André De Shields Stars as Hermes in Greek Myth Podcast Live From Mount Olympus
(© David Gordon)
Starting today, all nine episodes of the first season of the new podcast Live From Mount Olympus are available on demand. The podcast is presented by the Onassis Foundation and the TRAX podcast network for tweens from PRX.
Created by Peabody Award winner Julie Burstein and produced in partnership with theater ensemble the TEAM, Live From Mount Olympus is co-directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown) and Zhailon Levingston (resident director for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical). The cast includes Vinie Burrows (Gaia, Maia, Gray Sister, Nymph), André De Shields (Hermes), Jill Frutkin (Metis, Gray Sister, Nymph), Divine Garland (Perseus), Amber Gray (Cassiopeia), Modesto "Flako" Jimenez (Phylakos), Libby King (Athena), Ian Lassiter (Zeus, Apollo, Acrisius, Polydectes, Kronos, sea monster Cetus), Zhailon Levingston (Young Hermes, Funeral Games Announcer, Series Announcer), Christina Liberus (Andromeda), Nehemiah Luckett (Cepheus), Jake Margolin (Dictys), James Harrison Monaco (Hephaestus, Atlas, Phineus), Kristen Sieh (Perseus at ages five and 12, Rhea, Gray Sister, Nymph), and Jillian Walker (Danae).
The plot is described as follows: "When young Perseus,voiced by actor Divine Garland, makes a rash promise to save his mother from the clutches of an evil king, he has to strike out on a dangerous quest. Hermes, god of luck and thieves, voiced by Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields…narrates this tale of terrifying monsters, powerful gods, and a brave girl who will change Perseus' life forever. Richly imagined through evocative action and immersive sound, the podcast also explores timeless themes of complex families, love, and discovering not only who you are, but what you are capable of."
The production team includes executive producer Karen Brooks Hopkins, senior advisor of Onassis USA, who served as president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) from 1999 to 2015. The series is created and produced by Peabody Award-winning radio producer Burstein, creator of public radio's Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen. In addition, the podcast features writing by Alexie Basil as well as by Sesame Street writer and playwright Nathan Yungerberg, sound design by David Schulman, story editing by author Nalini Jones, music composed and performed by Magda Giannikou, and illustrations by cartoonist Jason Adam Katzenstein, whose work has been featured in the New Yorker and on Cartoon Network.
Click here to listen to the episodes.
