November 2024 New Work Showcase
New Works Showcase XII
Audiences discovered the original work of six local musical theater writing teams in the newest installment of MusiCoLab’s Showcase Series, presented at the Proscenium Theater at The Drake in Philadelphia, on Monday, November 25th, 2024 at 7 PM. The program featured excerpts from the following works-in-progress:
- The Student Princess - Book, music and lyrics by Charlie Gilbert, MusiCoLab’s Executive Director. The Student Princess is a musical about a college production of an old-fashioned operetta from a century ago — The Student Prince, by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly — and how that work is transformed in the hands of a radical feminist faculty director and her intrepid students.
- Call Me Velma - Book, music and lyrics by Chad Gorn. The “true” story of the real murderess who inspired Velma Kelly, Belva Gaertner (known to audiences from Kander and Ebb’s Chicago), as told through the eyes of Chicago Tribune journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins. Belva dreams of starting her own club to follow in the footsteps of “Queen of Nightclubs,” Texas Guinan.
- Unmasked - Book and lyrics by Barbara Bellman, music by David Kurkowski. A musical based on the life of Anna Coleman Ladd, a successful sculptor who forsakes the comfortable life of a Boston socialite to travel to France in 1917 with her husband, Dr. Maynard Ladd, and make prosthetic masks for soldiers disfigured by the effects of World War II.
- The Ballad of King Henry - Concept by Benjamin Kamine, book by Sally Ollove, music and lyrics by Jeffrey Barg. A folk music adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part I, the story of the rise of Prince Hal, who will eventually become King Henry V. While King Henry IV fights a successful war against the Scots, his son Hal wastes his time at taverns and bars with his dearest friend, Falstaff.
- Cool at Camp - Lyrics and music by Dani Tapper and Peter Weidman with a book by Dani Tapper, Peter Weidman, Steven Blutig, Robin Raskin and Emily Stumer. A real and raunchy Jewish Camp musical, told through the eyes of four fourteen-year-old characters. Twin sisters Tess and Shayna and homeschool rivals Will and Alex must navigate the pubescent pressures of fitting in and being “cool” at Camp Huron Lake, a place where being “cool” may mean something much more than they think.
- 500 Miles, 2 Hearts and a Guitar - Book, music and lyrics by Giovanni Cipolla. Marcus Bell is an acclaimed guitarist dying of cancer under his daughter Randy’s care. In a desperate attempt to save him, she believes learning to play his most famous composition will save his life. When she connects online with Jordan Moore and persuades him to give her guitar lessons, what’s next for this unlikely pair?
Ten minutes of excerpts from each work were presented by an ensemble of versatile local musical theater performers, accompanied by music director Linda Henderson.
“In the upcoming November 2025 edition of our New Works Showcase, we offer a mix of writers who are new to MusiCoLab audiences and new work by writers who have been seen in previous showcases.” observes MusiCoLab’s executive director Charlie Gilbert. “In this way, we are able to support writers whose ongoing work continues to develop while also making a place for emerging new voices.” Musicals featured in previous New Works Showcases have been seen on stages in New York and throughout the region and the nation.
Pictured above: Cool at Camp, in an earlier reading, with (from left to right) Kara Rantovitch, Jayson Williams. Meredith Forman and Patrick Byrnes. Photo: Dani Weinstein
August 2024 Developmental Workshop
In the Temple of the Honky Tonk
Philadelphia audiences saw the first-ever performances of In the Temple of the Honky Tonk, a provocative new musical by some of the city’s top creative artists, on Friday August 23 and Saturday August 24, 2024 at the Louis Bluver Theater at the Drake.
In the Temple of the Honky Tonk is a sizzling new musical of interwoven story-songs conceived by Bill Fennelly, featuring the music and lyrics of Michael Ogborn, and the interactive comedy stylings of Jennifer Childs.
In the Temple of the Honky Tonk was performed by five talented and versatile local musical theater performers, including drag artist Biddy Bee and company members Rachel Brennan, Adam Hoyak, Lexi Thammavong and Rob Tucker. Ryan Touhey served as music director, the composer accompanied the performances at the piano, and the stage manager was Madison Claus.
June 2024 New Works Showcase
New Works Showcase - Monday June 24
In the summer of 2024, Philadelphia audiences had the opportunity to discover the original work of seven local musical theater writing teams in the most recent installment of MusiCoLab’s Showcase Series. The program featured two songs from each of the following works-in-progress:
- Audrey, The New Musical. Book, music and lyrics by Danielle Moore. The life of screen icon Audrey Hepburn, whose life was far less charmed than the lucky-in-love heroines she portrayed on screen.
- Goblin Market. Book by Brandi Underwood, music and lyrics by Jesse Hampsch. A new musical about the creation of Christina Rossetti’s 1859 poem, depicting the poet’s struggles with society's expectations and hypocrisies regarding women, as well as her own sexuality.
- Heartache: A New Musical. Book by Colin Stump, music and lyrics by Luke Perkins. Sara, a naive young girl, learns about the complexities of modern love through her own experiences and the relationships she observes around her.
- Little Things. Book and lyrics by David H. Smith, music by David H. Smith and Tom Fosnocht. Ben, a middle-aged father of three, navigates a contentious divorce as he looks back on his courtship and marriage. A reading of this new work was seen recently in the 2024 CreateTheater New Works Festival in NYC.
- Miss Kilman Takes Her Tea. Libretto by Arden Kass, music by Heath Allen. A chamber opera inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway that explores the relationship between young Elizabeth Dalloway and her formidable tutor, Miss Kilman.
- Steadfast. Book and lyrics by Barbara Bellman, music by Danielle Hickson. A one-act musical for young audiences about loss and finding the courage to go on. It tells the story of a young boy whose soldier father is being sent home from Vietnam as an amputee.
The showcase also included an excerpt from In The Temple of the Honky Tonk, music and lyrics by Michael Ogborn, book by Jen Childs and Michael Ogborn, conceived and directed by Bill Fennelly.
Ten minutes of excerpts from each work was presented by an ensemble of versatile local musical theater performers, accompanied by music director Ben Kapilow, formerly the resident musical director at Media Theater. Our cast included Aaron Bell, Rachel Brennan, Elena Camp, Ben Dibble, Matt Mastronardi Kara Rantovich and Nancie Sanderson, along with cellists Lily Eckman and Justin Yoder.
November 2023 New Works Showcase
New Works Showcase - 10th edition!
MusiCoLab presented the tenth edition of their New Works Showcase, featuring the original works of seven musical theater writing teams in Philadelphia,at the Drake Proscenium Theater on Monday, November 20 at 7 PM.
For its tenth New Works Showcase, the following works were selected:
- Far From the Tree - Book by Justin Warner, Lyrics by Kristin Maloney, Music by Robert Maggio.
- Becoming Vegan - Music, Lyrics and Book by Sarah Clemency.
- Monster - Music, Lyrics and Book by Michael Roche.
- New York Letters - Lyrics and Book by Mare Rozzelle, Music by Glenn Prangnell.
- Off on a Holiday - Music and Lyrics by Stas Mavrides and John Fretz, Book by Michael Danese.
- Through a Screen - Music, Lyrics and Book by Michael Bihovsky.
- You People - Music, Lyrics and Book by Katie Horner.
Ten minutes of excerpts from each work were presented by an ensemble of versatile local musical theater performers, accompanied by music director Linda Henderson. View the presentations on our YouTube Channel.
