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Seattle Children’s Theatre shows a different side to Jimi Hendrix

When you think of Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady” and “Hey Joe” may be a few tunes that pop into your head. The Seattle Children’s Theatre wants to show a different side of the Seattle icon, sharing his upbringing and childhood in the Central District neighborhood, and how his experiences have shaped his life and music.

“I think that’s one of the cool things about it, it’s a bit of a history lesson it’s not a historical piece per say, it’s not standing there, hands folded and saying you know, once upon a time. It takes us on an adventure of a little boy whose circumstances and influences are based on Jimi’s upbringing so you’ll learn a lot,” Eugene H Russell IV, composer and music director said.

Based in the Central District neighborhood, young Jimi, played by actor Brandon Smith, faces challenges and the ups and downs of life, but the one constant is music. According to Russell IV and co-composer Divinity Roxx, the band and the music specially curated for the play are just as important as the storyline itself.

“It’s like this genre-bending hip hop, rock, there’s some funk, there’s some blues, it’s American music, it’s all the music that Jimi Hendrix was listening to everything that influenced him, plus a little touch of what’s happening now in the world musically, that’s why kids I think would be able to relate to it,” Roxx said.

Although the show is at Seattle Children’s Theatre, it’s for all ages. The story, along with the music, guides you to find harmony inside the challenging noises of life and to dream big.

“I believe that one of the most important messages here is that through your imagination, you can create your own reality that you want for yourself. I came up in a time when my mother used to tell me all the time believe in yourself, whatever you think, whatever you believe you can make happen. You know we’re talking about a kid who was playing a broom and he ended up being one of the most influential guitar players in the world,” Roxx said.

“The Boy Who Kissed The Sky” was originally scheduled for Oct. 14, but the Seattle Children’s Theatre announced they’ve pushed the theatre’s season opener to next Friday, Oct. 21.