I am thrilled to announce that Myrna Conn will be starring as Little Voice ("L.V.") in Artswest's Seattle premier of THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE by Jim Cartwright, running March 7 to March 31, 2012.

Rehearsals have finally started and ArtsWest has put together a stellar cast: Myrna Conn, Peggy Gannon, Pat Haines-Ainsworth, Daniel Reaume, Jesse Smith, and Travis Tingvall.

Christopher Zinovitch is directing, and Kim Dare is Music Directing.

From the Season Brochure:

Little Voice is a young woman with a hidden talent: she can emulate every chanteuse from Judy Garland to Edith Piaf. She hides in her room, crooning and dreaming of love, while her disheveled mother, Mari, mistakes a seedy talent agent's interest as affection rather than enthusiasm for the gold mine buried in her daughter's throat. An engaging fairy tale of despair, love, and hope as "L.V." finds a voice of her own.

I first fell in love with this story when I saw the 1998 movie starring Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks and Michael Caine.

I'm also excited for this production because I wrote the song that LV sings at the end of the show!

Stay tuned for more info, and get your tickets  now before they sell out!

I know where I'll be in October! At The New York Musical Theatre Festival watching The Broadway Dolls amazing show TOUR DE FIERCE!

And spoiler alert -- there might even be a song or two of mine in the show!

From the NYMF website:

TOUR DE FIERCE

GIRL GROUP MEETS BROADWAY

Last weekend I went back to Phoenix for the first time in 42 years! I went to see Arizona Theatre Company's BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. I also went to visit David Ira Goldstein, Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company. David directed PLANE CRAZY at the Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals this past August.

It was so exciting! Last night was the start of the 10th Annual Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals! Every year the Festival kicks off with a Preview Party, held in the lobby of the Village Theatre in Issaquah. There is delicious food catered by Lombardi's and a musical preview of all but one of the shows of the festival. The first show of the festival (IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU) didn't participate because their cast was getting ready to perform their show at 7:30pm!

The lobby of the Village Theatre is packed with Village Original Members and the performers and musical directors perform on the staircase, giving everyone a good view, and great sound! Each show is introduced by their director (PLANE CRAZY was introduced by David Ira Goldstein from the Arizona Theatre Company) and the director tells the audience a little about the show, and about the background on the number they are about to hear. First off was BUDDY'S TAVERN, and then LINCOLN IN LOVE. PLANE CRAZY was third and we did a number with all the "stews", "I Wanna Get Married/Mr. Right Now", with Billie Wildrick as Janet Jones and Jennifer Weingarten as Faith Hope. Singing back-up were all the stews (Natalie Moe, Megan Chenovick, Kristin Culp, Mara Solar, Lindsey Larson and Bryan Tramontana). Our musical director Kim Douglass was rockin' the keyboard! The stews totally rocked the song! Yay!

Following PLANE CRAZY, came IN YOUR EYES and then CLOAKED. It was so great to hear songs from the other shows since rehearsal schedules don't allow us to see the shows until after we have performed ours. So I will be able to see IN YOUR EYES, LINCOLN IN LOVE and CLOAKED.

After the preview performance it was back to rehearsal in Room B. Everybody is doing such an amazing job, I can't wait for Saturday at 2:00pm, when PLANE CRAZY flies at the Festival!

Look Ma, I'm on Playbill!

How exciting -- only 9 days until the 10th Annual Festival of New Musicals at Village Theatre begins in Issaquah! And only 11 days until PLANE CRAZY takes off on August 14 at 2:00pm! And only 11 days until you can see my daughter Myrna Conn in the Brian Yorkey/Tom Kitt musical IN YOUR EYES at 7:30pm!

Oh, and did you happen to catch this fabulous article on Playbill:

By Adam Hetrick
02 Aug 2010

In Your Eyes, the 2002 high school-set musical by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, will be developed during the Village Theatre's Festival of New Musicals in Issaquah, WA.

Running Aug. 12-15, the 10th annual private showcase will develop six new musicals as part of the Village Originals series. Yorkey and Kitt previously developed their hit musical Next to Normal at the Village under the working title Feeling Electric. Yorkey previously served as associate artistic director of the Village Theatre and will also direct Jesus Christ Superstar there in June 2011.

Here's a look at the 2010 Village Originals works:

In Your Eyes
Book and lyrics by Yorkey; music by Kitt
"The students of Lakeshore high school are sent into a full-blown lock down (not to mention a flood of animosity, fear, and insecurity) when a plot of gun violence is suspected. As a group of unsupervised students attempts to make sense of the chaos, they end up learning more about themselves and their classmates—from the troubled rocker spitting lyrics, to the sarcastic fashionista pointing fingers from her pedestal."

It Shoulda Been You
Book and lyrics by Brian Hargrove; music by Barbara Anselmi
"What begins as a typical wedding, replete with indecisive mothers and jealous siblings, escalates to new levels of hysteria in this outrageous new musical comedy. As dissatisfied mothers fire snide comments at one another and ex-boyfriends make unsolicited appearances, arguments arise and secrets unfurl. With an uproarious score, It Shoulda Been You is a rollercoaster of laughs full of shocking twists that will leave your head spinning."

Buddy's Tavern
Book by Raymond De Felitta; music by Kim Oler; lyrics by Alison Hubbard
Based on the movie "Two Family House," written and directed by Raymond De Felitta
"Despite a pattern of failed professional endeavors, ambitious Buddy Visalo refuses to accept defeat. The year is 1956, and much to the chagrin of his wife, Buddy is setting out to open a flourishing bar where he can pursue his true passion: singing. Unfortunately, nothing ever seems to go quite as planned for Buddy, whose dreams are smothered by financial woes, his wife’s doubts, and, to add to the chaos, an Irish American tenant with a mixed race child. Torn between his conscience and the pressure of his peers, Buddy is transported onto a road of twists and turns that just might lead to everything he’s ever wanted."

Plane Crazy
Book, music and lyrics by Suzy Conn
"Attention, attention please. Now boarding is Faith Hope, winner of the Miss Teen Toledo pageant and recent graduate of the Venus Airlines Stewardess Academy. It’s 1965, and Faith is about to learn that being a stewardess is more about girdles and groping hands than onboard meals and emergency exits. Just as Faith enters the fray, Venus Airlines takes on a bold, new advertising symbol of the living breathing example of blossoming female sexuality…the stewardess. Little do they know that their chosen 'Miss Venus,' the once naïve Faith Hope, will soon become their worst nightmare: empowered. This quirky and upbeat new musical is an uplifting and hilarious story about fighting back and demanding respect."

