FS: New Musicals – November 2014
November 26 2014, Phoenix Artist Club
From Scratch returns… and this time with jazz hands!
Our From Scratch series is dedicated to seeking out new work and performing it before an audience and a panel of selected industry experts. Each artist will benefit from a feedback session to assist and inspire the development process whilst encouraging a sense of professional camaraderie within our industry. This time, From Scratch delves into the world of Musical Theatre, presented four brand new musicals from emerging creatives.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS:
BOOK ONLINE: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/299297
Tickets are limited, reserve in advance to avoid disappointment.
HOW MUCH: £4
WHEN: Wednesday 26th November, 7pm
WHERE: Phoenix Artist Club, 110 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 8BU (map)
FULL LIST OF WORKS
The Dating Cycle
“The Dating Cycle” is a contemporary piece of musical theatre which follows the lives of 6 thirtysomethings, all searching for love. They experience both success and failure in the world of internet dating and we follow relationships as they develop – some that thrive, some that break apart. “The Dating Cycle” is not a traditional book musical. The concept is simply to glimpse moments in each of the characters’ lives and relationships through song.
Music and lyrics by Verity Quade and Robert Archibald
Rob and Verity met in 2002 as performers in Edinburgh and formed ‘Quarchibald Music’ together soon after. Shows include: ‘Maxina Todd NVQ’, ‘Julia’ and Thirtysomething. Other composing credits include: The Laramie Project and The Temperamentals, Honey Bee Music. In 2010 they released their debut album of original songs – Scrapbook – featuring many West End and Broadway performers. The album was officially launched at the Leicester Square Theatre to a sell-out audience. It has gone on to prove extremely popular at both Dress Circle and is available to purchase on iTunes. In 2014 they were finalists for the Stiles and Drewe New Song Award. Rob and Verity’s songs have been performed at numerous concert and cabaret venues across London and are often used in student showcases.
Tick, Tick
Tick-Tick is the part of our musical, “Crossing Borders”. The musical tells the stories of people who struggled through many obstacles in their homelands and chose to “cross the borders”. The musical is told through six different stories, which take place in different locations and eras, and involve individuals of different races. Tick-Tick tells the story of a man who wants to learn about his grandfather, whom he has never met, and who died in the Korean War. The main character looks back to episodes of the war, through the eyes of his grandfather. the story all was tied together by a pocketwatch that has been passed along through the family. Tick-Tick was performed at Off-West End Theatre from March 29-April 7. Stories of how people struggle through their lives when they try to immigrate to America have interested us for many years. Even today, many of those stories still affect people in our contemporary world, especially minorities. Many themes arise: How long do people need to fight for their freedom? Why do people try to cross borders? Do people cross the “border” physically or mentally? What do people gain or lose by their actions? These are the themes that we will explore through a six-story, ninety-minute show.
Book and Lyrics by Ty Defoe
Ty, of the Oneida and Ojibwe tribes, received a Grammy Award for his work on Come to Me Great Mystery: Native American Healing Songs. Other work includes: TICK-TICK (Prospect Theater Company’s Musical Theater Lab) and Clouds Are Pillows for the Moon (Yale Institute for Musical Theatre, with his main collaborator Tidtaya Sinutoke), Wounded Knee (Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals) and most recently an international puppet tour of Heather Henson’s Flight: A Crane’s Story. Ty has been recognized by the Indigenous Heritage Festival, the NEA, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (artist residency), and TCG (Leading the Charge: Diversity and Inclusion Fellow). Ty is a graduate of CalArts, Goddard College, and NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch. He serves as mentor at the Alaskan Cultural Heritage Center and the Pine Ridge Playwrights Project. Dramatists Guild member. tydefoe.com
Composing by Tidtaya Sinutoke
Tidtaya is a NYC-based composer, writer, and musician. Writing credits include: “Clouds Are Pillows for the Moon” (2014 Yale Institute for Music Theatre), “Tick-Tick” (Prospect Theater Company’s Musical Theatre Lab), and “In The Cards” (Boston-Contempo Int’l Festival) Originally from Thailand, she has a Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Master in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her music has been featured at venues such as the Signature Theatre , 54 Below Duplex, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Goodspeed, Song Book at Lincoln Center, and National Dramatist Guild Conference in Chicago. She also participated in 2014 Composer-Librettists Studio at New Dramatists. She won second prize in the Thailand National Youth Music Contest. Currently Tidtaya is an adjunct faculty member at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. A member of the Dramatists Guild. tidtayasinutoke.com
