The Henderson Area Art Alliance is proud to present a special morning matinee of “The Legend of John Henry” this Friday, February 26 at 9:00 a.m. The Lexington Children’s Theatre will perform this classic tale for Henderson county fourth graders.
The legend of John Henry is an exciting folklore legend, that’s sure to entertain younger audiences. John Henry is a natural-born steel-driving man. He can roust bales of of cotton, outrun a horse, and forge steel better than any man born. But can he beat the steam-drilling machine at Big Bend Tunnel?
Though the story of John Henry sounds like the quintessential tall tale, it is certainly based, at least in part, on historical circumstances. There are disputes as to where the legend originated. Some place John Henry in West Virginia, while recent research suggests Alabama. Still, all share a similar backstory. In order to construct the railroads, companies hired thousands of men to smooth out terrain and cut through obstacles that stood in the way of the proposed tracks.
“We’re excited to present “The Legend of John Henry” performed by the professional actors of the Lexington Children’s Theatre for our Henderson youth. Creating opportunities for students to experience live dramatic theatre and timeless tales is so very important to our organization. HAAA is proud to partner with the Henderson County schools to provide quality arts education programming that inspire, educate and enhance the lives of our youth, it’s a huge part of our mission,” said Greg Gibson, Executive Director of HAAA.
This show is sponsored by Dr. Jennifer Liles, Methodist Hospital Pediatrics and Dr. Brad Fulkerson, Children’s Dentistry.