Cloaked
Book by Michelle Elliott, music by Danny Larsen; lyrics by Michelle Elliott and Danny Larsen
"In this potent new musical, a young girl and a heroic knight venture into the woods in search of love and identity…but who are they, really? In the online world, you never know. This tantalizing tale will lead you deep into the dangerous, yet extraordinarily alluring landscape of the internet, where you can escape from reality and create a different life…but what happens when right and wrong become blurred and you lose yourself in the fantasy? With a modern, innovative score that blends computerized tones and haunting melodies, this intriguing story explores the reality of what the internet has become: a wilderness that can be your best friend or your worst nightmare."

Lincoln In Love
Book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg; music by David Friedman
"Step into history and watch as the young Abraham Lincoln dips in and out of trouble and makes his way as a future political leader. In the year 1842, young Abe is found slipping into the shoes of an aspiring lawyer, not to mention serving as a comedian among the townspeople. Enter the fervent and beautiful Ms. Mary Todd, who sends the young men of Springfield into a romantic flutter. This whirlwind new musical will take you through a witty and inspirational adventure as this future President grapples with his everyday ways and takes on his first real defense trial—while fumbling with the temptations of love and marriage."

Click here for information on how to see these shows at the Festival by becoming a Village Originals Member!

Now Boarding: Venus Airlines Flight 2010 from Gate Issaquah…

With rehearsals starting in only two weeks, I'm thrilled to announce the cast for my musical PLANE CRAZY at the Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals, which runs the weekend of August 13 to 15, 2010.

PLANE CRAZY will feature Jennifer Weingarten (Faith Hope),  Billie Wildrick* (Janet Jones), Megan Chenovick (Holly Banks), John Bogar* (Sam Crenshaw), Michael Cimino (Clive Miller), Ian Lindsay (Brett Mansford), and Vince Wingerter (Larry Stevens). Our amazing ensemble will include Kristin Culp*, Lindsey Larson, Natalie Moe, Mara Solar*, Bryan Tramontana, Jordan Delp, Michael Ericson*, Aaron Shanks* and Troy Wageman*.

* = member of Actors' Equity Association

The show will be directed by David Ira Goldstein (Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company) and the Music Director is Kim Douglass. Book, Music, and Lyrics are by Suzy Conn.

PLANE CRAZY will run on Saturday, August 14 at 2pm. The show will appear on the Village Theatre Mainstage (Francis Gaudette Theatre), 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA, 98027.

To see the PLANE CRAZY, you must be a “Village Originals” member. To join Village Originals, go here – on that Web page there are links to the membership form (or you can just call the Village Theatre box office at 425.392.2202). The great thing about joining Village Originals is that it’s a one-year membership that entitles you to see all six shows in the Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals, as well as other Village Originals readings and specials events throughout the year.

Stay tuned!

Yes, it says "musicals" not "musical". Of course I'm very excited that PLANE CRAZY is in the 10th Annual Festival of New Musicals at Village Theatre in Issaqauh, but it turns out PLANE CRAZY isn't the only musical in the festival - who knew?

In fact, there will be six new musicals! And more importantly, five parties!

Here's the festival line up from the Village Theatre website:

Thursday, August 12, 2010 6:00 PM – FESTIVAL PREVIEW

Thursday, August 12, 2010 7:30 PM - IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU
Book & Lyrics: Brian Hargrove
Music: Barbara Anselmi

Friday, August 13, 2010 7:30 PM - BUDDY’S TAVERN
Book: Raymond De Felitta
Music: Kim Oler
Lyrics: Alison Hubbard
Based on the movie TWO FAMILY HOUSE, written and directed by Raymond De Felitta

Saturday, August 14, 2010 2:00 PM - PLANE CRAZY
Books, Music & Lyrics: Suzy Conn

Saturday, August 14, 2010 7:30 PM - IN YOUR EYES
Book & Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
Music: Tom Kitt

Sunday, August 15, 2010 2:00 PM - CLOAKED
Book: Michelle Elliott
Music: Danny Larsen
Lyrics: Michelle Elliott and Danny Larsen

Sunday, August 15, 2010 7:30 PM - LINCOLN IN LOVE
Book & Lyrics: Peter Kellogg
Music: David Friedman

Pretty cool bunch o' musicals, huh?

To partake of this musical-palooza all you have to do is buy a Village Originals membership.

Stay "tuned"...

I am thrilled to announce that my musical PLANE CRAZY will be in the Village Theatre 10th Annual Festival of New Musicals!

That's right, on Saturday August 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm at Village Theatre in Issaquah, PLANE CRAZY will fly again.

PLANE CRAZY will be directed by David Ira Goldstein (Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company), with musical direction by Kim Douglass!

I've been reworking the show over the past couple of months, and I had a "test run" reading of it on Monday. First of all, thank you to everyone involved, you guys were amazing! Secondly, it was so incredibly helpful and I've been madly rewriting ever since. I'm so excited to see the show up again, since the show has changed immensely since it first premiered off-Broadway in New York at NYMF in 2005. New scenes, new music, new lyrics, new structure!

PLANE CRAZY is a musical comedy about the emergence of the modern women's movement in the swinging ‘60s Jet Age. A time when the stews were sexy and the world was sexist. PLANE CRAZY is the story of three stewardesses who go on a journey to find their own voice and is set during an explosive time in history: The intersection between the dawn of the Jet Age, the introduction of the Pill, the genesis of the modern Feminist Movement, and the Golden Age of Advertising.

For more information, check out the Village Theatre website.

Stay tuned, and fasten your seatbelts!

It is hard to believe it has been 5 years since PLANE CRAZY appeared at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on 42nd Street in the Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row. What a great, crazy experience that was! I'm still in touch with, and working with people who worked on that production, like Hollie Howard and Seth Weinstein. Since then PLANE CRAZY has had productions in Oklahoma City, Toronto and a reading in New York.

After moving to the great Pacific Northwest, I got involved writing for The 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre Program, and acting as the writing mentor/lyricist for the Village Theatre Kidstage Company Originals program and working on other new projects. So I put PLANE CRAZY on the back burner (or in the hangar, to use a more appropriate metaphor.)

But recently I read about British retailer Primark selling padded bikini tops to 7 year olds and t-shirts for young girls that say "So Many Boys, So Little Time", and it reminded me of a passage from Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (first published in 1963) - " Manufacturers put out brassieres with false bosoms or foam rubber for little girls of ten. And an advertisement for a child's dress, size 3-6s, in the New York Times in the fall of 1960, said: "She Too Can Join the Man-Trap Set."" . Hmmm, the more things change...