Our (plural) life (singular)
Music by Andy McGregor
Andy is a composer and director living and working in Glasgow, Scotland. He trained at the University of Glasgow and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he is now a visiting lecturer on both the acting and musical theatre courses. He has worked as a composer for the National Theatre of Scotland (The Tin Forest) the National Youth Theatre (Now Your Turn Glasgow), the Citizens Theatre (Bauble Trouble) and Visiting Company (Notes from the Underground). Previous directing credits include ’Theatre Uncut’ (Traverse and Tron), ‘Love 2.0’ (Tron), ‘Lucas Petite’ (Arches) and ’Notes to Self’ (RCS). He will be directing ‘Godspell’ in the new year for the RCS as well as his play ‘Love 2.0’ which shall be touring Scotland early next year. His musical ’Towards the Moon’ received 3 Musical Theatre Matters nominations at the Edinburgh Fringe and has been performed Off-Broadway. His work as assistant director includes ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (Citizens), ‘Slick’ (Vox Motus) and ‘In Time O’ Strife’ (NTS) on which he was also a musical contributor. Listen to Andy’s previous musical at https://soundcloud.com/a-r-mcgregor/sets/towards-the-moon-1 www.andyrmcgregor.com @A_R_McGregor
Lyrics by John Hamilton May
John Hamilton May is a playwright, originally from North Yorkshire. His first play The Room won the Barclay Writing Award, judged by Sir Alan Ayckbourn, in 2007. Since then, his work has been seen in venues across the country, including the Roundhouse, the Tricycle, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Contact Manchester. In 2013, his play Love in the Past Participle, described as a “definite must-see” (The Skinny) and “vivid and evocative” (The Scotsman), completed a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It’s translation, Pretérito Imperfecto [‘ðel ‘βer βo a ‘mar] is currently being prepared for production in Madrid. John is the winner of the Verb New Voices award, is currently under commission with BBC Radio 3, and was shortlisted for the Perfect Pitch award. John is proud to be represented by Knight Hall Agency. @JHM91
Table and Chair Take the Air
Table and Chair Take the Air is an excerpt from COROMANDEL, a vibrant musical odyssey for children and adults, with music and lyrics by Trevor Bachman. COROMANDEL is a journey through the mind of poet Edward Lear, during his last dementia-filled days. Over the course of seven 10-minute musicals/operas, the audience is propelled through the bizarre, colourful, and offbeat worlds of Coromandel, a land running amuck with strange sounds, quirky creatures, and new friends. The music, a fusion of rock, jazz, bluegrass, tango, musical theatre, and classical sounds, makes for a diverse, delicious, and sonically satisfying evening. Told with a whimsical simplicity that appeals to audiences of all ages, Coromandel’s catchy melodies and storytelling earnestness beckons to the child-like imagination of every adult. For more information about COROMANDEL: trevorbachman.com
Music and lyrics by Trevor Bachman
Trevor is a New York City-based composer, musical director, and performer whose work has taken him from New York to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Abu Dhabi. Original compositional work includes Coromandel, a new musical for children and adults based on the poetry of Edward Lear, PYRE CANTATA, a soulful new opera based on the Oedipus and Antigone stories, and The Lobotomist, a musical based on the life of Walter Freedman. He has developed instrumental and vocal compositions with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Cherry Lane MainStage), The Civilians, Thomas Piercy’s Tokyo to New York concert series (Barge Music), The Flea (Liz Swados & Erin Courtney’s “The Nomad”), Fresh Ground Pepper, The Story Pirates, MuseMatch (54 Below Series), Built for Collapse, and Senses Askew. A close collaborator with five-time Tony nominee Elizabeth Swados, he is the primary arranger and lead actor / vocalist / instrumentalist in their newest musical, Piano Bar, an elegy to gentrification, lost artistry, and the disappearance of performance space in New York City, which will run at Joe’s Pub (The Public Theater) in early 2015. Trevor is an alumnus of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. www.trevorbachman.com
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
James Taylor
James studied Music & Sound Recording (Tonmeister) at the University of Surrey, achieving First Class Honours, followed by a postgraduate diploma in Musical Direction at LAMDA. Musical Directing credits include PlatformLDN, Emerging Artists, ‘I Love You Because’, ‘As You Like It’ (Actor-Musician), ‘RENT’, ‘Sweeney Todd’ (Assistant MD). James is currently Musical Director for London based cabaret group, DENIM, with recent events including Port Eliot Festival and Mario Testino’s 60th birthday party. James has worked as rehearsal pianist for several recent productions, such as ‘Sweeney Todd’ (Tooting Arts Club) and ‘The Confession Room’, as well as performing on many recordings, and as a classical soloist, having won several awards as a piano soloist and accompanist. James also works as a vocal coach, both privately and at drama schools such as LAMDA and GSA. www.jtaylormusic.com @JATaylor_90
