| Huntsville--The Musical |
Two years of labor has resulted in a new musical written for and about Huntsville's part in the US Space Program. Rhett Parrish has set Huntsville's history to music and dance in "Moon Dreams", a Broadway-style musical in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the German Rocket Team coming to Huntsville to work at Marshall Space Flight Center. Over 50 local residents will take part in the production. Vivienne Atkins is director and Huntsville Symphony Orchestra will provide the music.
"Moon Dreams" opens with the naturalization at Huntsville High School of almost 100 German scientists and their families and ends with Werner von Braun saying goodbye to Huntsville in February, 1970 as he leaves to go to work in Washington, DC on another space project.
The musical will have it's world premiere on Thursday, July 20, 2000 at the Von Braun Center, which seats over 2,000 people. After some research, Parrish found that the moon walk scene in the play will happen almost 31 years to the minute after Neil Armstrong's famous walk. The original walk was around 10:00 p.m. (Central time) on July 20, 1969. The show runs 3 days with 4 performances.
Parrish is quick to point out that the play isn't just about Huntsville and the space program, "It is a romantic story and drama about a family's dreams and how those dreams are changed by history." It shows Huntsville in the 50's and 60's with scenes from Vietnam, the Cold War, 60's hippies, Civil Rights, Russia's Sputnik program, Alan Shepherd, the Cuban Missile Crisis and man's first walk on the moon. A highlight of the play for local Huntsvillians will be film of the actual parade in downtown Huntsville celebrating the day that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The play uses two 15' x 20' projection screen to highlight a lot of these scenes with film loaned from NASA.
Throughout history, man has always dreamed of going into space. Parrish wrote the play with four "ghosts" of the past who never lived to see their fantasies of space become reality. You'll meet science fiction writers H. G. Wells and Jules Berne and astronomers Galileo, and Johannes Kepler as they counsel the Huntsville family in the show.
After studying Werner von Braun in order to write this play, Parrish describes von Braun as "extremely world-wise, gracious, intensely focused with a vision, and witty with a great sense of humor about himself. You'll see all these characteristics come through in "Moon Dreams." The production also includes many historical characters John F. Kennedy, Nikita S. Khrushchev, and, of course, Werhner von Braun, who does a conga dance on stage. The play is a joyous experience reminding us that we are privileged to have lived to see this great event of man traveling into space.
Honorary sponsors of "Moon Dreams" include NASA, Alabama Commission on Aerospace Science and Industry, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Tickets may be purchased through the VBC Box Office (256) 533-1953 or through TicketMaster (800) 277-1700.
Related Sites
Dr.
Werner von Braun
German scientist who moved to Huntsville in the 1950's and
pioneered the space program for the US.
Marshall Space
Flight Center
NASA center in Huntsville provides information on space
projects, science, education, news, and community involvement.
Moon Dreams
Official site for the musical "Moon Dreams"
with info on tickets, calendar of events, people involved,
sponsor links, and chance to win free tickets.
Rocket City
USA
Huntsville has a history of pioneering the US Space Program,
housing the largest Space Museum in the world, and hosting Space
Camp.
Source One Creative
Site contains examples of creative work done my company
including CD-ROM design, web design, 3D animation, original music
and graphic design.
US
Space and Rocket Center
World's largest space museum, open all year round.
