As both a writer and a lover of musical theatre, I was overjoyed to hear the news this week that the Paramount Theatre in Aurora had launched New Works. As the theatre’s website explains:
The New Works Program at the Paramount operates year-round collaborating and partnering with writers in development of a new piece. It is committed to providing a safe, creative, collaborative and flexible environment to address the specific needs of a new work in its journey from page to stage.
As hard as it is to write, an equal challenge is getting your work in front of the right people. This exciting new program provides an open door to writers to present their original musicals for consideration and possible staging. That’s huge.
I already have a couple of musically-talented people with whom I’ve discussed collaborating… although never with this kind of opportunity so close at hand. Looks like it’s time to ramp up the conversation to a serious level.
Which, of course, leads to the next logical question: what will I write? They say there are no original ideas left in Hollywood or on Broadway. Sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one, and I accept.
Really, how hard can it be? After all, anything can be a musical. You don’t believe it? The proof is in the libretto:
- The Pajama Game (one of my personal favorites) — based on the book 7-1/2 Cents, about factory workers that wanted a raise.
- The Producers — the show-stopping “11 o’clock number” from the most successful musical in history is entitled Springtime for Hitler.
- Les Miserables — based on the knee-slapping good times of the French Revolution.
- Urinetown — ’nuff said.
You know, Hair was a big hit in the 60s. Maybe I’ll write Fur, the story of a grandma who shares her house with four dogs and two cats. If you need me, I’ll be over here with my rhyming dictionary, working on the opening number, The Lint Roller Blues.
