Heavens Cafe

Infobox Musical
name= Heavens Cafe


caption= Heavens Cafe live at the Flamingo Theatre, Las Vegas 1996
music= John Miner
lyrics= John Miner
book= John Miner
basis=
productions= 1996 Las Vegas
2003 Los Angeles
2004 Anaheim
awards=

"Heavens Cafe" is a rock opera written and composed by John Miner. It was first staged in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1996. The opportunity to perform the musical theater project came after his demo was heard by investor Mike Lewis of Las Vegas-based Tributary Music Label after his departure from California-based progressive rock group Mantra Sunrise. Miner put a new band together Art Rock Circus with drummer Jon Weisberg and Jon Cornell to stage the live performances at the Flamingo Theater in Las Vegas. Former Follies Bergere performer Kristine Keppel directed the original casting. In 2003, Los Angeles based theater director John Beane, approached John Miner about staging the opera in the Los Angeles area later that year. Beane's new vision for the project came to fruition in May 2004 with a six-week California run at the Insurgo Theater which included Ken Jaquess on bass and [http://www.nolanstolz.com Nolan Stolz] on drums. Art Rock Circus continues to perform and record music as recent as 2007.

Synopsis

The Classical Man suffers an untimely death and arrives at an afterlife coffee house called "Heavens Cafe' It is here he meets his previous self (Classical Man), his current incarnation (Lark), and his future potential self (Robin). Along his suspenseful journeythrough the afterlife, he is accompanied by his protective angel (Guardian Angel), and the protagonistic negative force (Devil). Hisalter ego (Kral, Lark spelled backwards) is the caretaker of the coffee house where much of the opera takes place. Kral also acts asthe comic relief of the play. Once the lead character (Lark) leaves the cafe', he embarks on a soul-searching journey in quest of the mysterious "Tower of Information" where he hopes to find all the unanswered questions he has remaining about the meaning of life and the purpose of existence. After finding out that he cannot proceed past "The Tower" he finds himself lost without a cause until he finds the beautiful "Robin" in the plays "dream within a dream" sequence, and falls in love with her energy and beauty. They consummate their love in this place between life and death and Lark is hurled back to the next earthly reincarnation now as the baby "Robin" at the plays end.

Analysis

Some critics have drawn parallels to Miner's rock opera as "A Christmas Carol" meets "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" The tower itself is not a far cry from the elusive city of "OZ" and the idea of meeting different aspects of past and present would bring to mind "A Christmas Carol". Miner's dabbling in metaphysics as exemplified in earlier works from his band "Mantra Sunrise" would suggest such concepts put to rock music. The release of a CD recording of the live Las Vegas performances on the Tributary Music Label in 1998 found a healthy audience in the progressive rock music scene. The album received much attention around the world in progressive rock fanzines and radio shows. A five-page article highlighted both the Las Vegas and Los Angeles shows in the industry magazine "Progression Magazine" (issue #46 2004).

Cast of characters

*Classical Man
*Guardian Angel
*Lark
*Robin
*Kral
*Devil

External links

Reviews

* [http://www.prog4you.com/cd-reviews-/john_miners_art_rock_circus_mantra_sunrise_heavens_cafe.htm Prog 4 You]
* [http://www.progressor.net/review/john_miner_2000.html Heavens Cafe Live' by Progressor- Russia]
* [http://www.progressiveworld.net/minerjarc2.html Heavens Cafe' Live by Progressive World-Mexico]
* [http://www.progfreaks.com/Reviews/Reviewed/JohnMinersArtRockCircus-HeavensCafeLive.htm Prog Freaks]
* [http://www.prog-nose.org/engels/albums_2005/art_rock_circus_tell_a_vision.htm Prognose]
* [http://www.eufonia.net/html/art_rock_circus.html Euphonia]
* [http://www.prog-nose.org/engels/albums_1998/art_rock_circus_heavens_cafe_live.htm Prog Nose]
* [http://gepr.net/ar.html#ARTROCK Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock]
* [http://www.expose.org/extra33n.html#art_rock_circus Expose Magazine]
* [http://www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfoPF.asp?txtCDID=15716 Prognosis]

Interviews

* [http://www.tributarymusic.com/progression_interview.htm Progression Magazine Issue #46 2004]
* [http://tributarymusic.com/atw.htm American Theater Web]