So I got to thinking about PLANE CRAZY. Perhaps it was time to dust off the script, say hello to those characters again and get PLANE CRAZY flying again! To be honest, I missed the characters!

So now I'm go-go boot deep in rewriting. New scenes, new songs, new takes on old songs...it's good to be back in 1965!

That's all for now...

New York, New York! It's a helluva walk-on!

After my successful appearance on the 5th Avenue Theatre stage last year in HELLO DOLLY, I was asked back to appear in ON THE TOWN.

Well, okay, I wasn't exactly "asked back"...

Grad and I successfully bid on a dual walk-on role at last year's Gala at the 5th Avenue. We even snagged the closing show! I had a blast last year, but sharing the spotlight with my husband was even more fun. Although, I did have to share my dressing room with him...

We received the usual top notch star treatment - photos at the stage door, photos by the show bricks, big gold stars on our dressing room doors, a goody bag, flowers, chocolate, posing with the stars of the show...you know, my usual treatment.

I wore a fabulous kelly green (emerald green?) forties dress, gloves, hat, and my very own character shoes. Grad looked very cute in his forties suit and fedora. Then it was off to tech talk on stage. Boy ON THE TOWN is tech-intensive! And don't even get me started on the huge dinosaur hanging from the ceiling. We even got our picture taken in front of the cave man statue! Cast member Gabriel Corey gave us the run down on our scene - we were going to be part of the museum tour with Rich Gray as museum curator (in one of his many wigs!). Then as the show started it was off to hair and make up! I got to wear a red wig this time! And Grad got the old Brylcreem treatment. We watched a bit of the show backstage and then it was showtime!

We walked on and followed Rich, looking at all the amazing museum sights! We even laughed at Rich's jokes on cue! As we appeared on stage I could hear the chuckling from the audience in Row M, where my daughters Myrna and Trinity sat with their friends.

Much too soon it was over. Back to reality and the show! We got to watch the rest of the performance and meet up with everyone at intermission.

I hadn't seen the show since opening night and it was a magical performance! What a talented, funny company. I had actually just been reading about World War II that morning before the show (coincidentally), so I was watching it with new eyes! I got chills when they sang "We'll catch up some other time".

Thanks to everyone at the 5th Avenue Theatre for a thrilling afternoon!

ON THE TOWN was another fabulous production by the 5th Avenue Theatre!

Let the Leonard Bernstein festival continue with the final show of the season, CANDIDE!

A new musical in six months... What were we thinking?

As we head into the final week of rehearsal I'm taking a moment to catch my breath and reflect back on the craziness that has been the last six months.

This is my second year as writing mentor/lyricist for VIllage Theatre's Kidstage Company Originals program. Last year we wrote SAVE AS... and did a full production at the soon-to-be-renovated First Stage. This year we are focusing on doing readings, partly because of space issues, but also because when you are writing a new musical, quite frankly, it makes a lot more sense to do readings first!

I started with the writing team, which consisted of four teens, in October 2009. We worked on the principles of dramatic writing, and developed the themes,

storyline and characters before the actors auditioned in December. Then our cast of fourteen actors joined the process in January and we held our first reading of Act I in February, our second reading in March of the whole show (the first time it had been read all the way through!) and on Monday April 12 we'll be doing our third and final reading of the whole show. We've been getting feedback from the audiences along the way, which has been very instructive.

Kathryn Van Meter is directing, and Orlando Morales is the musical director/composer and Helen Voelker is the stage manager. Luckily for me, they've been with the process since the beginning, so the addition of the actors and the evolution of the piece has been seamless. We also got some wonderful help from Eric Jensen who stepped in to direct for a couple of weeks in March while Kathryn was busy. I have to say, working with those guys has been a blast!

THE LAST SHOT explores how the healing power of art can help people overcome fears and find strength and peace, while telling the story of a high school senior/aspiring filmmaker who takes a cast of fellow students to shoot a movie over Memorial Day weekend. When the filmmaker's best friend screws-up, the group has to relocate to an old, abandoned, and possibly haunted hotel. The students are forced to confront their worst fears about the future, while still trying to complete the film.

THE LAST SHOT is a full length musical with brand new storyline, intriguing characters and 15 new songs plus reprises! The readings have been very helpful in cutting the show down to a respectable two and a half hours of tasty musical goodness. It is playing one night only at the Village Theatre mainstage, so get your $10 tickets now before they sell out and help us make musical theatre history!

Here's a super cool article about THE LAST SHOT on Broadwayworld.com

We're Pigs!

A production of the musical THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND (book and lyrics by moi, Suzy Conn, and music by Mitchell Kitz) just finished at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri. They performed for over 4,600 during their week of productions for the public and area elementrary schools.

THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND, adapted from the Beatrix Potter book, tells the story of a young pig who is forced to find his way in the world - a classic coming of age pig story! And remember: Always cross that bridge when you come to it!

Eric Yazell, the director of the show (he is also the Speech & Theatre Instructor at The Stauffacher Center for the Fine Arts at State Fair Community College) sent me some wonderful pictures of the production:

Clang, clang, clang went the Trolley!

Last night I had my walk-on role in Village Theatre's production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Last May when I bid and won the walk-on role at the Village Theatre Gala, the show seemed so far away. Suddenly it was November and time for me to face the music.

A couple of weeks ago I went for a costume fitting and wig fitting. I was to be dressed in a beautiful coral and creme dress, big hair, big hat and lace up boots.

The wonderful and talented Bobbi Kotula was my contact throughout all this organizing dates, fittings etc. Paulette Buse, the stage manager, was my backstage contact and the one who scheduled my "put in rehearsal" for 6:30pm last night. Louise Kincaid was my "wrangler".

I arrived at 6:30 pm thinking I would just be shown when to walk across the stage and wave. Never assume anything!

Steve Tomkins welcomed me with a warm handshake and went about fitting me into the finale. The entire finale. I even had choreography and music to sing! Luckily I'm very well aquainted with both The Trolley Song, and Meet Me In St. Louis, and generally never need much convincing when asked to sing.

I enter with the cast on the trolley, sitting smack in the middle and singing my little heart out! "The day was bright, the air was sweet..." etc. Then I get escorted off the trolley and back to chat with Henry Nettleton and Bill Williams, also in the cast. Then it's back on the trolley, holding on for dear life as it goes off stage. Then grab an ice cream and run on with Bobbi to look at the World's Fair and see the fireworks and sing the last line - "So won't you Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis, meet me at the fair!"

