 Gordon and I were so pumped to hold a table read of Act 1 of These Familiar Spirits with some of our very favorite actors and singers! It was our first time hearing the full score (the first 16 songs anyway...) out loud, hearing how the songs and scenes work together, and generally get a sense of what the heck we've got after the last couple of years of writing in a virtual void. We're so excited to continue developing the piece with Flint Rep this winter!
Flint Repertory Theatre's production of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is nominated for 16 BroadwayWorld Michigan Awards, including Best New Play or Musical, Best Musical, Best Director, Choreographer, Music Director, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Performer in a Musical (x4!), Supporting Performer in a Musical (x4!), and Best Ensemble.
Want to vote for us? Just enter your email address(es...) and you can! https://www.broadwayworld.com/michigan/voteregion.cfm Very excited to see that Flint Repertory Theatre's production of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was recognized with four Wilde Awards from Encore Michigan! Best Ensemble, Lighting Design, Costume Design, and Best Musical! Plus it's exciting that Flint Rep topped the list with 25 awards... And that our dear friends and Mag7 family members Bryana and Elexis received awards, too!
Gordon and I assembled (via Zoom) some of our nearest and dearest to do a first read of the first act (ish) of our new musical, These Familiar Spirits, commissioned by Flint Rep. So helpful and fun to hear the material out loud for the first time, plus to spend time with these nice faces.  For your consideration: Magnificent Seven on the Grammy ballot for Best Musical Theatre cast album. I know, posting about just being on the ballot is a bit silly, since against shows like Kimberly Akimbo and Sweeney Todd we are basically a lock. Still though, thought I’d take the opportunity to signal boost our album and see if you might want to listen to a tune or two?
Gordon and I are thrilled to announce that we have a commission from Flint Repertory Theatre to complete These Familiar Spirits. We're so excited to develop this witchy little piece at one of our favorite theatres with some of our favorite people.
Gordon and I recorded a handful of demos for two of our shows in progress, These Familiar Spirits and Choreomania. We're so very grateful to the luminous MinJi Kim, Hana Slevin, and Ally Bonino who were game for some remote recording. It's so exciting to hear brand new material on such lovely voices.
Gordon and I were thrilled to receive such a thoughtful, positive review for The Magnificent Seven cast album in Talkin' Broadway. Some of my fave pull quotes:
"The Magnificent Seven makes the feelings behind the stakes and struggles...feel universal" "...well-made, muscular material ..." "This well-crafted score is full of mighty Meinwald melodies that capture the stress level build-ups and intense environment without hitting us over the head. Gordon Leary's polished lyrics often shine like those gold medals The Magnificent Seven's characters covet, attentive to unlabored, pure rhymes and alluring alliteration combined with economic plain language." "In an ideal world where high-quality lower-profile cast albums would sell in the millions, this look at girls who go for the gold would earn a gold record. For now, it earns respect and recommendation." You can read the whole thing here! The Magnificent Seven Cast Album is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon and more!
The Magnificent Seven Cast Album is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon and more!The musical, set during the Atlanta Olympic Games, follows the 1996 U.S Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team - Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps, and Kerri Strug - on their quest to become the first American women to win the team gold medal, imagining the gymnasts’ inner lives as they work to get their faces on the Wheaties box, all leading up to the vault heard ’round the world.
The recording features the cast of the 2022 Theatre Row production, including Allison Posner (John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch), Libby Servais (Wicked), Amy Linden (The Bridges of Madison County), Racquel Williams (Hadestown), Ellen Condon Macy, Holly Gould (Camelot), MinJi Kim, Kylie Lavrenchik, and Josslyn Shaw with Sam Heldt, Evan Maltby, and Lynne Marie Rosenberg. The Magnificent Seven features music, arrangements, and orchestrations by Julia Meinwald and book and lyrics by Gordon Leary (Pregnancy Pact, The Loneliest Girl in the World.) Music Director Alex Ratner leads a band that includes Michael Blancafor, Michael Epperhart, and Zachary Larson. John Kilgore served as recording engineer and mixing engineer from recording sessions held at The Bunker Studio and John Kilgore Sound & Recording in September & October 2022. Alan Silverman of Aerial Sound served as mastering engineer. The album is Executive Produced by Steve Kyriakis and Matt Donaldson for MDSK Productions. So proud of this beautiful production. If you didn't happen to catch it in Michigan, here are some photos! |
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