Broadway actress Jessica Hendy (Cats) and the writers of Tony Award-winning musical Bandstand, Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, have unveiled plans to record and release a concept album as a preview of their new original one-woman musical With Beckett.
Inspired by Hendy’s own inspirational story, and following a year of development which included virtual industry readings and a socially distanced creative session in New York, the team has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the concept album release ahead of a fully staged production in the spring.
Unveiling details of the project, writer and performer Hendy said: “As a creative team, we’ve just refused to let this pandemic stop us from realising the full potential of this show.
“It’s a story about something that almost incapacitated my entire life, but I chose to rise out of the pain and the shame and go on. That’s what we all are trying to do right now, stay safe so we can go on.”
Co-writer and lyricist Taylor commented: “Like real life, With Beckett is a story of equal measure comedy and tragedy, irreverence and gravitas, flying high and rolling with life’s punches, and the score reflects that.”
Composer, co-writer and co-lyricist Oberacker added: “We have created a new musical that pushes the boundaries of form in the midst of a pandemic. Finding our way, no matter what to a new beginning, just as Jessica did.”
With Beckett features a book by Hendy with Taylor and Oberacker, the music is by Oberacker with lyrics by Taylor and Oberacker. The creative team also includes director Richard Hess with music supervision, arrangement and orchestrations by Julie McBride. The recording will be produced, mixed and mastered by Mark Owen in collaboration with Mitchell Walker and Ashley Kate Adams of AKA Studio Productions.
Looking forward to the musical’s stage debut, D. Lynn Meyers, the artistic director of the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati where the production will receive its fully staged world premiere, said: “It’s thrilling to know the concept album for this show will be released this spring, and we look forward to the day when we can all return to the theatre safely, and our audiences will be able to experience remarkable stories like With Beckett live.”
Angela Thomas
www.indiegogo.com/projects/with-beckett#/
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