I even got to take a bow with the female ensemble members! And then with the rest of the company! Woot Woot!

I was able to watch Act 1 in the audience with my family and then I went backstage at intermission to get dressed, and get my wig on. I had my own little space in the women's dressing room. Waiting for me was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I got dressed and chatted with everybody and waited for the finale.

My performance went off without a hitch! I even got to watch some scenes in Act 2 from the wings with Bobbi. After the show they took picture of everyone in the cast, and moi, on the trolley. Then off to meet my fans (my family) backstage. Rave reviews all round!

Then the clock struck midnight and my carriage once again turned into a pumpkin. Back to life "behind the scenes" as a writer!

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is a fabulous show (even when I'm not in it) and the cast is wonderful. Go get your tickets now!

Go, go, go Trinity!

I'm super duper excited about The 5th Avenue Theatre's JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT playing October 10 - November 1, 2009.

And it's not just because the show is super fun, and I've watched the Donny Osmond DVD a thousand times.

And it's not just because Anthony Fedorov (former American Idol runner-up) is playing Joseph.

And it's not just because the cast will be wearing spandex unitards and golden cow heads (I hope!).

No, no, no it's because my daughter, Trinity is in the children's choir! How cool is that! Over 150 kids auditioned and Trinity got in!

She's been in rehearsals twice a week since August... and things really heat up next week. Soon she'll be rehearsing every day! Luckily she has a few friends in the choir and we've put together a massively intricate carpool (actually the other moms have done most of the organizing, I just try to remember to show up when it's my turn!)

So, when JOSEPH starts, three out of four of the Conns will have been on the 5th Avenue Theatre stage -- Myrna was a performance intern in HELLO DOLLY, I had a walk-on in HELLO DOLLY, and of course, Trinity is in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.

Now if I can jut get my husband Grad up there...

Stay tuned for more posts!

We're back!

Yes, following last year's smash hit SAVE AS... (I get so many comments on that darn sweatshirt!) The Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE Company Originals program will be back for another exciting year of writing and performing an original musical! And I am pleased to announce that I will be back as Writing Mentor/Lyricist!

Here is the 411 from Suzie Bixler at The Village Theatre:

We are currently seeking writers and composers (ages 16-20) for our Company Originals program.

Company Originals is a program functioning out of Village’s KIDSTAGE division that produces theatre for young people by young people. For more than six years, Company Originals has produced shows using the best young talent in the area as writers and performers. Company Originals is also seen as a breeding ground for tomorrow’s top talents. In the last few years, Company Originals participants have gone on to college at Boston Conservatory, University of Washington, Tisch School of the Arts, University of Southern California Writing Program, Biola Film School, Cornish College of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, University of Arizona, College of Sante Fe, Occidental, Point Park, and many more, several on performing scholarships. Past participants have also performed locally at venues such as Village Theatre Mainstage, Seattle Children’s Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Showtunes, The Paramount Theatre, Civic Light Opera, Seattle Public Theatre, and ACT.

KIDSTAGE Company Original productions are original musicals written by a student writing team, advanced performers, and emerging theatre artists. After a competitive audition process, students will create and perform their own original musical material under the mentorship and guidance of a professional writing, composing, and directing team. The program will culminate in a one night workshop to be performed on the Village Theatre Francis J. Gaudette Theatre. The process will also include additional workshop readings with musical theatre professionals and a Seattle school. The Company Originals production is written by, for, and about teens, and it addresses some of the most important issues facing teens today. Past original teen works include: trust me., Last Exit, In Your Eyes, A Perfect Fall, and Save As.

We are specifically looking for very committed writers and composers or those that are interested in learning more about these disciplines.

Writers will meet twice weekly (Mondays & Fridays) after school starting in October. Actors will join the process in January and a series of workshop readings starting with Seattle musical theatre professionals and a Seattle school will occur in February and March. The project will culminate with a staged reading of the musical on the Francis J. Gaudette Stage on Monday, April, 2010.

Tuition for the program is $500 (scholarships and work-exchange available for those who qualify.)

The application is due on September 18 and can be found on our website.

If you are interested in being an actor in the program, auditions will be in late November. Information will be posted on our web-site soon.

Thank-you!

Suzie Bixler

KIDSTAGE Programs Manager

Village Theatre

303 Front Street North

Issaquah, WA 98027

Office: (425) 392-1942 x147

Wake Up and Smell the Bacon in Missouri! Or is that show me the bacon....

I am please to announce the production of THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND at the State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri! Yes, this November 2009 will see the return of Pigling Bland, Aunt Pettitoes and the whole crazy gang! This will be the third production of the musical that I (I being me, Suzy Conn) wrote (book/lyrics) with Mitchell Kitz (music), following a debut in Toronto (at the Toronto Fringe Festival), and a second production in Chicago at Theatre Building Chicago last summer.

THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND, based on the book by Beatrix Potter (no relation to Harry Potter), tells the story of the adventures of a young pig (Pigling Bland) who sets off to market with his younger brother, is interrogated by a policeman, pignapped by a farmer, teased and tormented by a cat and dog and eventually falls in love with a beautiful female pig . The two escape and....well... I can't give away the ending, now can I?

THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND will be directed by Eric Yazell, and is scheduled to run from November 16 to November 21, 2009 at the Stauffacher Center for the Fine Arts in Sedalia, MO!

And here's a bit of trivia -- turns out Sedalia, MO hosts the annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival!

More posts to come... oink!

Dear Mister Mercer...

The 5^th Avenue Theatre’s Adventure Musical Theatre (AMT) program put on a performance of my musical THE MERCER GIRLS for donors at Downstairs at the 5^th on Tuesday May 12. Very, very exciting! The 5th Avenue Theatre commissioned me (Suzy Conn) to write the book, lyrics and music for a new musical based on the true story of The Mercer Girls, eleven women who travelled from the east coast to Seattle in 1864.

THE MERCER GIRLS is still on tour around Washington state schools, but the cast (Charissa Bertels, Jason Kappus, Christian Duhamel, Jon Lutyens, Anne Kennedy, Sara Parish, Elise Campello, and stage manager Jen Geisler) made a pit stop at DAT5 to do their 95^th performance of the show!