PANEL
Oliver Southgate is a London-based marketeer and producer working across the live entertainment sector. Since 2013 he has been a Ticketing Manager at the worldwide marketing agency AKA where he currently works on the West End campaigns for The Scottsboro Boys (Garrick), Stomp (Ambassadors), The 39 Steps (Criterion), La Soirée (Southbank Centre) and the Royal Opera House. Other recent West End shows he has managed ticketing campaigns for include Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Duke of York’s), The Importance of Being Earnest (Harold Pinter), The Woman in Black (Fortune), Uncle Vanya (St James), Putting It Together (St James) and Tell Me On A Sunday (St James & Duchess). Beyond AKA, Oliver’s independent clients have included Danielle Tarento (for Taboo at the Brixton Clubhouse) and TheatreMAD (for West End Bares 2014). He was also the line producer of Lift (Soho), The Great British Musical in Concert (Hazlitt, Maidstone) and the original cast recording of From Up Here (all for Perfect Pitch), and the producer of three London editions of the award-winning Broadway concert series If It Only Even Runs a Minute (Hippodrome Casino) as well as regional productions of the musicals And Then You Blink and Avenue Q. @OllieSouthgate
Emily Maltby is an New York City. based director and choreographer. Recent credits include The Lion (Manhattan Theatre Club), Under My Skin (Little Shubert), Ring of Fire (Milwaukee Rep), and Eastland (Lookingglass Theater Co.) as well as 42nd Street and Ragtime at Northwestern University. She has also worked with Stage Entertainment, Goodspeed Musicals, CAP21, and The Smithsonian Institute, where she created four musical pieces to commemorate the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She also directed a presentation of new musical The Gefilte Fish Chronicles which received a command performance at The White House. Proud Northwestern University graduate. www.emilymaltby.com
Stephen McGill formed his own production company in early 2012 after working as co-producer for Poppy Productions Ltd since 2010. He has previously worked on the worldwide productions of Mamma Mia! as well as the London productions of Billy Elliot and Jersey Boys. He has recently co-produced the West End transfer of The Pajama Game at The Shaftesbury Theatre. Current production The Last of the De Mullins will be playing at the Jermyn Street Theatre Feb 2015. Recent productions include: The Tailor Made Man, a new musical at the Arts Theatre, An Incident at the Border which transferred to Trafalgar Studios after a sold out run at the Finborough Theatre. Other productions include: Pushing Up Poppies, (Theatre503 and Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh) The Lost Christmas, (Waterloo East Theatre) In The Act; (Theatre Royal Stratford East) The Last of the De Mullins (rehearsed reading, Jermyn Street Theatre) and Our Boys (rehearsed reading, Prince Of Wales Theatre). Stephen attended the Stage One Workshop for new producers in October 2011. He is a recent recipient of the Stage One Start Up Fund. @smcgproductions
Nigel Richards is an award-winning Actor and Singer, most known for his championing of new work both in the UK and in the States, having originated roles in the European premiers of Floyd Collins, Hello Again, Spend!Spend!Spend, Baby, Songs For A New World, LaLaLaChuisa, The GoBetween and Bernstein’s Mass. This emphasis on new work culminated in his critically acclaimed album, A Shining Truth, in 2009, described by The Independent as ‘not so much a cd as a manifesto. A love letter to new writing’. His second album, ‘Short Stories’, will be released in 2015, and is a collection of previously unrecorded songs by predominantly British writers. In addition to his many West End credits, his eclectic career has found him singing with Marianne Faithful, Tom Waits, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Cirque de Soleil, and Scott Walker. Nigel lectures in Musical Theatre, and is Head of Acting through Song at Arts Ed. Nigel last appeared in the West End playing the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, and the lead in Kurt Weill’s Songs From A Hotel Bedroom (Royal Opera House). Future projects include The Stationmaster by Tim Connor and Sue Pearce, and The Night Before My Wedding by Lance Horne and Neil Gaiman, both new works. Nigelrichards.org
CAST
Ruthie Luff
Ruthie is a Canadian actress with a MA in Musical Theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Upon graduating, she starred as Dot in Sunday in The Park with George at the Edinburgh Fringe. In Canada, she has played in a variety of roles from Eponine in Les Miserables to Shelia in HAiR. Her London credits include Peep Bo in the Landor’s Hot Mikado and in the new musical comedy Wasted Love. Most recently she in the feature film Suffragette starring Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep. Apart from being the next Carol Burnett, she dreams of some day being the voice of a cartoon character.
