The Making of MOSAIC

About a year ago I got a phone call from Paulette Haupt, a producer in New York who runs the O'Neill National Musical Theatre Conference. She asked me if I would be interested in writing a piece for a new series she was creating called INNER VOICES. She described the project as kind of a musical version of Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads," saying she wondered what would happen if she commissioned writers to write musical monologues. One actor, alone on stage for 30-40 minutes. One or two musicians. Those were the parameters. Go.

Paulette suggested I might want to meet Cheri Steinkellner, a writer based on the west coast (as I am). Cheri's credits are impressive: in addition to having SISTER ACT currently running on London's West End, she wrote a musical called PRINCESSES, a movie called TEACHER'S PET and a little TV show called CHEERS. Yeah, okay, I'll meet her. We had coffee and she pitched me an idea about a woman keeping a video blog. As the woman talked into the computer, the images she saw on her screen would be projected onto an upstage wall. The woman would be archiving her life and at a certain point in the show we'd realize she was pregnant, and she was archiving for her unborn child with the fear that she might not be there to watch the child grow up. It was a great start and it made me excited to think about working with her.

This idea ultimately became MOSAIC, and we spent the fall of 2009 writing it. The first draft Cheri sent me was about seven pages long... this happens, then this happens, then there's a song, then this happens, etc. And we carved away at it, adding lyrics and music and reshaping the dialogue until we had a version that was about 35 minutes long. We flew to New York, and with Cheri at her computer and me at the piano, we played it for Paulette, who cried at the end. Success.

Paulette was pulling all the details together for the Off-Broadway production, and the other piece she'd commissioned was written by composer Josh Schmidt and playwright David Simpatico. (Their piece is called WHIDA PERU.) Director Jonathan Butterell was examining both pieces, trying to find things about them that linked them together. If you know me, and you know Josh, you can see what a challenge that might have been. I have really gotten to know Josh and his work through this process, and I think he's an astounding musician and an inspiring composer, but as he said to me during the rehearsal process, "We don't even breathe the same musical air."

Cheri and I, along with Paulette and Jonathan, began talking about casting and all came to the conclusion that the piece would be a natural fit for Heidi Blickenstaff. We made an offer and hoped she'd say yes. Thrillingly, she did. Steve Marzullo, a friend and colleague I respect and admire but had never worked with, agreed to music direct. We found Simon Kafka to play the guitar parts, which then meant I had to write guitar parts. We were off and running.

Creative team in place, we rehearsed in New York for the month of March and ran for sixteen performances in April at Primary Stages, housed in 59 East 59th Street Theater. The rehearsal process was pretty standard, I suppose, except it was exhausting for Heidi never having anyone else as a scene partner. And the piece asked her to get very emotional and very personal. She's a total rock star, because she did it all, sometimes crying her way through rehearsal (often making everyone else in the room cry, too), sometimes screaming, trying things, rejecting them, keeping them, elaborating on them, challenging us to make our work specific and correct. Meanwhile, our director Jonathan had such a respect for the writing, for the actor's process, for making the rehearsal room a safe space where risks can be taken and process can grow. He is musical. He is thoughtful. He is organized. Cheri and I have made a few small changes at his request, but really the overall sense in the room has been that the script has something to say and it's everyone's job to honor it and bring it to life. Ooooohhhhhh what a treat it is to have so much space to grow.

And then we teched, and then we opened, and then we got reviewed, and then we closed. It was a quick chapter, the birth of this little piece. My very favorite thing about the process, and what I say when anyone asks me, is that it was a thrill to be commissioned to write a piece and then get to see it come to life. We didn't get stuck in development. We didn't have seven hundred readings. We didn't have to fire anyone. There were no legal battles or personality conflicts. We just wrote it, and Paulette just did it. For giving me THAT experience on my first Off-Broadway show, I will always be grateful. Thanks, all.

P.S. In the works... We plan to write a companion piece to MOSAIC: our own second act. We've recorded three of the songs with Heidi, which I hope to release on my next album. And the sheet music to those three songs is available here ("Not Yet") and here ("You Never Know") and here ("Lullaby").

MOSAIC (part of INNER VOICES)
written by CHERI STEINKELLNER and GEORGIA STITT
starring HEIDI BLICKENSTAFF
directed by JONATHAN BUTTERELL
music direction and piano STEVE MARZULLO
guitar SIMON KAFKA

produced by PAULETTE HAUPT and PRIMARY STAGES at 59 East 59th Street
producing associate SUSAN ELLIOT
stage manager BOB BENNETT
assistant stage manager AARON GONZALES
costume and set design DANE LAFFREY
lighting design JENNIFER SCHRIEVER
sound design TOBY ALGYA
video design ROCCO DISANTI

TWEETS

As if there weren't enough ways to promote yourself online, I have now succumbed to Twitter. If you TWEET like a TWEETY-BIRD, then please follow me. I'm georgiastitt. But you knew that. Thanks. Just trying to keep up with the kids.

WORDS AND MUSIC master class

Academy II: HOW TO CREATE A MUSICAL

Sunday May 23rd

Barnsdall Gallery Theatre


Festival Training for Young Composers, Lyricists and Writers

Here's a chance for high school and college students to spend a day working with some of the great theater writers of today learning what the pros know about how to write a musical, how to compose a score, write lyrics, conceive the book. If you're interested, let us know right away. We've booked the theater at Barnsdall Art Park for Sunday, May 23 from 9:30am-3pm. You will also have the opportunity to present your musical idea and/or perform for the panel’s feedback. Please let us know in advance if you wish to do so or simply take it all in.