We started with a lovely wine and cheese reception beforehand, and then David Armstrong and Bill Berry introduced the show, talking a bit about the AMT program in general, and THE MERCER GIRLS specifically. This is the 15^th year of AMT, and in their first year they only performed at 20 schools!

It was great to see the amazing set again, and marvel at how the cast sets it up and packs it away after every performance and stuffs it into a van with all the costumes and props!

The show was awesome! The last time I saw THE MERCER GIRLS performed was back in the first week of the tour, and the show has gotten so much tighter and everything is humming along like a well-oiled musical machine! It was extremely rewarding to see the show so beautifully performed. They only have two more weeks of shows before the run is over. I’m going to miss this cast, so I’m definitely going to catch another school performance!

Thanks to the cast, crew and everyone involved at The 5^th Avenue Theatre for making THE MERCER GIRLS a success!

Next year AMT will be touring JOURNEY WEST (the Lewis and Clark story) in rep with BEST OF NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF. I am proud to say that my musical version of LARRY GOT LOST IN SEATTLE made the cut and will be part of BEST OF NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF!

For more information and to book an AMT show at your school, contact Anya Rudnick at The 5th Avenue Theatre.

An evening of song and dance with the fabulous Krystle Armstrong!

Krystle Armstrong is holding a “THOROUGHLY NEW YORK” evening of song and dance on Monday April 27^th at 7:30pm at the Broadway Performance Hall (get your incredibly cheap $20 tickets now here ).  Krystle, who most recently played Ermengarde in the 5^th Avenue’s production of HELLO DOLLY, and also Belle in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Village Theatre, is a fabulously talented triple threat! She sings, she dances, and she acts (all for one low ticket price of $20)!

I first met Krystle when she taught my daughter Myrna tap, and then went on to work with her in the week long MERCER GIRLS workshop I did last Fall (she played Miss Annie May Adams). Krystle  will be accompanied at the piano by Christian Duhamel another amazing performer who did the MERCER GIRL workshop, and is currently on tour with the Advenutre Musical Theatre production of MERCER GIRLS!

From her poster:

“Krystle Armstrong has performed at many of Seattle’s finest venues, including The 5^th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, and  Seattle Children’s Theatre. Come join her in an evening of story, song, and dance, with musical numbers from some of Krystle’s favorite roles, including “Gimme Gimme” from the hit show THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, a classic Gershwin favorite, and many more! This evening will be topped off with a surprise raffle, with items from from show tickets, to dinner for two at some of Seattle’s best restuarants!”

Krystle is trying to raise money to go to New York to pursue her dream of being on Broadway. So buy your tickets, and bring some cash to buy raffle tickets and have a ball!

Dolly'll never go away again... Well, it's over folks. My time as a Performance Intern in the 5th Ave Theatre's production of Hello, Dolly! officially ended on March 29, 2009... Sad panda. However, it was a hectic and amazing month of performances that I will always remember!! I have learned so much from this experience, and I felt so privileged to be able to share the stage with some of Seattle's best talent :) Unfortunately, it was such a busy time that I was not able to make daily accounts of my adventures, but here is a wrap-up post that will summarize the crazy month I just had...

So, the day after opening night, I wasn't feeling so well. It wasn't until after Sunday Clothes that it got really bad, and sure enough, I got sick backstage. :( It was so bad that I didn't go on stage and was sent home at intermission! It was very very sad to hear MY song!!! go by without me there on stage to enjoy it... Sigh. But that's show biz. Fortunately I felt better the next day, and was able to go back to doing my thang on the 5th Ave stage =)

One of the most special performances would probably have to be when my mom went on for her walk-on role! April 26th, Suzy Conn graced the stage as train rider/waver/kiss blower in Put on Your Sunday Clothes. She looked awesome in her white costume, big hat, and lace up boots :) A post from her point of view to come, stay tuned!!!

Closing Night (or should I say...day...hehe) was unbelievably bittersweet. It had been such a crazy, tiring night... 8 shows a week and then getting up early to go to a full day of school the next day? Not to mention homework? Yikes. But even when I thought I might not make it to the curtain call, it was worth it, for the audiences always went crazy at the end! What can I say, who doesn't like Hello Dolly? :D The closing party was at Palomino, and I definitely had enough pizza to last me for the rest of the year :P It was nice to be able to say some last goodbyes before the inevitable post-show depression :S

To sum it up, I had the best experience of my life doing this show. I learned so much from watching and performing, and I hope this isn't my last show at the 5th Ave Theatre! I hope all who were able to got the chance to come see this amazing production with the most amazing cast ever, and I will never forget how nice everybody was to this little intern! Speaking of, shout-out to the brilliant interns :D

TOTAL (goal=150): 202 HOURS

Lock up your chandeliers!

The national tour of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is coming to Seattle’s Paramount Theatre Sept 10 – October 5.

I’m especially excited to see this production since my friend, Richard Todd Adams, will be playing the Phantom! Rick played Raoul in the national tour almost ten years ago. Rick is an amazing performer – not only does he have a gorgeous voice but he is a master on the piano as well. He toured with 2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS (the hilarious Canadian musical that indeed involves not only two piano, four hands, but four legs as well) as well as appearing in THE WOMAN IN WHITE and THE PIRATE QUEEN on Broadway.

I met Rick in New York when he starred as the dashing pilot Brett Mansford in the 2005 NYMF production of PLANE CRAZY!

Congrats Rick!

I got this great comment from “Diane” on my Braniff post (Braniff Airlines: The World's Greatest Airline?), so I thought I’d share it with y’all:

WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE! I WAS SEARCHING FOR A POSSIBLE "ALUMNI" OF BRANIFF EMPLOYEES BUT FOUND YOUR SITE INSTEAD.

I BECAME A RESERVATIONIST IN KANSAS CITY FOR BRANIFF, TRAINED AT LOVE FIELD IN DALLAS FOR FIVE WEEKS BEGINNING JANUARY, 1967. WHAT A JOURNEY IT WAS. BEFORE COMPUTERS, WE USED A BUNKO-RAMO MACHINE IN AN OFFICE WITH NO WINDOWS NEXT DOOR TO TWA. A YEAR LATER WE MOVE TO A NEW BUILDING WITH IBM AND HAD TO LEARN TO USE THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM IN ONE WEEK.

OUR UNIFORMS WERE THE FUSHIA, POLYESTER, WITH A FRONT ZIPPER, MATCHING FUSHIA PANTYHOSE & THE FAMOUS PUCCI SCARF. AND THEY WERE MINIS.

