A Musical for All Generations!

The inception of rock music in the 1950s opened a "generation gap" in artistic tastes that has finally begun to heal. Teenagers of today typically do not completely share their parents' tastes in music, but most of them do include music of The Beatles, The Eagles or James Brown on their iPods. The gap between parents and children is not as impassable as it used to be. Today's 50-year-old is often more youthful and broadminded than his dad was at middle age, while today's 16-year-old may be more accepting of differences and willing to talk with adults than her mom was at the same age.

The times are a-changing, again, and old wounds are starting to heal. Indeed, that is precisely the message of Ariel's Way. While an evening at the theatre too seldom satisfies both parents and children, Ariel's Way aims to do--and succeeds in doing--exactly that. The characters and cast in this show are inter-generational, and the story, songs, and staging can be enjoyed whether you're 5, 15, 50, or 85.

What's more, the plot and themes of Ariel’s Way not only warm the heart (while raising its rate!). They also prompt families to share their lives and differing perspectives in conversations at intermission and after the show. In discussing if and why forgiveness works better than vengeance, and the ways in which compassion trumps control as a way of relating to others, people come to understand their individual, familiar, and even political circumstances with more insight.

At least, that's what this writer and this cast have learned at Carolina Friends School--and through working on this show together. So come see it with your family, and see if you don't agree that art fueled by the power of love is a potent force for good in the world! To what The Beatles once proclaimed ("Love is all you need")Ariel's Way adds its own, "Amen!"

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