The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County closes its 2014-15 Free Family Fest signature series with the return of Rock Odyssey, a family-friendly original rock ‘n’ roll musical produced by the Arsht Center based on Homer’s Odyssey. The epic production will bring its thrilling score to the John S. and James L. Knight Concert stage on May 16 at 1:30 p.m.
Originally created for fifth grade students as part of the Arsht Center’s Learning Through the Arts education initiative sponsored by Wells Fargo, Rock Odyssey has wowed more than 175,000 students from public and private schools across Miami- Dade County free of charge since its debut in 2010.
“Rock Odyssey has not only become a highly anticipated event for fifth graders from across Miami-Dade County, but its musical energy and theatrical comedy has also captured the attention of South Florida patrons of all ages,” said Adrienne Arsht Center president and CEO John Richard. “This performance seamlessly merges high entertainment value with age specific educational content and we are delighted to expand the show’s audience with a rare performance for our Family Fest series.”
Rock Odyssey combines the drama of ancient Greece with the flair of Broadway to create a spellbinding adventure for young people featuring special effects, oversized puppets and an original score. The Arsht Center’s Broadway-style production was created especially for fifth graders and includes a cast featuring local performers from South Florida.
In addition to Wells Fargo, financial support was provided by the Ocean Reef Community Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation, Miami- Dade County and the State of Florida. Rock Odyssey features direction/choreography by Douglas Love; an original rock-inspired score by Emmy Award-winning musician Billy Straus; book by Kleban Award-winner Stephen Cole; puppet design by Heather Asch, and set design by Laura Brock.
Admission to Family Fest is free. However, First-Access Passes are required. First-Access Passes can be reserved by calling the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at 305-949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org (limit four per person). The passes provide patrons with first-access to seating in the theater. Seating is “first-come, firstserve” for the performance and passes do not guarantee a seat.
Patrons who do not have a First-Access Pass can join the standby line beginning at 12:30 p.m. outside the theater. Patrons in the standby line will be allowed into the theater beginning at 1:15 p.m., if seats are still available. The First-Access Pass expires at 1:15 p.m., allowing patrons in the standby line to begin entering the theater.
The Arsht Center’s 2015-16 Free Family Fest series will be announced later this year. Visit www.arshtcenter.org to join the Arsht Center email list and be among the first to hear about next season.
