UNTURNING
a new musical adapted by Gloria Makino
based on the novel The Return of the Native
by Thomas Hardy & music by John Thomas
Hear Broadway actors perform UNTURNING on YouTube!
Epic heroine Eustacia Vye struggles to belong in a world that condemns her as a half-breed witch. Yet even as polite society shuns her, they are bewitched, and she is embroiled in a love triangle inflamed by racial bias, class prejudice, and family tensions. A musical by and about a mixed race woman, UNTURNING was adapted by Gloria Makino from Thomas Hardy's novel THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE & the music of John Thomas.
For inquiries contact UnturningMusical(at)gmail(dot)com
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The reviews are in!
"UNTURNING, an entertaining and engaging musical currently featured at the UNFringed Festival at the Secret Theater in Long Island City, offers a respite from the tired, old formulaic Broadway fare.
Gloria Makino is a fresh and multifaceted talent warranting our attention. She adapted Thomas Hardy’s nineteenth century novel, The Return of the Native, into a brisk and compelling story about love, loss, ambition, and societal constraints into a theatrical production that resonates with contemporary audiences. In addition, Ms. Makino is captivating as the leading character, [Eustacia] Vye, as she personifies a woman striving for personal fulfillment while trapped within the confines of her limited, rural environment.
UNTURNING boasts a melodic, original score that never disappoints, as well as engaging choreography and a sterling young cast. You must see this gem"
~ Indie Theater Guide
Reviews by the UNFringed Festival/Secret Theater:
---"I was fascinated. It wasn't what I had expected. It's MUCH better
than the book! ... I am shocked. It was amazing."
--- "The dancing... The singing... I was [so] enticed [by] the performance that I forgot I was watching a show."
--- "It really made me think."
---"As a theatergoer, the lack of progressive and complex female characters really bothers me. It's even worse than TV and film these days. I wanted to invite a friend to see a play ... but couldn't find a single one that passed the Bechdel test... or had a woman in a prominent role. So I'm glad to see you're ... giving a voice to a very interesting female character, who deserved better than to be fetishized for her ~exotic beauty~ in the original book."
---"I was fascinated. It wasn't what I had expected. It's MUCH better
than the book! ... I am shocked. It was amazing."
--- "The dancing... The singing... I was [so] enticed [by] the performance that I forgot I was watching a show."
--- "It really made me think."
---"As a theatergoer, the lack of progressive and complex female characters really bothers me. It's even worse than TV and film these days. I wanted to invite a friend to see a play ... but couldn't find a single one that passed the Bechdel test... or had a woman in a prominent role. So I'm glad to see you're ... giving a voice to a very interesting female character, who deserved better than to be fetishized for her ~exotic beauty~ in the original book."