WHEN OUR ROUTE TO HONOLULU WAS APPROVED, I HAD THE UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING FIRST CLASS IN A 747. SHERATON GAVE EMPOYEES A WEEK'S FREE STAY AND I THINK MY FLIGHT PASS WAS $30.00 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

MY GIRLFRIEND AND I USE TO TRADE DAYS SO WE COULD GET THE SAME FOUR DAYS OFF AND FLY TO ALCAPULCO WITH MAYBE $40.00 EACH FOR EXPENSES. SOMETIMES WE'D BRING OUR KIDS WITH US. FUN! FUN! FUN!

YOUR ARTICLE HAS REALLY BROUGHT BACK GREAT MEMORIES. IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES AT THE WORST OF TIMES. THE LAST TRIP I TOOK WAS WITH MY SON, MOTHER AND BROTHER. WE HAD JUST ARRIVED IN DENVER FROM COLORADO SPRINGS WITH 3 DAYS OF ADVENTURES AHEAD OF US. THE NEXT MORNING WE WOKE UP TO THE NEWS THAT BOBBY KENNEDY HAD BEEN SHOT AND KILLED. WE FLEW BACK HOME TO KANSAS CITY THAT DAY.

What a time to fly!

I’m super excited to see the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Rodgers and Hart’s PAL JOEY, which begins performances November 14 at Studio 54. I’ve never seen PAL JOEY on stage, only the film version with Frank Sinatra. And I love Christian Hoff! He totally rocked in JERSEY BOYS. Of course I’ve loved Stockard Channing ever since I saw her in the 1973 movie “The Girl Most Likely To…”.

Do you need another reason? Well here’s one – my friend and performer extraordinaire, Kathryn Mowat Murphy is also in the cast! Kathryn was the assistant choreographer and part of the ensemble in the 2005 NYMF production of PLANE CRAZY! Boy, can that girl dance! Congrats Kathryn!

According to this article on Playbill.com:

Complete casting has been announced for the Roundabout Theatre Company's new fall production of Rodgers & Hart's Pal Joey, already set to star Tony Award winners Stockard Channing and Christian Hoff and Tony nominee Martha Plimpton.

Directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello, with a revised book by Tony winner Richard Greenberg, the musical, produced in association with Marc Platt, will begin performances Nov. 14 at Studio 54 toward a Dec. 11 opening.

Creating a population of Chicagoans in the John O'Hara-inspired tale of a heel who dreams of owning a nightclub will be Robert Clohessy (as Mike), Mamma Mia! veteran Jenny Fellner (as good girl Linda English), Urinetown alumnus Daniel Marcus (as Ludlow), Wicked actor Steven Skybell (as Ernest), Timothy J. Alex, Brian Barry, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Lisa Gajda, Anthony Holds, Nadine Isenegger, Mark Morettini, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Abbey O'Brien, Hayley Podschun, Matthew Risch, Krista Saab and Eric Sciotto.

The 1940 musical — with a score by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart — is considered one of the landmark "link" musicals between fizzy old-fashioned musicals of the 1920s and '30s and more psychologically charged shows in which darker colors of characters were revealed. Pal Joey is a sort of musical comedy character study about an ambitious performer, Joey Evans, played by Jersey Boys veteran Hoff, who seeks the affection of a married woman in the hope that she'll fund his dream of owning a nightclub (Channing plays older, richer Vera Simpson, who dryly sings "Bewitched" and "What Is a Man?" as well as the duet "Den of Iniquity"). He loses his soul along the way.

The score also includes "A Great Big Town (Chicago)," "You Mustn't Kick It Around," "Take Him," "Zip," "Plant You Now, Dig You Later," "I Could Write a Book," "I'm Talking to My Pal" (a song that had been dropped from the score during its out-of-town tryout, but is now restored), and more.

Shout out to my friend and composer extraordinaire Seth Weinstein who has just released a new CD!

Here is the email I received from Seth:

I'm delighted to report that my CD of solo piano music, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHAGALL, is now available at CD Baby.

The 62-minute CD contains two of my original compositions: CONVERSATIONS and THE CHAGALL SUITE. CONVERSATIONS, a musical meeting between the Belarusian painter Marc Chagall and Elvis Presley, is a synthesis of Russian-style classical themes, Jewish klezmer music, romantic ballads, rock, blues, and gospel. THE CHAGALL SUITE is an eight-movement contemporary classical piece inspired by eight different themes of Chagallian artwork.

More information about the CD, including sound samples, track listings, and explanations of the music:

http://sethweinstein.com/chagall

Get the CD now - only $15!

http://cdbaby.com/cd/sethweinstein

Also, I'll be performing the Chagall pieces this fall in Germany, Wisconsin, and New York:

9/18 - Osnabrueck, Germany - Lutherhaus

9/23 - Mainz, Germany - Erbacher Hof

9/26 - Siegburg (Bonn), Germany - Siegburger Stadtmuseum

10/25 - Appleton, Wisconsin - Appleton Art Center

10/30 - New York City - Museum of Biblical Art

Road trip to Germany! (I guess technically it would be a boat or plane trip…)

Congratulations Seth!

Or, Goodbye Eddie Bauer, Hello Dolly!

On Monday, August 25, I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening celebration for The 5th Avenue Theatre’s new downstairs education and rehearsal space, which has been officially named “The Marilyn Sheldon Rehearsal and Education Center”. Marilyn Sheldon (second bio) is the Managing Director, and the heart and soul of The 5th Avenue Theatre. For those "in the know," it's called DAT5!

From the evening’s keepsake program:

“Because The 5th Avenue Theatre was constructed in the 1920s to be a vaudeville house and was later converted into a motion picture theatre, there weren’t backstage needs and technical space wasn’t required. As a result, backstage at The 5th Avenue lacks virtually all of the trappings of more modern musical theater venues.

The Board of Directors, under the leadership of Norman B. Rice, authorized a plan to consolidate all production-related activities, known as Downstairs at The 5th. This plan includes a full-sized mainstage rehearsal hall, education center, maintenance building and inventory facility.

Downstairs at The 5th makes the overall operation more efficient, produces a substantial yearly cost savings, and provides a more focused work environment, allowing us to fully invest in the artistic product.”


I’ll drink to that! The 5th Avenue has used Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) over at the Seattle Center for rehearsing all their shows. Don’t get me wrong, TPS is great, but there was always the problem of never having a room big enough to match the size of the actual stage, so they always had to reblock everything once they got to the theatre!

And I can speak with some authority that the heating and cooling systems in TPS are due for an overhaul!

