Today I traveled to East Hanover, NJ to participate in rehearsals for two new musicals. I’ve written the music and my collaborator Emily Thompson Schweer is the lyricist and book writer. (And director, to boot!)
We’ve written a number of shows together, typically for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, but this year, for the first time, we’ve added a 2nd grade show.
The second grade show is “It Takes a Rainbow” which tells the story of young, brown lizards who feel safe at home and never want to travel. Eventually they leave move on and explore, discovering colored frogs and learning the value of a multi-hued world. I’ll post pictures of the premiere performance, which will be this Thursday, May 9.
At the same time, rehearsals are under way for “The Winner Takes All.” This is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” set in a modern day middle school. Much like Shakespeare’s original, there’s a real sense of rivalry between the boys and girls, so this is a fun show. However, I still have so much music to write! The children are rehearsing their dialogue, and are awaiting my score, which is only about 75% done. This show will premiere on June 6, so I’ve got some catching up to do.
(You should be able to click the images for a larger view.)
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