THE INNOCENCE
– an original musical
Music & Lyrics by DAVID AUSTINBook by ALARI KOEL & DAVID AUSTIN
In the dark of the lunar eclipse of 1917, six-year-olds Alma, the daughter of a wealthy socialite, and Toomas, their gardener's son are... taken.
They emerge from the dark Estonian forest a year later utterly altered. Convinced that they escaped from Hell, the two haunted children, now inseperable, tell that their parents, the villagers, and a host of doctors and psychiatrists that The Devil himself removed half of each of their souls, leaving them to share one between them.
The two children, once from two entirely different worlds are now inextricably bonded. As the mystery and myth of their disappearance takes root, Toomas and Alma begin to exhibit extraordinary, other-worldly powers.
When WWII breaks across Europe, Alma and Toomas are wrested apart by the Russians who invade their small village and throw Toomas on a train bound for a frozen Siberian gulag.
Their twenty-year journey to reunite thrusts Alma and Toomas into a dangerous world not even Hell could prepare them for as they search the world over for the other half of their shared soul; a world that tests their faith, their powers, and ultimately forces them to do the impossible: to face their demons alone.
MEDIA COVERAGE
During the 2017 Estonian Cultural Days in NYC, we premiered songs from The Innocence - the musical in collaboration and partnership with the widely-known, wildly popular and renowned Estonian choir, WAF (We Are Family), under the direction of Kadri Koppel at The Scandinavia House. Capping off a week of extraordinary events, WAF premiered more musical material from the musical, including a specially orchestrated arrangement of "Requiem" at New York's Immanuel Lutheran Church. (Youtube)
The event featured actors Casey Erin Clark (Les Miserables), and David Austin (I Love You Because, original cast & cast album).
The event was covered by the foreign correspondent of Aktuaalne kaamera, an Estonian news program. For an English translation of the video article, CLICK HERE.
The leading investigative news program in Estonia, Pealtnägija, was in New York on the Summer of 2016 and came to visit our three-day workshop of The Innocence - the musical was held in New York City at Shetler Studios, and The New York Estonian House. The workshop featured actors: Lizzie Klemperer, Casey Erin Clark, Victoria Huston-Elem, Heather Brorsen, Hilary Maiberger, Nora Terzo, Stacy Sullivan, Hillary Schranze, Bradley Beahen, Nick Gaswirth, Mick Bleyer, Christopher Equality Nolan, Joel DeCandio, Angelo McDonough, David Austin, Brooklyn Shuck, and Keaton Tetlow.
The event was covered by the foreign correspondent of Aktuaalne kaamera, an Estonian news program. For an English translation of the video article, CLICK HERE.