Stacey Ghent
Stacey was born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, and graduated from The American Musical Theatre Academy of London (AMTA) in July 2013. Theatre credits includes: Nellie/Actor-Musician in The Threepenny Opera (UK Tour); Janine in Reasons to be Cheerful; The Festival (UK & Germany); Connie in Passport to Pimlico: Rehearsed Reading (SouthWestFest); Actor-Musician in The Opinion Makers (Mercury Theatre and Derby Theatre); Featured Vocalist in Sondheim Women (St. James Theatre); Backing Vocalist in Hannah Waddingham and Her Band (St. James Theatre), Julie Atherton: All I Want For Christmas is an Audience (St. James Theatre), Christmas in New York (Palace Theatre, London), and Julie Atherton & Laura Pitt-Pullford; Partners in Crime (St. James Theatre), and recently, Julie Atherton: Rush of Life (Album Launch). Television credits include: Nurse Morris in Breathless (ITV). Stacey is currently performing in Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas at the Lyric Hammersmith, and is very excited to be making her first appearance at From Scratch! @staceylghent
Daniel Donskoy
Daniel has recently graduated form ArtsEd and had a busy few months since , working on a feature film as well as a play and two musicals . Before moving to London to study, Daniel grew up in Berlin and Tel Aviv but was actually born in Moscow . Daniels has made his professional debut in June on this very stage playing Stan , an American porn actor in the play Porn Virgins as part of the Camden Fringe Festival . Theatre includes: Stan, Porn Virgins (Phoenix artist Club); Snake, The Apple Tree (Rose and Crown Theatre); Joshua, Soviet Zion (Lost Theatre). Film includes: Karl in The Honourable Rebel, Adama in Prometheus Rising.
David Young
After shows with the National Youth Theatre in London and China, David attended the three year BA Acting course at LAMDA. Whilst at LAMDA, David’s credits included: Chebutykin in the Three Sisters, Bosola in The Duchess of Malfi and most notably: Vindici in The Revenger’s Tragedy, which gained him representation in LA, where he hopes to also work in the future. At LAMDA, David received tutelage from the current head of music, Rob Archibald, who co-wrote ‘The Dating Cycle’ which is included in the repertoire tonight. David used to play Ice Hockey for Great Britain and is still a keen athlete. He enjoys tennis, swimming, most water sports and due to the natural competition between him and his identical twin brother, will try his hand at most sports, stunts and tricks.
Tiffany Melrose
Tiffany Melrose recently graduated from the Guildford School of Acting with a BA (Hons) Musical Theatre. Credits while training include Marmee in Little Women (Union Theatre), Miss Lynch in Grease (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), Lady Dolly in Twang (Ivy Arts Centre) and Rona in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (GSA). Tiffany also sang the part of Marmee from Steven Luke Walker’s musical adaptation of Little Women at his concert The Songs of Steven Luke Walker (St James Theatre). Tiffany recently performed the part of Woman 2 in Here’s To Life, a newly written song cycle, at Cornbury Festival.
Christian Lunn
Christian is newly graduated with 1st Class Honors from The Guildford School of Acting. His credits during training include Anatoly Sergievsky in Chess (The Union Theatre) Directed by Steven Dexter. Songs for a New World (The Electric Theatre) Directed by Paul Baker. The Sheriff of Nottingham in Twang! (Ivy Arts Centre) Directed by Ian Talbot. Giuseppe Zangara in Assassins (Guildford School of Acting) Directed by Andrew Wadsworth. Christian Lunn is no stranger to New Musical Theatre. He was involved in the creation of The Water Babies musical in which he played Claude in a Workshop Staged version. He played The Emerald King in the premiere of BBC Composer Martyn Swain’s Ruby and the 13th Door. Twelve in New Musical Boiling Frog (York Theatre Royal) and this year he premiered his own Musical “Here’s To Life” at The Cornbury Festival sponsored by Caffe Nero which he co-wrote with collaborator Claire de Belloy. He is excited to announce that “Here’s To Life” will be staged at The National Portrait Gallery in March 2015. In which he will play the part of Man 1. Born in a small town in Yorkshire, from a young age he always hoped to achieve his dreams in London. Christian is honored to be involved in the friend of a friend MT from Scratch Company and the development of new material and hopes you enjoy this evenings diverse collection. @lunnbelloy
Tony Bayliss
www.spotlight.com/2210-7831-0442
PHOTOS
View From Scratch: New Musicals online: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2-c5R35fgXTT8t_6CtoKOdye2IUPTyRw