The title “October Sky” evokes a world where gravity becomes untethered, but the story of the world premiere musical, opening in previews Aug. 19 at Marriott Lincolnshire, lies deep underground.
Based on the 1999 movie of the same name, the new musical by Aaron Thielen (book) and Michael Mahler (music and lyrics) stretches from the starless black of an Appalachian coal mine to the edge of outer space. Thielen has high hopes for the show.
“What I want,” he says, “is for people to leave thinking about their own dreams. And how they can go after them.”
Opening night will mark the culmination of at least one dream, namely the premiere of a new musical, that rarest-of-the-rare in the world of commercial theater. On the surface, “October Sky” might not sound entirely new. There are echoes of “Billy Elliot” to it. Both shows take place in mining towns hard hit by recession. Both focus on a young boy who dreams of escape. Billy Elliot yearns to become a professional dancer. “October Sky’s” Homer H. Hickam (Nate Lewellyn) dreams of rocketships and astronauts.
“It’s true that both shows orbit similar ideas,” says Thielen, “but ‘October Sky’ has its own environment, its own characters, its own sound. It’s a story of the American Dream.”
“October Sky” follows Homer, a coal miner’s son, and three friends who, inspired by the 1957 launch of Sputnik, spend their time in rural Virginia experimenting with rockets. The sound of that story blends Appalachian folk, bluegrass, rockabilly and first-generation rock ‘n roll.
Composing the score, says Mahler, meant listening to artists from Elvis to Alison Krauss to Aaron Copland, as well as figuring out a way to sonically enhance the metaphor embedded in “October Sky.”
“This is a story that goes deep into the earth, down into the mines,” says Mahler, “And then this kid starts looking toward the stars. So there’s metaphor in both places and in the idea of contrasting what’s dark and closed with what’s wide open and infinite.”
Conveying that means a departure from the traditional nine-person orchestra the Marriott generally uses. The musicians for the show will include multi-instrumentalists on banjos, fiddles and ukuleles.
“The world where this takes place is so rich in sound. The grunting of the miners working underground — there’s a percussive feel to that. The birth of rock and roll, that’s here too. And the mountains themselves, the sounds of the folk music that’s been around for centuries. It’s all got to be there,” he says.
If their previous collaborations are any indication, Thielen and Mahler’s “October Sky” won’t fall short. The musical “Hero,” which premiered at Marriott in 2012, was a hit with both critics and ticket buyers and picked up several Jeff Awards.
More Top Picks Best Tablets For Seniors With Low Vision
But awards aren’t the point, says Mahler. “I want people to see through this show that no matter how crazy it is, if you follow through and do the work, your dreams can come true. I’m not talking about a sitting around thinking, ‘oh, wouldn’t it be nice if this or that happened?’ I’m talking about realizing that maybe you have the power to make it happen.”
‘October Sky’
When: Aug. 19-Oct. 11
Where: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Tickets: $45-$55
Contact: 847-634-0200; www.MarriottTheatre.com