When Eddie Bauer moved out of their basement space, The 5th Avenue Theatre suddenly had a viable option to solve their logistical nightmares! After a lead donation by Sheryl and Peter Neupert of $1.22 million, the renovations were underway!

The opening celebration was so much fun! Not only was it so exciting to finally see the space finished (love the big “5th” on the glass doors facing the food court!) but there was yummy nibbles and of course, a wonderful musical performance. Martin Charnin’s great song “Upstairs at O’Neills” was given new lyrics by Rich Grey and became “Downstairs at the 5th”. With Resident Musical Director Ian Eisendrath on piano, Billie Willdrick, Chad Jennings, Carol Swarbrick and Eric Polani Jensen sang up a storm. Then Patti Cohenour sang ‘Take Care of This House” from the show 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

All in all, a wonderful celebration of a great space. I’m looking forward to doing the workshop of THE MERCER GIRLS there in September!

The above video is THE WORLD ANTHEM, created by Christopher Judges in an effort to save the world morally, psychologically, and environmentally. The slideshow that accompanies the song is touching, with pictures that encourage you to reach out with love and care for everyone. Especially the one that appears at 3 minutes and 18 seconds. 'Tis no other than our good friend Hollie Howard, in a Venus Flytrap-licious pose, in the NYMF 2005 production of Plane Crazy! w00t!

Starting this Tuesday, August 5, the A Chorus Line national tour will open at the Paramount Theatre as part of its Broadway Across America series (I saw Avenue Q there in June). I saw the 2006 Broadway revival when I was last in New York (agh too long ago), and I've seen various community theatre productions + the movie. I love this show, it is so funny, smart, and fabola. I can't wait to see it.

There's a cool article in the Seattle Times that tells you more about the show and its revival, etc...

Extra bonus - long time friend of the show, (and by the show I mean PLANE CRAZY, as she played Holly Banks in Plane Crazy's NYMF production), Hollie Howard is starring as Maggie in the national tour! Yay, happiness! She is just amazing. Talk about your triple threat! And on top of that, she has the best head shot in the world. I can't wait to see Hollie in the show!

For ticket information, visit here. Quickly, A Chorus Line will only be at the Paramount Theatre until August 10!!! =S

For those of you who have been waiting for hours for the past three days, refreshing the BlogwayBaby home page every 5 minutes in the hopes that a new post would appear, I'm very sorry. My mother and I went to San Jose to see Wishful Drinking (post to come), Carrie Fisher's one-woman show about her life and such. 'Twas excellent.

We stayed at the Fairmont San Jose, which was the best hotel ever. It was across the street from both the San Jose Museum of Art and the Tech Museum of Innovation. It was also walking distance from many restaurants and stores and such. There was a Starbucks 2 minutes (walking) away, and the San Jose Repertory, where the show was, was probably 4 minutes (walking) away. I definitely recommend this hotel if you plan on staying in San Jose, and want to have a good time.

We got room service by the pool (delish chicken and cheese quesadilla) and read historical fiction novels about the Tudors... :D Plus, we definitely saw Carrie Fisher. Like at the pool. No jokes. So we stared at her as she walked into her hotel room which had a patio that opened out onto the 4th floor pool. Mark Hamill/Marie Osmond moment...... for Suzy Conn =O

So, I will be posting again this week. I know you missed me >:-)

A pig, a spider and a lamb walk into a barn…

I’m so excited to see the play CHARLOTTE'S WEB at Youth Theatre Northwest on Mercer Island, running August 1 to August 10.

Based on the classic book by E. B. White about a little pig named Wilbur with a strong will to live, and a very talented spider, it is a perfect summer play for the whole family.

Of course, I'm a wee bit biased, since my daughter Trinity is in the play! She's the Lamb, as well as a Spectator and a Fair-Goer. They're in pretty seriously intense rehearsals right now and they open next Friday.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB is the second show in YTN's summer series. Next up is Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical CINDERELLA running August 22- 31.

On a special note, this is Youth Theatre Northwest's 25th Anniversary and they have quite the line up planned for the season including INTO THE WOODS, WIZARD OF OZ and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF!

For tickets to CHARLOTTE'S WEB call 206-232-4145, or visit their website.

Here I go again!

I get it! I finally get it! I saw Mamma Mia yesterday and absolutely loved it. I can't wait to go back and see it again. Meryl Streep is my favorite superhero this summer! Take that Batman!

As background, I was a gigantic ABBA fan when I was a teenager (I also loved disco, there I said it). My best friend was Swedish and she introduced me to ABBA and she always got the latest album ahead of everyone else. I was hooked. ABBA was standard fare at sleepovers, and we'd dance around the pool table in her basement (I always wanted a pool table!) to Mamma Mia. Yeah, yeah, the cooler kids hated ABBA, but I've never considered myself cool. I liked all kinds of music, but there was something about those arrangements, those voices, those melodies, those cute Swedish inflections that just made me get up and dance, and sing along.

So of course I was excited about the stage musical production of Mamma Mia when it came out in the early 90s. However, when I actually saw the musical in Toronto, with Louise Pitre as Donna, I really didn't like it. Maybe it was because the decibel level was so high it made my ears bleed, or maybe because the arrangements sounded different. Or maybe it was the silly storyline. I don't know but I never bonded with the musical for some weird reason.

For some reason I'd been really excited about the release of the movie. Maybe because I heard that two of my cuties, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, were cast in the movie. I love Meryl Streep but I was skeptical about her vocal prowess. But the trailers looked really exciting and fun, so the girls and I went today.

I totally loved it. I laughed, I cried, I boogied.

I finally felt the feeling of twirling joy I used to feel when listening to the ABBA records. The Greek island setting was perfect, the colors, the sun, everything. Meryl Streep is amazing as Donna Sheridan, and she has a great voice and totally inhabits the character. It's like she's dancing around inside an ABBA song. I don't mind the silly story line, and I love the way the movie is a musical, full stop. No apologies needed for breaking out into song and dance, whether you are a main character or part of the "greek chorus" of villagers. I mean, isn't that why you do musicals in the first place?

And let me just say that Colin Firth has a great voice. Very folky, but with a surprisingly high level of musicality to my ears. Pierce Brosnan isn't a singer per say, but Remington Steele slash James Bond can do no wrong in my ears. (Hmmmm, I think I know what age group this movie is targeted at…). I'm not as familiar with Stellen Skarsgard who played the third "dad", but he was good too!

