Wiley and the Hairy Man

Set deep in the Tombigbee swamp, this classic tale of a very young boy with a very big fear is brought to new and vibrant life in this musical version of Wiley and the Hairy Man. The story centers around a fatherless young boy, his conjure-woman mother, his faithful dog and the Hairy Man who haunts Wiley's days and dreams. An expandable chorus of swamp creatures creates various locations in sound and movement as Wiley sets forth alone to face his fears and to conquer his own lack of self-confidence. The magic of this play is not fairy dust—it is soil, the magic of survival, the magic of the earth and mud of the swamp. This version gives a sizzling spin to a TYA classic. Louisville jazz legend Harry Pickens' music and lyrics combine with acclaimed playwright Suzan Zeder's lyrics and storytelling in a seamless blend. Mammy reveals how she learned the arts of conjuring from her own Mammy in a music hall number, "Conjure Woman." Wiley and Dog practice chasing the Hairy Man in "Slobber Dog." Wiley reveals his deepest fears in the poignant ballad "Bigger Than Me" as the hairy man stalks him in counterpoint with the chorus in "Gonna Get Wiley." Wiley's battle seems all but lost until he finds a courage born of desperation in the show-stopping, swamp-rap, "Bring it ON!" The addition of music and song deepens the characters, intensifies the excitement and creates the mysterious magic of the swamp with a distinctly bluegrass sound.