Gavin Creel Is Prometheus Bound in New Sater-Tankian Musical, Debuting at A.R.T. Feb. 25

By Adam Hetrick
25 Feb 2011

Gavin Creel
Gavin Creel
Photo by Robert Mannis

The world premiere of Steven Sater and Serj Tankian's political rock musical Prometheus Bound, starring two-time Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel, begins performances Feb. 25 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA.

Tony Award-nominated Hair director/A.R.T. artistic director Diane Paulus helms the 80-minute work in an immersive setting at A.R.T.'s nightclub venue Oberon. Prometheus Bound will officially open March 4 and run through April 2.

In addition to Creel (Hair, Thoroughly Modern Millie) in the title role, the cast includes Lea DeLaria (On the Town) as Force; Michael Cunio (Jersey Boys) as Oceanos; Gabe Ebert as Hephaistos/Hermes; Uzo Aduba (Venice) as Io; Celina Carvajal (Rooms) and Ashley Flanagan as Daughters of the Ocean; and Jo Lampert (The Last Goodbye) as Daughter of the Ocean and Violence.

Sater, the Tony Award-winning librettist and lyricist of Spring Awakening, adapted the Aeschylus play, which has music by System of a Down band member Tankian.

"The ancient Greeks would go to the theatre the way that we would go to church or a temple. I wanted ecstatic dance and music that would kind of burst the thing open," Sater said of Prometheus in an earlier interview with Playbill.com. "While my translation is very faithful and kind of classical, it also has a kind of rock and roll edge to it. I thought of System of a Down and Serj, and how incredible that texture and that type of music [would be]." Sater describes the score as "electronic, atmospheric rock."

The on-stage band includes Charlie Chronopolous, Tom Duprey, David Finch, Jeff Muzerolle, Rob Simring and Vincent Padulla.

Prometheus Bound has scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Kevin Adams and sound design by Clive Goodwin. Choreography is by Stephen Petronio, with vocal arrangements by AnnMarie Milazzo and music supervision by Debra Barsha and Lance Horne.

According to A.R.T., "An outcry against tyranny, the new rock musical Prometheus Bound illustrates one man's struggle against the brute force of a ruthless dictator… This new musical is inspired by Aeschylus's ancient Greek tragedy about the suffering of Western civilization's first prisoner of conscience."

For tickets visit AmericanRepertoryTheater. A.R.T. is located at 64 Brattle Street in Cambridge, MA.