The Bacchanal is in full swing at the Coal Mine Theatre! DION: A Rock Opera is Coal Mine’s first ever World Premiere, and they could not have picked a more epic piece to start off 2024. Composed by Ted Dykstra, Libretto by Steve Mayoff, and directed by Peter Hinton-Davis, DION is an exciting, fresh, sexy piece of theatre ready for even bigger stages.

DION: A Rock Opera is a musical adaptation based on Euripides’ The Bacchae. The god Dionysus (but you can call them Dion) has returned to Thebes to avenge the death of their mother, Semele. In doing so they begin to cause a frenzy amongst the people of Thebes, enticing them to experience all kinds of pleasure out in the woods. Pentheus rules Thebes with an iron fist, and has it out for these raucous disciples of Dionysus. Dion manages to seduce their Aunt, and Pentheus’ mother, Agave into becoming one of their Bacchae, while Tiresias (the blind soothsayer) convinces Agave’s father Cadmus to join the fray as well. Dion eventually gets their revenge on their slanderous family members in a rather dismembering way. DION: A Rock Opera masterfully captures the ethos of the Greek Classic, while encapsulating it into an engaging seventy minutes.

Mayoff’s libretto is full of witty references both ancient and modern. The allusions to the past American Presidential administration are hilarious, and befits their portrayal of Pentheus. Mentioning other Greek tragedies, as well as Euripides himself, adds a level of meta theatrical delight to the production. There’s even a moment where Dion has to reinforce their pronouns with Pentheus, which is just one inclusive element included in the production. To tell an ancient story and make it feel this poignant and current is an impressive accomplishment.

Dykstra’s compositions for this work are moving, catchy, and exciting. I’m truly hoping we’ll get a recording of this score very soon! I’m thrilled that they were able to have a live band in house to play the music. Under the direction of Bob Foster, who also plays the piano for DION, the three piece band makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Joining Foster are Haneul Yi on Guitar and Percussion, and Kat McLevey on Bass.

The design for DION is perfection; every element comes together to create a cohesive vision of the world in which these characters exist. Using the full length of the Coal Mine Theatre’s space, Scott Penner’s set design is stunning in its simplicity; the red of the runway-like stage gives a foreboding image of what’s to come. The costume design blew me away, particularly the ones Dion and the Chorus are wearing. The punk aesthetic combined with the graffiti art covering the pieces was incredible; the nods to Basquiat and Haring is well suited to the Bacchae and their ethos. Dion’s final costume exudes the god’s glamour, grace, and sensuality; I truly couldn’t take my eyes off of them.

Keeping with Ancient Greek tradition, DION: A Rock Opera includes a chorus; a group of unnamed characters who represent the masses, in this case the followers of Dion. Bringing the chorus to life is Max Borowski, Saccha Dennis, Kaden Forster and Kelsey Verzotti. Their energy and vocal prowess are incredible; they are on stage from even before the performance starts until the very end, singing and dancing the whole way through. Their engagement with the audience makes them an essential aspect of the play and they are truly a joy to watch.

Along with the members of the chorus, DION: A Rock Opera boasts a powerhouse cast of artists. Jacob McInnis stars as the titular Dion and they give an incredible performance. They radiate the ferocity and mystery of Dionysus while also giving a stunning vocal performance. Allister MacDonald is perfectly despicable as Pentheus. Their transformation throughout the show is brilliantly acted and gives Pentheus a little more heart than I had remembered. SATE dazzles as Tiresias, the blind soothsayer. Her solo numbers give me goosebumps just thinking about them again! Carly Street gives a soulful and moving performance as Agave. Allan Louis also gives a passionate and heartbreaking performance as Cadmus. Street and Louis’ subplot is touching and meaningful, even if things don’t end particularly well for them. I can’t imagine a more well suited cast to tell this story; you could tell that they share in the passion behind the piece and bring it to life with an unmatched vivacity.

It brings me great joy to see a piece like DION which featured several different body types on stage at the same time. Particularly with musicals, we don’t often see larger bodies, especially in lead roles. This cast is diverse in myriad ways, and I hope this is emblematic of a greater shift towards true diversity and representation within our theatre.

DION: A Rock Opera is not to be missed! I pray to Zeus and the Muses and Dionysus himself that this captivating work sees even bigger lives after this triumphant run at Coal Mine. Currently running until March 3rd, you absolutely have to see DION: A Rock Opera in this ground-breaking production. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.coalminetheatre.com/dion

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Cover Photo: (L to R) SATE (foreground), Kelsey Verzotti, Saccha Dennis (BG), Allister MacDonald,
Kaden Forsberg, and Max Borowski. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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