Son of Jesse to make Australian premiere at Homecoming
Andrea Shotter
Public relations editorial intern
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Broken hair clippers, a family holiday and playing multiple roles in a choir-based musical have contributed to an Avondale College staff member’s flowing beard.
Eldon Rosenberg grew his beard and hair to play four roles in the Australian premiere of a musical that brings to life the story of Bible hero David. Credit: Ann Stafford.
Eldon Rosenberg, systems administrator in Information Technology Services, started growing his beard and hair after he put off fixing his clippers. He continued growing both because he and his family were visiting Sovereign Hill, a Ballarat, Victoria-based outdoor museum presenting Australia’s gold rush history. “I thought it would be cool to have the bearded goldminer look for the family photo,” says Eldon. On his return, the drama directors of Son of Jesse, which brings to life the story of Bible hero David, cast him in four roles: a psychiatrist; the prophet Nathan; priest Zadok’s son Ahimaaz; and God. Eldon thought the look would fit and kept growing his beard and hair.
Son of Jesse is making its Australian premiere at the Avondale College Alumni Association’s Homecoming this Saturday almost three decades after an Avondale lecturer helped write it. The strength of the story and the colourful life of the lead character appealed to Associate Professor Daniel Reynaud, dean of the Faculty of Arts, who wrote the musical with former colleague and friend Adrian Bell in 1981 before revising it in 1983. “The bible version of David is honest and I tried to reflect that,” says Daniel.
Producer Dr Robb Dennis, senior lecturer in music, says the musical has synergy. “David is a multitalented individual who let leadership and talent go to his head, but through some major blunders he found his ultimate purpose, which was to be a multitalented tool in God’s hands.”
This “deliberately anachronistic” new version of Son of Jesse includes a newsreader as narrator, two psychiatrists discussing King Saul’s health, Absalom talking on his mobile phone and a boxing gloved-clad Goliath.
According to Eldon, his new look does not conflict with the modernisation of the musical and may even stay once the performance is over. “I’m thinking of going with the easy option and leaving it, but I also like the variety of clean shaven alternating with short beard.”
Son of Jesse begins at 7.30 PM in Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church this Saturday (August 28). Entry is free.
Teen brings gravitas to ambitious staging
Wednesday, September 1, 2010Review: Son of Jesse
Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Seventeen-year-old Justin Watson showed confidence and maturity in his acting and singing, bringing gravitas to the leading role in Son of Jesse. Credit: Ann Stafford.
Son of Jesse is Associate Professor Daniel Reynaud and former colleague Adrian Bell’s re-telling of the story of David. Daniel, dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Adrian wrote the musical in 1981 before revising it in 1983. The anachronisms in this version—a TV newsreader as narrator (Adventist Media Network’s David Gibbons), two psychiatrists discussing King Saul’s health (Eldon Rosenberg and Daniel Laredo), a hip-hop-styled Absalom talking on his mobile phone (Raul Moran) and a boxing gloved-clad Goliath (Robb Dennis)—brought humour to the story. Avondale staff members and students played most of the roles. Their acting skills: solid.
Technical problems—particularly with microphones—and the ambitious bringing-to-life of the whole story of David meant the musical lacked a dramatic arc. The strongest scene—The Ark—featured the two best actors. The argument between David (17-year-old Justin Watson) and his wife Michal (Vivienne Calwell) spilled out into the congregation, further exposing the human frailties of the characters. Justin showed confidence and maturity in his acting and singing, bringing gravitas to the leading role.
Andrew and Kristin made clever use of Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church, particularly the brick bays in the balcony as the setting for many of David’s speeches.
Avondale Chamber Orchestra provided seamless backing for Avondale Singers. The chorus’s final, triumphant “Jesus!” still rings in my ears.
Tags: Commentary, Daniel Reynaud, Homecoming, School of Humanities and Creative Arts, Son of Jesse
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