Big River
lyrics by Roger Miller and book by William Hauptman
Directed by Joy Powell

July 11-14 at 7:30 PM
July 15 at 2:00 PM
Dunham Hall Theater -SIUE

     Mark Twain’s beloved novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, comes to life in the Broadway celebration of pure Americana in Big River with music and lyrics by Roger Miller and book by William Hauptman.

     Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend, Jim, a slave, escape to freedom.  Says, Joy Powell, director, “Although Big River is set during the pre-Civil War south, it continues to be current as it addresses human nature, equality, prejudices, and basic human rights.  Huck, like many of us, struggles with the “norms” that society has placed on him even though in his heart he feels differently. A century later, we are still grappling with these ideas.”   

     Huck’s and Jim’s adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful and heartwarming, bringing to life everyone’s favorite characters from the novel: the Widow Douglas and her stern sister, Miss Watson, the uproarious King and Duke, who may or may not be as harmless as they seem, Huck’s partner in crime, Tom Sawyer, Huck’s father, the sinister, Pap Finn, the lovely Mary Jane Wilkes and many, many more.