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Overview

Synopsis

Stephen Schwartz and John Caird’s musical, Children of Eden JR casts the beloved biblical stories of Genesis through the personal lens of family. An epic musical with a large cast, Children of Eden JR starts with the very beginning: the creation of the universe. Father breathes life into his children, Adam and Eve, and learns that the hardest part of being a loving Father is letting go. It’s a lesson that translates into the parenting of Cain, Abel, and Seth -- and is reiterated once again as Noah parents his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This joyous and inspiring musical celebrates the difficulty of choice, the importance of passion, the value of questioning, and the pain in allowing those you love to take risks and face the consequences. In order to capture the expanse of humanity, this play is traditionally performed with a multi-ethnic cast.

Show Information

Book
John Caird
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
2015
Genres
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
The Garden of Eden at the Beginning of Time , The Wilderness, After Paradise Is Lost
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Recording
Dancing
Some Dance
Ideal For
Elementary School, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Religious Groups, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Child, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Abel / Ham

Lead

Male

Cain / Japheth

Lead

Male

Father

Lead

Male

Eve / Mama Noah

Lead

Female

Adam / Noah

Lead

Male

Yonah

Supporting

Female

Seth / Shem

Supporting

Male

Aphra

Featured

Female

Aysha

Featured

Female

Young Abel

Featured

Male

Young Cain

Featured

Male

Snake (5)

Featured

Either Gender

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Songs

  • *Let There Be – Father & Full Company
  • Fathers Gathering – Father & Adam
  • The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve & Storytellers
  • Grateful Children – Adam & Eve
  • Perfect – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
  • The Spark of Creation – Eve
  • *In Pursuit of Excellence – *Snake & Eve
  • The End of a Perfect Day – Storytellers
  • Childhood's End – Storytellers, Father & Eve
  • A World Without You – Adam, Father & Eve
  • The Expulsion – Father & Storytellers
  • The Wasteland – Storytellers
  • Wilderness Family – Adam, Young Cain & Young Abel
  • Close to Home – Adam, Eve, Abel, Young Cain & Young Abel
  • The Spark of Creation (Reprise) – Eve
  • Lost in the Wilderness – Cain & Abel
  • Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise) – Cain
  • Clash of the Generations – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
  • The Death of Abel – Eve & Storytellers
  • The Mark of Cain – Father & Storytellers
  • Children of Eden – Eve & Full Company
  • Generations – Storytellers
  • The Gathering Storm – Noah & Father
  • A Piece of Eight – Storytellers, Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
  • Noah's Lullaby – Storytellers & Noah
  • Stranger to the Rain – Yonah
  • In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth & Yonah
  • The Flood – Father & Storytellers
  • What is He Waiting For? – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
  • Sailor of the Skies – Yonah
  • The Hardest Part of Love – Noah & Father
  • The Hour of Darkness – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
  • Ain’t it Good? – Mama Noah & Full Company
  • In the Beginning – Japeth, Yonah, Noah, Mama Noah, Father, & Full Company

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Alyssa Yates