Myths and Hymns is a song cycle

Song cycle

A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...

 by composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 Adam Guettel

Adam Guettel

Adam Guettel is an American composer-lyricist of musical theater and opera . He is best known for the musical The Light in the Piazza, for which he won two Tony Awards, for Best Score and Best Orchestrations, and two Drama Desk Awards, for Best Music and Best Orchestrations.-Early years:Guettel...

, based on Greek myth and lyrics found in an antique hymnal

Hymnal

Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...

.

Myths and Hymns was first performed Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

, under the title Saturn Returns, at the Public Theater

Public Theater

The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...

 on March 31, 1998 and closed on April 26, 1998 after 16 performances. It was directed by Tina Landau

Tina Landau

Tina Landau is an American playwright and theatre director.Born in New York City to film and television producers Edie and Ely Landau, Landau moved with her family to Beverly Hills, California, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School before attending Yale University, where she directed...

 with a cast of 6 performers that included Annie Golden

Annie Golden

-Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Golden began her career as the lead singer of The Shirts . During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums,Fire in Newtown, Toxic Emotion, and Back for More. She then returned to The Shirts...

, Michael-Daniel Tapiaramos, Jose Llana and Bob Stillman

Bob Stillman

Bob Stillman is an American actor, singer, and songwriter.He studied piano at Juilliard, and made his broadway debut in Grand Hotel as Erik; was a replacement cast member in Kiss of the Spider Woman; gave a Tony nominated performance as a pianist and actor in Broadway's Dirty Blonde, played a...

. Myths and Hymns is structured as a revue, with no through plot. Performed in concert format, it concerns the relationship of humans to gods, past and present. The songs range from electronic jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 and piano ballad

Piano ballad

Piano ballad is a term often used to refer to a piece for solo piano in the 19th century, during the romantic era. It was a term used to refer to a piece written in a "narrative" style, and was often lyrical in nature. This type of work made its premiere with Chopin's first romantic ballad, the...

 to gospel

Gospel

A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

 and musical theater.

Myths and Hymns will be getting its first narrative treatment, written and directed by Elizabeth Lucas (Clear Blue Tuesday

Clear Blue Tuesday

Clear Blue Tuesday is a 2009 musical film directed by Elizabeth Lucas. It will premiere at the Quad Cinema in New York City on September 3, 2010.-Plot:...

), in February 2012 at Prospect Theater in New York City http://www.prospecttheater.org/2011/06/24/prospect-announces-2011-12-season-line-up/. This marks the first production of the show in New York since its premiere at the Public and the first ever in New York under the current title.

Song list

A cast recording was released by Nonesuch

Nonesuch Records

Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...

 on March 30, 1999. The performers on the recording include some of the off-Broadway cast, and also include others who were not in that production. Performers include: Adam Guettel

Adam Guettel

Adam Guettel is an American composer-lyricist of musical theater and opera . He is best known for the musical The Light in the Piazza, for which he won two Tony Awards, for Best Score and Best Orchestrations, and two Drama Desk Awards, for Best Music and Best Orchestrations.-Early years:Guettel...

, Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald

Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...

, Mandy Patinkin

Mandy Patinkin

Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...

, Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...

, Vivian Cherry, Billy Porter and Theresa McCarthy.

Songs on the recording in its final form:

• Children of the Heavenly King
• At the Sounding
• Saturn Returns
• Icarus
• Migratory V
• Link
• Hero and Leander
• Sisyphus
• Come to Jesus
• How Can I Lose You?
• Awaiting You
• The Great Highway
• There's a Land
• Saturn Returns (Reprise)

European Premiere

The show had its European premiere at the Finborough Theatre, London, on 22 April 2007, and was scheduled to run a further two performances on 29 April and 6 May. Due to popular demand the show was scheduled for two further performances on 30 April and 7 May. Directed by Tom Cooper, the cast featured Leon Craig, Ashleigh Gray

Ashleigh Gray

Ashleigh Gray is a British musical theatre performer who recently appeared as the standby for Elphaba in the London production of Wicked.-Early life:Gray was born in Fife, Scotland and educated at Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith...

, Hazel Holder, Craig Purnell, David Randall, and Caroline Sheen

Caroline Sheen

Caroline Sheen is a Welsh actress who has played various roles on stage in the West End and at other venues across London and the UK. She recently played the role of Mary Poppins on the First National Tour of America...

.

"... This is musical theatre that is challenging, compelling and compulsive... there is an astonishing intelligence and physicality throughout... bring yourself to it - as the fiercely committed cast of Tom Cooper’s production do - and it one of the most rewarding experiences you can have..." Mark Shenton, "The Stage"

Song list
The show's order followed that of the score rather than the recording:

• Prometheus
• Saturn Returns
• Icarus
• Migratory V
• Pegasus
• Jesus the Might Conqueror
• Children of the Heavenly King
• At the Sounding
• Build a Bridge
• Sisyphus
• Life is but a Dream
• Link
• Hero & Leander
• Come to Jesus
• How Can I Lose You?
• Awaiting You
• The Great Highway
• There’s a Land
• Saturn Returns (Reprise)

External links

• "Review:Myths Made Potent Through Stylistic Somersaults,The New York Times, April 10, 1998
• Time Magazine, May 17, 1999