When Life Hands You a Pile of Poo…

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There are people in your phone and they have something they’d like to sing to you.

That’s right – all those emojis you use to embellish or simplify your texts are people, too, and now there’s a brand new musical in the works about them. Yes, even the pile of poo.

Thankfully, their songs have music and lyrics by Keith Harrison and a book by Keith and Laura Harrison. (Yes, they’re married. And yes they’re adorable.)

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A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting an event called Musi-CAL. Presented by the Festival of New American Musicals, Musi-CAL is a bimonthly concert series featuring material from new and in-progress musicals written by Southern Californian composers, lyricists, and bookwriters.

The final presentation was Keith and Laura’s show, Emojiland. I can’t even describe the energy that filled the room with each song they presented. Everyone in attendance was blown away by the quality and production-value of their work. It was simply stellar.

I met Keith and Laura separately Continue reading When Life Hands You a Pile of Poo…

Michael Jackson Lives

In a recent post about Race and the New Generation of Musical Theatre, I gave a shout out to Michael R. Jackson, a musical theatre composer/lyricist whose work I recently came to know, and who was telling stories about people of color in a way I’d never seen before.

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I had originally heard of Michael when I saw a song from his largely autobiographical musical A Strange Loop performed as part of William Finn’s Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You’ve Probably Never Heard of But Should cabaret at 54 Below. (Well – truth be told I think I originally originally heard of him when the pop-star Michael Jackson died, and he was forced to distinguish himself on Facebook as Michael “Living” Jackson, but that’s neither here nor there.)

I then got to meet him as we were both participants of the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at the Goodspeed Musical Theatre this past January. There I got to see more of his work on the show come to life.

A Strange Loop is, how shall I put it…graphic. Continue reading Michael Jackson Lives

TAVERN KEEPER’S is a Winner!

EPSON MFP imageThis week, the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program’s summer production of my musical THE TAVERN KEEPER’S DAUGHTER was voted Best Production by the readers of Pasadena Weekly – beating out works at both the highly regarded Boston Court Theatre and the major regional Pasadena Playhouse.

I’m very proud of everyone’s work on the production.  Congratulations!

Listen below to Lesli Margherita (Broadway’s Matilda) sing “Let Go!” from THE TAVERN KEEPER’S DAUGHTER.

 

DARLING at A.C.T.

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From June 14-June 29th, DARLING will be performed by American Conservatory Theatre’s (A.C.T.) Young Conservatory (YC) at The Theater at the Children’s Creativity Museum (221 4th Street, San Francisco).

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DS7_4441At A.C.T.’s Tony Award–winning YC, students ages 8 to 19 develop their talents, perform in professional-caliber productions, and gain the confidence to succeed—all in a creative, fun, and encouraging environment. The ten sessions of classes and eight public productions offered throughout the year are designed to develop talent and creativity, as well as communication and cooperation skills, for young people with all levels of theater background. Working professional actors and directors lead students in a spectrum of classes, including acting, directing, voice and speech, musical theater, audition, and improvisation.

Directed by YC Director Craig Slaight and Domenique LozanoDARLING features a talented young cast from across the San Francisco Bay Area.

D71_3437If you’re in the Bay Area, please take this opportunity to see DARLING!

Tickets are $20 and available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or going online to www.act-sf.org/ycshows.