An Exceptional Opportunity

This spring, La Salle Prep is set to make history as the first high school in the nation to stage Prometheus, an original musical inspired by Greek mythology and the brainchild of local composer, songwriter, and pianist Michael Allen Harrison, and writer David Bates.

In this modern musical, the titan god Prometheus defies Zeus by bestowing the gift of fire upon humanity. Zeus and the heavens ignite with vengeance and vow the demise of Prometheus and his children, setting the stage for a mythical tale of epic proportions.

“Prometheus is an epic story of the human spirit. It’s about how to conquer fear and despair, and always hold on to hope, because hope will always prevail,” shares Harrison, who serves as the Music Director and Conductor.

The production has provided an incredible learning experience for the 49 La Salle students and 17 elementary and middle school students, who have had the opportunity to work directly with Harrison.

Staging a never-before-seen musical offers a unique opportunity to adapt and adjust the performance to support the actor, rather than trying to replicate a previous adaptation. “Oftentimes, composers are great improvisers. [If something doesn’t work], I change it right away. I am not attached to anything [except finding] the best way,“ said Harrison.

In the original adaptation, the role of Prometheus was written for a male actor. In this version, Prometheus, the God of Foresight, is portrayed by a female actor. This shift led Harrison and Shelton to reimagine the role of the Goddess of Hope, transforming her from Prometheus’s love interest to the embodiment of Hope itself. The experience has inspired Harrison to consider changing the original adaptation as well.

Angelina Lopez ’24, who portrays Prometheus, shared, “Working on a production that has never been done before at the high school level has been a very different experience compared to any of the other plays and musicals I have been a part of at La Salle. It gives so much artistic creativity to the cast portraying these roles and gives every student involved the opportunity to be the standard of what other high schools may replicate in the future.”

“I hope that whatever [the students] get out of [this experience], it’s something that is meaningful to them and creates lasting memories,” shared Harrison.

Prometheus runs April 19-28. Tickets on sale HERE.