‘Moonshadow’ Makes World Premiere

Yusuf’s musical “Moonshadow,” a sci-fi story based around the songs of Cat Stevens and based in part on his own spiritual quest, had its world premiere at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre May 31.

The main character, Stormy, grows up on Alaylia, a cold and dark planet illuminated only by the moon and balls of ember.

Stormy goes on a quest to find a mythical world of light and song that no one has seen in 1,000 years.

His companion is childhood sweetheart Lisa. The good-versus-evil themes are linked through 41 Cat Stevens songs including “Wild World,” “But I Might Die Tonight,” “Sad Lisa” and “Father And Son” as well as a handful of new songs written for the $5 million production.

The continued appeal of the Stevens songs, the recurring theme in his early work of a restless son and an estranged father and the sparkling stage designs triumphed over what critics called some of the production’s flaws, including occasional sluggish pacing and story line.

“Moonshadow” runs through September in Melbourne.

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