Overview
Synopsis
Stephen Schwartz and John Caird’s musical, Children of Eden casts the beloved biblical stories of Genesis through the personal lens of family. An epic musical with an original cast of 60 (though it can be done with far fewer actors, if necessary), Children of Eden 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
- Music
- Stephen Schwartz
- Lyrics
- Stephen Schwartz
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1997
- 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
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Religious Groups, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Child Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Children of Eden is based on a show from 1986 called Family Tree. Stephen Schwartz adapted the script and music to be used in what we now know as Children of Eden, having its original workshop production produced through the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show then transferred to the Prince Edward Theatre on the West End in January of 1991. The production closed in April later that same year.
After receiving numerous edits and reworks, Children of Eden made its official American
to read the context for Children of Eden and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
The stage opens to begin telling the creation story from the Book of Genesis. There is darkness on the stage as the Storytellers start to talk about the world at the beginning. The world comes together as Father shapes it based on his dreams (“Let There Be”). At last, he creates Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, a spectacularly perfect place.
Eve spots a tree with glowing fruit high on the top of the hill and questions Father about it. Father tells Eve that this is the Tree of
to read the plot for Children of Eden and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Countertenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Countertenor |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
|
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
Act One
- *Let There Be – Father & Full Company
- Perfect (Part 1) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
- The Tree of Knowledge – Father & Adam
- The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve & Storytellers
- Grateful Children – Adam & Eve
- Father's Day – Father
- Perfect (Part 2) – 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
- The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1) – Eve
- Lost in the Wilderness – Cain & Abel
- Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise) – Cain
- Close to Home – Adam, Eve, Abel, Young Cain & Young Abel
- A Ring of Stones – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
- 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
Act Two
- Generations – Storytellers
- The Gathering Storm – Noah & Father
- A Piece of Eight – Storytellers, Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
- Blind Obedience – Noah
- The Return of the Animals – Orchestra
- The Naming (Reprise)/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 Spark of Creation (Reprise 2) – Mama Noah
- The Hardest Part of Love – Noah & Father
- Words of Doom – Storytellers
- The Hour of Darkness – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
- Ain’t It Good? – Mama Noah & Full Company
- Precious Children – Father
- 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.
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