What The Future Holds: My Original Musical

Theatrically speaking, this is the time of year when my mind becomes preoccupied with what will happen next year. As many of you know, most of my spare time is spent in a theatre – either as an audience member, as a director or as a producer. When this year ends I will have produced two shows (Tea At Five and The Not Suitable for Children Concert: The Songs of Joe Iconis), directed the Young Performers Series (Sleeping Beauty Kids and Dear Edwina, Jr.), coordinated three special events (including a writing workshop with [title of show]’s Susan Blackwell) and I will have directed two full-length productions Doubt and Little Shop of Horrors).

2009 was a busy year. And it isn't even over yet.

In 2010, my spare time will continue to be spent pursuing theatrical endeavors but there will be a notable shift in focus. I will not be directing any full-length productions next year to free up more of my time for focus on writing, development and producing. There are so many talented directors in the area and I love that several of them want to be involved with TBTA. I directed four shows at TBTA in the last three years, they can do without me for a year or two.

I will continue to direct the Young Performers Series at TBTA, which will include a winter non-musical and a musical theatre summer camp for elementary and middle school students. I believe that the development of a young person’s appreciation for theatre is paramount to the future of the art and I am committed to making sure those opportunities continue to exist at our theatre.

My principal goal, however, is to get the rewrite of my original musical, Harvest Home, completed and to find a composer that will write the music for it. I just know that if I build it, they will come. I’ve had this rewrite in my head too long. When Maya Angelou said that there is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you, she wasn’t kidding.

I’m tired of the agony.

So in 2010 I will tell that untold story and mark the year that the agony ended and the ecstasy began. Because that is the year I will have written the book to what will be an award-winning musical.

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It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Every year at this time I turn my focus to two things:

(1) Writing
(2) Film (and TV) Awards Season

For the first area of focus: I am anxiously awaiting my annual writing holiday, hoping I don't find myself too distracted by the mundane so that I actually spend time writing. During my 2005 holiday, I wrote the first draft of Harvest Home, my magnum opus. 2006 saw the inception of this blog and the establishment of my film company, Woolgathering Films LLC. But no rewrite. And here comes 2007... Will I actually finish the rewrite of Harvest Home? Will I actually start positioning myself to write something that could get optioned? Will actual filming of HH ever see the light of day? We shall see...

Numero Dos. Awards season. With a bit of luck, this blog should see responses to GG, SAG and AA nominations (that's the Academy folks, not the Alcoholics). I also think it's high time I went to the 2006 Radar and posted my updates. And don't forget the 2007 predictions... Without doubt, 2007 is the Year of the Blockbuster. I mean really, an estimated budget of $300M for Spiderman 3??? But I know I'll be there. My eldest twin's love of Spidey ensures that. Next summer will be fun - if nothing else - the 2007 release docket assures that!

But, given the fact that this is my first post in a dog's age, I shan't get too hasty! We'll start here and see where we go.

For those of you who are readers from earlier this year and still meander back from time to time, wondering where I've been and what I've been doing, here's the short version: stage managing Damn Yankees, performing in Sondheim's Assassins, getting a dog, starting a Brownie Girl Scout troop, travelling, getting a new position in my company, getting a directing gig for 2007 at TBTA and joing the Board of Musicals at Richter. And that's the short version.

More later.. I am hoping.