Updates

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Fifteen years? Fifteen years!

Fifteen years ago today I sent an email to someone I’d gone to grad school with to see if she might want to write a short musical together. My good friend Jeremy Jones-Kronenberg had the chance to direct a one-act for Prospect Theatre Company and wanted to do something new but the catch was that performances were in six weeks. I’d written a handful of songs quickly with Julia Meinwald so I reached out to her… And the rest is, well, my own personal history.

The last fifteen years have included 5 full-length musicals, 5 short musicals, 13 productions (including 3 world premieres!), 17 readings, 8 writers’ groups, 7 residencies & retreats, and over 200 songs (211 at last count but I’m probably missing some!) And we have a good four or five shows at various stages on the horizon that will hopefully carry us through another fifteen years of wonderful collaboration!

To musicals!

Twenty-twenty-two.

What a year of firsts!

I took on some new roles – theater producer, album producer, Covid safety manager, press rep, props designer – but mostly got the chance to stay in my favorite role: collaborator.

I feel so lucky to have continued to work with some of my longstanding favorite artists and built relationships with some of my new favorite artists: Hannah Avery, Michael Blancafor, Seamus Buxton, Jennifer Chi, Shannon Clarke, Nikki DiLoreto, Mike Epperhart, Quin Friedrich, Holly Gould, Ellie Handel, Sam Heldt, MinJi Kim, Zac Larson, Kylie Lavrenchik, Amy Linden, Ellen Condon Macy, Evan Maltby, Paul Morgan, Jeremy Pletter, Sarah Plotkin, Allison Posner, Alex Ratner, Meredith Rise, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Libby Servais, Hannah Sgambellone, Josslyn Shaw, Christine Sienicki, Kelly Soares, Ally Turlo, Jessica Walker, Elisabeth Weidner & Racquel Williams.

I look forward to new collaborators, new challenges, and new ideas (and getting to see some of the hard work of the last year coming to fruition!) in 2023.

Twenty twenty.

This certainly wasn’t the year that I was planning! But it was still a year of returns (Pregnancy Pact! Diversionary Theatre! Weston Playhouse!) and new beginnings (Havisham! Lots of video and animation! These Familiar Spirits! Zoom…) In the midst of all of the anxiety and loss and upheaval and stasis, I count myself as incredibly lucky.

And I am especially lucky to have spent the year working with so many of my forever favorite people and brand new favorite people: Bryan Banville, Ally Bonino, Nancy Renée Braun, Aidan Cole, Michael Cusamano, Jennifer Daly, Catie Davis, Sarah DeMarino, Amanda Drewes, Maddie Dyer, Mark Evans, Hannah Ford, Jasmine Forsberg, Josie Gerk, Natasha Harris, Elexa Hanner, Sam Heldt, Victoria Huston-Elem, Mary Jardine, Will Jewett, Tiana Monique Jung, MinJi Kim, Kylie Lavrenchik, Adam Lawrence, Patrick Marion, Ryan Mazer, David Merino, Chanel Morehead, Matt Morrow, Elexis Morton, Alannah O’Hagan, Jennifer Peacock, Jake Pedersen, Cuinlan Pedretti, Jeanna Phillips, Caroline Reinstadtler, Karl Saint Lucy, Scottie Schwefel, John Simpkins, Caitlin Stebelman, Gabrielle Stravelli, Becca Suskauer, Annie Tippe, Emily Walton, Tatiana Wechsler, Kate Wild, Ruby Zinner, and Andy Zinsmeister.

I’m looking forward to the moment in 2021 when I can finally sit in a room with other people. I can’t wait to hear live voices. I can’t wait to laugh with my collaborators. I can’t wait to have a moment of realization or inspiration or catharsis in a room with those who inspire it. Here’s to hope!

REB+VoDKa+ME+STRINGS

The final piece of Julia’s Discovery Grant from OPERA America for REB+VoDKa+ME was the funding to record both the newest material written for the show and to record Julia’s beautiful new string orchestrations. I’m so excited to share this updated demo, especially on the fifth anniversary of the crazy day that inspired our show.

Thanks to engineer Chris Gilroy, violinist Saki Uetsuhara, cellist Brian Sanders and the phenomenal singers we’ve worked with over the past 3 years: Delaney Amatrudo, Matthew Berzon, Ally Bonino, Jack Brinsmaid, Jackie Colquitt, Jessica Fisher, Holly Gould, Hanako Greensmith, Sam Heldt, Angelina Kelly, Kelsey Lake, Adam Lawrence, Lily Lester, Allison Lian, Evan Maltby, Lauren Marcus, Elexis Morton, Matthew Oster, Sam Paley, Angela Pardini-Gomez, Jeanna Phillips, Allison Posner, Katie Rodgers, Daniel Saulle, Libby Servais, Rich Silverstein, and Emily Walton.