THE MERCER GIRLS for the 5th Avenue Theatre!

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I've been commissioned to write next spring's AMT (Adventure Musical Theatre) show for the 5th Avenue Theatre. I'm really excited about this project because I had a blast working on this year's show, NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF 2, which incorporated two of my pieces, LARRY GETS LOST IN SEATTLE, and DAISY THE FIRECOW. I also had the great pleasure of attending a number of performances at elementary schools around Seattle. It was so incredibly rewarding to sit and watch the kids watch the show. Everyone should visit a school during one of these performances, and then they'd realize how important musical theatre is to education. In case your school missed it, they are touring NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF 2 again, this fall. Check out the 5th Avenue's website for more information.

When the 5th Avenue Theatre approached me about writing a musical about "the Mercer Girls" I was immediately interested. After all, who didn't love Bobby Sherman in "Here Come The Brides", that cheesy tv series supposedly based on the story of the Mercer Girls. And Perry Como singing "Seattle" as the theme song was a total plus! Turns out, it wasn't totally historically accurate! Well knock me over with a feather!

Needless to say I spent a great deal of time researching the Mercer Girls, ordering out of print books from Amazon, and renewing books from the Library several times over. It really is an incredible story, especially when you realize a) how young these women were, and b) how different life on the two coasts really was. It wasn't the same as flying from New York to L.A.!

One particular woman, Elizabeth Ordway, was especially interesting to me. She was a true suffragette, and didn't let the fact that she was an unmarried woman get in her way of pretty much shaping education in the Northwest. Of course, she often used her initials, L. M. Ordway, so that people wouldn't know she was a woman!

And Asa Shinn Mercer was quite the character. We sometimes forget that the government hasn't always been involved in everything aspect of our lives. Back in the 1860s, sometimes you just had to go and "do it" if you wanted to get it done! And Mercer was definitely a "don't ask permission now, beg forgiveness later" type of guy.

We're doing a table read in August, and a workshop in September, and starting rehearsals January 2009! Hmmm, I wonder if Bobby Sherman is available…

I'll keep you posted!


From the 5th Avenue Theatre website:

A Brand New Musical... THE MERCER GIRLS

February 2-May 29, 2009

On May 16, 1864, the first eleven "Mercer Girls" reached Seattle. The women were recruited by University of Washington President Asa Shinn Mercer and sailed to the Puget Sound area from the East Coast to work as teachers and to increase the population of women in the Washington Territory. The cost of the trip was $250 and the people of Seattle were eager to welcome the women into their community while finding them new homes and jobs in various schools. The women were full of hope and aspiration, but life in the new city was often difficult. This original musical follows the journey of the Mercer Girls and their experiences in the fast growing town of Seattle.

Your students will travel on an unforgettable journey from Massachusetts to Washington during a time when the city of Seattle was new and hopes were high. Enjoy a lively, entertaining musical and learn about the women who became the teachers, as well as the wives, mothers and grandmothers of the founding families of the Puget Sound area.

Time

50 minute performance, plus a 5-minute question-and-answer period.

Audience size

Maximum attendance is 300 students per performance. For a larger number of students, schools must book a double performance.

Cost

Western Washington locations: 
Single Performance - $600 
Double Performance - $800

Outside Western Washington locations: 
Single Performance - $875* 
Double Performance - $1,150*

Payment may be made in advance or at the time of the performance. 
* Share the news! Get another school in your area to book a show and receive a $100 discount! Book both Northwest Bookshelf 2 and Mercer Girls and receive a $150 discount.

To schedule a performance

The AMT Touring Company visits schools throughout Western Washington, and in select locations throughout Central and Eastern Washington. For more information and to book a performance, please call 206.625.1418 or email educationprograms@5thavenue.org. Available dates fill fast, so we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.

By Suzy Conn on July 10, 2008 8:07 PM | | Comments (1)


1 Comments

Kerry Daly said:

Actually, it's been done before. There was an NBC musical presentation in 1953 about the Mercer Girls.

The Mercer Girls
(NBC) June 28, 1953
Music by Albert Hague
Book & Lyrics by Poor Pray
Cast included Sarah Churchill, Bibi Osterwald, Robert Wright and the Fred Waring Glee Club

Future Tony winner Al Hague (Redhead) composed this 30 minute musical comedy about girls arriving in 1860s Seattle in search of husbands.

October 18, 2008 10:28 PM

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