The whole cast rocked (Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Julie Walters) but one of my favorites was Christine Baranski. She was hilarious.

And did I see cameo shots of Benny and Bjorn in the movie? Methinks I did!

Make sure you stay for the credits!

THE SHOW GIRL MUST GO ON!

As I write this post, I’m wearing my super cool "Bette Midler The Showgirl Must Go On" T-shirt! My husband and I finally got away on a much deserved "awaycation" (we already had a "staycation" with the kids earlier in the month. The final leg of our "Hot and Sweaty 08" tour was Las Vegas (following triple digit weather in Palm Springs)) to see Bette Midler in concert at The Coloseum at Caesar's Palace, as well as Donny & Marie (yes, I'm over 40, duh!) at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre. But more on D&M in another post…

We don't smoke or gamble, so there is really only two other (legal) things to do in Vegas - see a show and hang out by the pool. Friday night we sent to see Bette Midler in The Coloseum, the ginormongus 4,000 seater theatre that was built for Celine Dion. It is currently being shared by Elton John and Cher. You can't get more seventies than that! We had bought our tickets a while back, so we had awesome seats, although there was a large screen for those seated in the nosebleed seats.

What an awesome show! Bette started with "Big Noise From Winnetka" and "The Show Girl Must Go On" and came out in a sparkly silver pantsuit, very Vegas. She had three amazing back up singers (The Staggering Harlettes) an amazing band, and a great line up of chorus girls (The Caesar Salad girls, with as little dressing as possible!). It's hard to believe she is 60 years old, running back and forth across that huge stage, and jumping up and down in a mermaid costume while singing and dancing! She is so funny, and so much fun to watch. Of course, no body sings with such emotion as Bette. She's the only singer I know who can make me cry just by singing. She did a crowd-pleasing set of her hits:

In The Mood, From A Distance (which she sang barefoot, in contrast to her usual six inch heels!), Do You Wanna Dance, The Rose (which included audiences waving their cell phones back and forth like lighters), Hello in There, and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.

She also did wonderfully zany segments as the finned "Dolores Delago" and "Soph", the oldest living showgirl -- "they gave me a f%@#$%ing chihuahua?"

Bette closed the show with Wind Beneath My Wings. I could listen to her forever!

Shout out to my friend Seth Weinstein, who wrote the music for HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD AND FIND TRUE LOVE IN 90 MINUTES. I met Seth when he did a fabulous job musical directing my show PLANE CRAZY at NYMF in 2005. I loved HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD AND FIND TRUE LOVE when I saw it in New York. I saw Hollie Howard (who played Holly Banks in PLANE CRAZY) in the role of Violet Zipper and she was amazing. It's really a great show, so go get your copy today!

From an article on Playbill.com:

A cast recording of How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes, which played Off-Broadway's New World Stages/Stage 5 Nov. 4-Dec. 31, 2006, is now available.

The recording features the original Off-Broadway company, including Michael McEachran as Miles Muldoon, Anika Larsen as Julie Lemmon and Nicole Ruth Snelson as Violet Zipper with Stephen Bienskie, Natalie Joy Johnson and Kevin Smith Kirkwood as The Greeks.

The CD, which was recorded January 2, 2007, at Avatar Studios in Manhattan, also features conductor Seth Weinstein on keyboards, Jonnah Speidel on piano, James Bettincourt on bass and Greg Germann on drums.

The complete track listing for How to Save the World follows:

Prologue


Love or Fear


I'm Afraid of Everything


The Country Song


The Melon Ballet


Why Are All the Good Men Unconscious?


The Voices in My Head


I'm in Love With a Terrorist


Who I Am Matters Not (I)


Love Is Violet


Yoga Class/Fifteen Minutes


I Want to Know You/Read My Mind


He's a Pussy


When the Music Played


We Can Save the World and Find True Love


Save the People


Who I Am Matters Not (II)


Oh, God The Company


Read My Mind

With book and lyrics by Jonathan Karp and music by Seth Weinstein, How to Save the World. . ., according to press notes, is set at the United Nations and concerns "a cowardly bookshop clerk, a sexy diplomat and an idealistic slacker [who] confront their deepest fears when an office romance leads to international crisis."

Christopher Gattelli directed and choreographed the Off-Broadway run. The creative team comprised Beowulf Boritt (set design), David Murin (costume design), Jeff Croiter (lighting design) and Peter Hylenski (sound design).

The CD, priced $14.95, includes a 16-page color booklet with lyrics and photos. For more information visit www.howtosavetheworldandfindtruelove.com.

Today, July 11, musical theatre writer Suzy Conn (PLANE CRAZY, THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND, BECKY AND THE BOOGER, THE MERCER GIRLS) and her husband Grad Conn are celebrating 21 years of marriage! Wow! Now that's something to write about!

Here are a few other notable historical theatrical events for July 11…

From an article on Playbill.com:

1915 A King is born today... in the form of Yul Brynner. Brynner will, of course, go on to star as one half of the title of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King And I, opposite Gertrude Lawrence. Brynner will go on to play the role in numerous incarnations of the production, as well as in the film version (for which he won the Academy Award), and a short-lived, non-musical 1970's sitcom called "Anna and the King."

1985 Alan Ayckbourn's Season's Greetings, a comedy about a family's reunion for a traditional English Christmas, opens at the Joyce Theatre. The American Theatre Exchange production was helmed by Pat Brown. The play ran previously in London and then made its American premiere at Houston's Alley Theatre in Texas before making its way to Off Broadway.

1989 Sir Laurence Olivier dies today. The celebrated actor of stage and film was 82 years old. Olivier appeared on Broadway and in the West End in a large array of roles, ranging from Shakespearean tragic heros Hamlet and Caesar to lighter fare like No Time For Comedy. As a stage director, Olivier staged the London bow of A Streetcar Named Desire, starring his wife, Vivien Leigh. Film credits include his Academy Award-winning version of "Hamlet," which Olivier also directed, and "Clash of the Titans."

1998 After playing 12 previews and 240 regular performances in William Luce's Broadway bio of John Barrymore at the Music Box Theatre, actor Christopher Plummer will kick off an eight-city tour of Barrymore tonight. The Broadway production closed Nov. 2, 1997, but Plummer took some time off to rest from the role which won him the 1997 Best Actor Tony Award, as well as a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award.

2002 Comedian Robin Williams hones a new standup act in Robin Williams Live on Broadway, which plays a 3-performance limited run at the Broadway Theatre, starting today.

Here's the next 21 years of marriage!

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.