Yavapai College discovers fire and song in ‘Jane Eyre,’ Apr. 14 - 23.

She sings. She dances. She fights for her rightful place in a hostile Victorian patriarchy. YC Performing Arts’ bold musical take on a literary heroine may leave audiences cheering and traditionalists chagrined. But one thing is certain: this is not your father’s Jane Eyre. Yavapai College Performing Arts proudly presents Jane Eyre, The Musical.

Tickets for Jane Eyre, The Musical start at $35, with $10 Youth tickets available for patrons 18 and younger. Show times are 7 p.m. Fridays, April 14 and 21 and Saturday, April 22; with 3 p.m. matinees Saturday April 15 and Sundays, April 16 and 23, at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center in Prescott.

For reservations or more information, please call: (928) 776.2000 or visit us online at: ycpac.com

Charlotte Brontë’s title character has long been regarded as a literary martyr: abused in childhood; persecuted at boarding school; thwarted by love and cast into homelessness, Jane nevertheless perseveres. Yavapai College’s musical explores the strength required to do so.

“Jane Eyre is definitely a fighter!” Jayne Eyre Director Dr. Craig Ralston said. “She is breaking the bonds of social structure and asserting herself as a woman of equal standing in her world.”

Originally published in 1847, Brontë’s book became one of the definitive romance novels of its time. Jane Eyre proved revolutionary in several ways: It was a first-person narrative, where Jane’s thoughts and emotions were given unprecedented weight; and it blended equal amounts of social criticism with Christian morality. The musical version, Dr. Ralston says, animates much of the strength Jane kept inside.

“In this production we see Jane’s passion and desires portrayed beautifully in song. While the play and movie versions portray Jane as reticent and quiet, the musical clearly shows Jane's demand for liberty and equality.”

Latter-day interpretations delved beyond Jane’s sweetness, exploring Jane’s amazing capacity to believe in goodness after wave-upon-wave of loss. While staying true to Brontë’s narrative, Yavapai College’s production flavors Jane’s struggles with enough humor and fire to make her journey suspenseful and ultimately inspiring.

The Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center is located on Yavapai College’s Prescott Campus, 1100 E. Sheldon Street. The Ticket Office is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Thursdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.