As we quickly make our way through a first, rought draft of These Familiar Spirits, Julia and I wanted the chance to hear what we’ve written so far read outloud for the first time… mostly just to make sure it makes sense and we’re on the right track. So we enlisted some of our most trusted friends and collaborators (some stretching back over two decades!) to do a cold reading and see what we have!
Beyond being excited about what we’ve written, tonight was the best reminder that there’s nothing like longstanding collaborations with wonderful actors who know your work and know your heart to make you feel invincible (and not at all embarrassed, which is how I normally feel hearing anything for the first time.) I feel so lucky to have LaRaisha Dionne, Sukari Jones, Allison Lian, Ellen Macy, Allison Posner, Lynne Marie Rosenberg, Libby Servais, and Rich Silverstein as an integral part of my writing and my life!
(And the verdict from the read? These Familiar Spirits is a moooooood. Now back to writing!)
Julia and I are thrilled that our wonderful friends at Flint Repertory Theatre have commissioned us to write our next musical, These Familiar Spirits!
The musical imagines a reunion of the “afflicted girls of Salem” twenty-three years after the end of the witch trials as they return to Salem Village for the funeral of one of their own. (We like to say that the elevator pitch would be “The Crucible meets The Big Chill.“) The women have to face each other and their shared past and the harms they felt and caused… and probably encounter (or participate in?) some magic along the way!
We’ve been talking about the story and doing research and writing some exploratory songs for the last few years – you may have already heard “I Remember Summer” or “Scar” (starting around 26:30) – but we are so excited to get to work on writing the show itself and digging into a brand new world fully. And we’re even more excited to be doing so with everyone at Flint Rep… It’s an honor to get our first full commission from one of our favorite places!
We’ll be working on the piece over the course of the year with a few developmental steps in Flint and beyond, so keep an eye out for more information soon!
We stuck the landing! After thirteen wonderful performances, we’re leaving behind the Georgia Dome (for now, we hope.)
And a huge thanks to everyone involved in the production: Director Catie Davis, Choreographer Duane Lee Holland Jr., Associate Choreographer Alvon Reed, and Music Director Jeremy Robin Lyons; cast members Bret Beaudry, Alex Finke, Emi Fishman, Beth Guest, Bryana Hall, Scott Anthony Joy, Amanda Kuo, Mary Paige Rieffel, Hana Slevin, Monica Spencer & Phoebe Strole; stage management team Melissa A. Nathan & Rebecca MacCreery; designers Ann Beyersdorfer, Adam Dill, Jake DeGroot, Matt Otto, and Miranda Hartmann (and their associates/engineers Abbey Wiker, Alex Grindey & Emma Orr); musicians Lucas Perro, Terrence Newman & Russ Sauter; the remarkable Flint Rep Staff of Michael Lluberes, Nicole Samsel, Jesse Glenn, Sasha Dudock, Taja Christine Calhoun, Kendra Babcock & Dave Thompson, and show sponsors Dr. & Mrs. Frederick Van Duyne.
(And special thanks to Cynthia at Minerealm Crystals and everyone at the Flint Farmer’s Market for keeping me grounded and happy the whole time!)
I can’t wait to see what’s next for The Magnificent Seven and I’m so grateful to have had this magnificent opportunity to discover the heart of our musical.
After four weeks of rehearsals and rewrites (and restagings and more rewrites and cuts and new lyrics and more restagings) The Magnificent Seven is open!
This process has been a truly invaluable opportunity to focus our work and see it come to life thanks to the talent and dedication of our incredible collaborators and cast. The care and the joy and the heart that they bring to this piece is so meaningful and I hope you’re able to come to Flint to see it for yourself!
But you don’t have to take my word for it…
“The right idea for a new musical is about half the battle for it to be a commercial success. The other half, of course, is getting the writing and music right. In the case of The Flint Repertory Theatre’s world premiere of The Magnificent Seven, the production team has gotten this work about the 1996 Olympic Gymnastics team very right.
The Magnificent Seven is compelling, draws you in and a very worthy musical storytelling on behalf of extremely hard working athletes who made enormous sacrifices and suffered to represent their country, themselves and their families.”
“It is intriguing, entertaining, and most of all a deep dive into the pressure and pleasure of world competition, all set to music. Wonderfully directed by Catie Davis and choreographed by Duane Lee Holland Jr., the play moves smoothly and with rhythmic synchrony.”
“Creators Gordon Leary, bookwriter and lyricist and Julia Meinweld, composer, approach the subject matter with great passion, elevating the heroism and elite skill of each girl (the oldest was 19). However, they do not shy away from criticizing the culture and the physical and emotional demands placed on these young women in the pursuit of being champions.
It is a rare stage production that can manage to give equal time and weight to seven different characters, but “The Magnificent Seven” succeeds beautifully. Every gymnast has a story, a dream, a flaw, a heartbreak.
With its mixture of praise for the sport and its athletes and criticism of the abusive aspects, “The Magnificent Seven” can be seen as a nuanced work of cultural criticism. It celebrates the champions of the 1996 Olympics, but it never lets the audience forget the cost.”
