Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture presents

Call Me From The Grave – Concert Performance

July 22, 2025
5:30PM

About the Show

This show will occur in Napa, California at the Blue Note Stage as part of the Napa Institute Summer Conference Arts Festival.

Call Me From The Grave explores the life and myth of the legendary Blues guitar player, Robert Johnson. In Greenwood, Mississippi, a young sharecropper, Robert, dreams of becoming a Bluesman. When his loving girlfriend, Virginia, becomes pregnant, Robert puts his dreams on hold to build a life and a family with her. However, Robert’s life comes crashing down when Virginia dies of complications in childbirth and their newborn son is taken into the exclusive custody of her unapproving father. Feeling he has failed as a husband, father, and a musician, Robert is at his lowest when he is approached by the Devil. Robert exchanges his soul for the music career he has always dreamt of, on the condition that he never returns home. As the years go by, Robert gains all the fame and renown that he is promised. However, after learning that the people he loves are in need back home, Robert must choose between his fame and his family.

Enjoy this selection of music and performance from the upcoming show—a haunting and powerful work poised to leave a lasting impression on hearts and minds.

Call Me From The Grave is a natural extension of the Athenaeum Center Theatre’s dedication to exploring timeless themes of sacrifice, longing, and redemption through compelling, elevated storytelling. This production exemplifies our belief that great art can reveal the deeper truths of the human soul and invite audiences into a profound encounter with Beauty.

Musical Numbers
  1. “Overture Blues” — Instrumental
  2. “How Far Will You Go?” — Devil, Ensemble
  3. “Jesus, Lord” — Pastor Travis, Virginia, Sarah, Robert, Ensemble
  4. “A Soul Ain’t Free” — Robert, Julia
  5. “Livin' The Dream” — Virginia, Robert
  6. “Jump The Broom” — Full Company
  7. “Good Enough For Me” — Sarah, Virginia, Julia
  8. “Waiting For You” — Virginia
  9. “Gossip Chorus 3 / Funeral” — Full Company
  10. “Livin' The Dream (Reprise)” — Robert
  11. “Live Another Life” —Robert, Julia, Ensemble
  12. “Jesus, Lord (Reprise)” — Julia, Virginia, Sarah
  13. “Let Your Soul Be Free” — Devil, Robert
  14. “Before ‘Some Deals Can’t Be Undone’” — Devil, Robert
  15. “Some Deals Can’t Be Undone” — Full Company
  16. “Bluesman” — Robert
  17. “Before ‘Bruises’” — Charles
  18. “Bruises” — Charles, Sarah
  19. “Gossip Chorus 5” — Ensemble
  20. “What Kind of a Man” — Robert
  21. “He Will Free You” — Julia

Featuring

Creative Team

Lawrence DaufenbachCreative Producer
Charlie RomanoComposer/Lyricist
Harold Hodge JrBookwriter
Ryan FlanneryProduction Coordinator
Genevieve SwansonProduction Coordinator

Critical Praise

Audience Reaction

Showtimes

This production has ended

Event Details

Doors Open: 5:00pm
Show Begins: 5:30pm
Running Time: ~90 minutes
Performance Space: Stage on Lawn
Address: Napa Institute Arts Festival — Napa, CA

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An Evening with Dennis Quaid

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Dante 360

Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.” 

And so we all begin—in darkness.

Join Dante on his most famous journey through the depths of hell, levels upon levels of purgatory, finally discovering the light and glory of paradise. You will find terror in the wild beasts he meets along the way; and only moments later great hope at the strong woman, Beatrice, who leads him always upwards.

This contemporary staged performances of one of the most epic stories of the western world is an immersive, multi-dimensional production that leads you into Dantes universe. Returning to the stage for the 4th year, this year’s production.

Its heaven. It’s hell. But above all, it’s worth the trip.

November 8–10, 2024