On the way to the First Day of Rehearsal
People who know me know that I used to keep a journal pretty strictly. It was a
daily or at least a weekly writing exercise that let continue to sharpen my writing skills even if I had no projects I was actively sharpening them on. Until, for a large part, Oedipus For Kids began.
Oedipus for Kids was a joke at first, really. All the musicals I had planned to write until then were about ancient civilizations, or fairy tale fantasies, or the occasional movie (curse you, Adam Guetell, for taking "The Princess Bride" off of my list). But we did it because, hey, it seemed like a quick, fun idea for a musical.
Just as planned, the three-person comedy was accepted into Fringe NYC, where we were sure it would be at home with three hundred other plays wanting to be the next urinetown (and usually named as such). We began plans. I was to direct. Kim (co-book) was to produce. Bobby (music) was to musical direct. We might cast some friends, we might hold open auditions, and we'd see what would happen. It was more for fun than anything else.
Who knew that it would be one of 18 chosen out of 400 shows submitted to NYMF's "Next Link" projects. That we'd be able to hire as director Dan Fields, the assistant-director to Julie Taymor of the original Lion King, now the director of Chicago's "Spelling Bee". That we'd be casting entirely equity. That when Dan sends me an e-mail, "okay, we got our new choreographer, she just choreographed Hot Feet on broadway", that it would become expected, not hoped.
This is where we stand right now. From a 5-song, 6o page draft of a musical when originally submitted to the Fringe, to an expensive, high-profile, 12-song, hour and a half musical hilarity when it opens with NYMF on September 12th in a small theatre in Times Square.
Our show has some great buzz to it. We're getting some pretty awesome people working together on this. And today, in about twenty minutes, our first rehearsal is going to start. And after years of wanting to write and put on my first full-length musical, I couldn't be more excited.
Welcome to my Oedipus for Kids blog. I'll be updating often. And you'll learn what it's like to put on a new full-length musical just as I do. So thanks for stopping by. I really will update this a few times a week. Promise.
daily or at least a weekly writing exercise that let continue to sharpen my writing skills even if I had no projects I was actively sharpening them on. Until, for a large part, Oedipus For Kids began.
Oedipus for Kids was a joke at first, really. All the musicals I had planned to write until then were about ancient civilizations, or fairy tale fantasies, or the occasional movie (curse you, Adam Guetell, for taking "The Princess Bride" off of my list). But we did it because, hey, it seemed like a quick, fun idea for a musical.
Just as planned, the three-person comedy was accepted into Fringe NYC, where we were sure it would be at home with three hundred other plays wanting to be the next urinetown (and usually named as such). We began plans. I was to direct. Kim (co-book) was to produce. Bobby (music) was to musical direct. We might cast some friends, we might hold open auditions, and we'd see what would happen. It was more for fun than anything else.
Who knew that it would be one of 18 chosen out of 400 shows submitted to NYMF's "Next Link" projects. That we'd be able to hire as director Dan Fields, the assistant-director to Julie Taymor of the original Lion King, now the director of Chicago's "Spelling Bee". That we'd be casting entirely equity. That when Dan sends me an e-mail, "okay, we got our new choreographer, she just choreographed Hot Feet on broadway", that it would become expected, not hoped.
This is where we stand right now. From a 5-song, 6o page draft of a musical when originally submitted to the Fringe, to an expensive, high-profile, 12-song, hour and a half musical hilarity when it opens with NYMF on September 12th in a small theatre in Times Square.
Our show has some great buzz to it. We're getting some pretty awesome people working together on this. And today, in about twenty minutes, our first rehearsal is going to start. And after years of wanting to write and put on my first full-length musical, I couldn't be more excited.
Welcome to my Oedipus for Kids blog. I'll be updating often. And you'll learn what it's like to put on a new full-length musical just as I do. So thanks for stopping by. I really will update this a few times a week. Promise.