Space Rock Opera
Musicals & Operas · Traveling Showcase Productions · Ages 10+ · 50 mins
Space Rock Opera follows Mrs. Hughes, a historical figure who is the only person known to have been hit by a falling meteor and survived, and Space Rock, the meteor that struck her, whose continued presence may or may not be the result of Mrs. Hughes’ head injury. Or the mysteries of space. Or magic. Maybe.
When she was struck by the space rock, Mrs. Hughes achieved the true American dream – becoming famous for doing nothing. She went from napping in her living room to a feature in LIFE magazine! From sea to shining sea! The sky falling on that fateful day allowed Mrs. Hughes to became beloved by all, admired and valued in a way few humble country wives would ever be.
But when her landlord sues her for possession of the rock (it did fall through HIS roof) and some other dude finds a different piece of the meteor in a field (which is what is displayed in the Smithsonian to this day), Mrs. Hughes fades into total obscurity. Her five minutes? UP.
But in this telling, she is NOT going out without a fight. To recapture fame and love, she’s embarking on a country music career and you are gonna hear about it. In Space Rock Opera, Mrs. Hughes tells her tale through country music (with a killer backing band), and though she is sometimes possessed by the meteoric spirit of the Space Rock to sing songs more psychedelic and jagged than her conscious mind knows how to process, she’s still a wholesome American woman just trying to figure out why she keeps creating when nobody cares and the world is falling apart.
Perhaps, it’s the creation itself that keeps her – and the rest of us – going at all? In Space Rock Opera, we will find out together: the band, the audience, Mrs. Hughes, played by composer and playwright Liz Eldridge, and the Space Rock, played by a mischievous puppet. By the end, we may not have all answers, but we will be sweaty, transported, and singing along.
