meeting different aspects of past and present would bring to mind "A Christmas Carol". Miner's dabbling in metaphysics as exemplified in earlier works from his band "Mantra Sunrise" would suggest such concepts put to rock music. The release of a CD recording of the live Las Vegas performances on the Tributary Music Label in 1998 found a healthy audience in the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
music scene. The album received much attention around the world in progressive rock fanzines and radio shows. A five-page article highlighted both the Las Vegas and Los Angeles shows in the industry magazine Progression Magazine (issue #46 2004).
Reviews
- Prog 4 You
- Heavens Cafe Live' by Progressor- Russia
- Heavens Cafe' Live by Progressive World-Mexico
- Prog Freaks
- Prognose
- Euphonia
- Prog Nose
- Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock
- Expose Magazine
- Prognosis