Our faculty includes: Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Georgia Stitt (Sing Me a Happy Song) and Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary (First Date). This is the chance of a lifetime to learn from the pros. The cost of participating will only be $25 per person. Limit of 50 people. We need to know right away if you're interested. Just email us at: info@lafestival.org and we'll follow up.

Angels 4 Ana Cabaret

HELLO! MY BABY

Monday, March 29, 7:30PM

The Theatre Company at CAP21 presents:

Hello! My Baby

Book by Cheri Steinkellner

Music Supervision and Arrangements by Georgia Stitt

Musical Direction by Aron Accurso

Directed by Cheri Steinkellner and Janet Brenner

Cast Featuring: Harrison Brian Fuchs, Charlotte Maltby, Ashley Mortensen, Emma Steinkellner, Ashley Kane, Matt Gibson, Howard McGillin, Nick Austin, Kevin Metzger, Adam Mosebach, Robbie Metzbower, Jacob Hoffman, Julie Halston, and Robert Creighton

HELLO! MY BABY weaves an updated Tin Pan Alley score into a new-fashioned story of teen song-pluggers, gangsters, immigrants, and debutantes on the Lower East Side of New York, as they fall in love, peddle tunes, gender-swap, and two-step over society to make their dreams come true via the brand-new art form they're making up as they go along: American Popular Music.


Monday, March 29th at 7:30PM

The Shop @ CAP21

18 West 18th Street, 6th Floor

FREE to the public. Reservations Recommended.

Click here for Free TICKETS or call 212-352-3101

LET ONE CHILD SEE

LET ONE CHILD SEE
Music by Georgia Stitt
Lyrics by Bil Wright
©2000 Geocate Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved

Cole Burden, singer


You've made me see
that life is still around here living,
that in the wind somewhere,
a child may be singing.
Please speak to me, Earth.
Tell me that I can be.
Of all the things that God has made,
He's just as proud of me.
Let one child see.

You've made me see
that from the darkness may come learning.
That in the night somewhere
a lifefire may be burning.
Please speak to me, Earth.
Tell me that I can be.
Of all the things my God has made,
He's just as proud of me.
Let one child see.
You've made me see.
Let one child see.

And should someone ask, "Was there love here?"
I'll say that it shone through the rain.
And if they should ask about giving,
I'll look through my memory and see
someone who got so much from living
and gave it all day by day to me.
Let one child see.

You've made me see
that lives are still around here living,
that on these streets somewhere
my own child may be praying.
Please speak to me, Earth.
Tell me that I can be.
Is Is this a place where I'll find grace,
and stumbling blocks become the rocks
on which my on which my life can stand?
Now hear me, God!
As you've shown me, please let just one child see!
Let one child see.              

The Human Heart: Helping Haiti's Children

First the facts. I have a song to be included in this benefit on March 1st. It's called "THE HUMAN HEART: HELPING HAITI'S CHILDREN." It's at Joe's Pub. You can buy tickets here. ($40 general admission, $100 premium.) Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty are presenting, and Randy Redd is directing. There's a star-studded cast and a band. You would probably want to go even if it wasn't a benefit.

Now, the backstory. Randy Redd is an amazing man. I met him ten years ago when we were both on the tour of PARADE. He was an actor; I was a pianist. We became really great friends and over the years he's done readings and demo recordings for me. In the time since, he's become a music director, himself, and he's a great vocal coach, too. And he's a composer. (Talented, much?) But, perhaps most relevant to this evening's theme, he's become quite the producer of humanitarian entertainment, too. (Is that the right way to say it? He uses entertainment to do really good, really important work.)

In the fall of 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Randy (who is from Mississippi) co-created an organization called AFTER THE STORM. It's hard for me to put words into their mouths, but as I understand it, the initial goal of the organization was to use the arts (particularly musical theater) to bring aid to the post-traumatic youth of New Orleans. The first thing they did was to mount a production of Ahrens and Flaherty's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND using local kids, survivors, many of whom had never before been involved in musicals. The second thing they did was make a documentary about it. Go to THIS PAGE and view the trailer to be inspired by the work they are doing.

Their work in New Orleans continues, but this month it expands as Lynn, Steve, and Randy put together this benefit to provide some relief to the children of Haiti. I am thrilled to be a part of it and I hope you'll do what you can to support their efforts, as well. (My song is called "Let One Child See." Bil Wright wrote the lyrics and it will be performed by Cole Burden and a choir of backup singers.)

Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and After The Storm present
The Human Heart: Helping Haiti's Children
Monday, March 1st at 7 PM
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette
New York

Tickets
$40 (General)
$100 (Premium - includes Preferred Seating, Meet & Greet and more!)

www.joespub.com

Starring: Farah Alvin (Chess, The Look Of Love, Nine, I Love You Because), Betty Buckley (Triumph of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Carrie, Song & Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Cats, 1776), Tituss Burgess (Guys And Dolls, The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys), Quentin Darrington (Ragtime), Gregg Edelman (A Tale Of Two Cities, Wonderful Town, Into The Woods, City Of Angels), Kecia Lewis-Evans (The Drowsy Chaperone, Once On This Island, Chicago), Rachel Bay Jones (Hair), Janine LaManna (The Drowsy Chaperone, Seussical, Ragtime), One Life To Live's Mark Lawson, James Lecesne, Michael McElroy (Big River, The Wild Party, Rent, The Who's Tommy), Gerry McIntyre (Once On This Island), Jill Paice (The 39 Steps, Curtains, The Woman In White), Billy Porter (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Grease), Christy Romano (Avenue Q, Parade), Robin Skye (Parade, Cyrano), Stephanie Umoh (Ragtime), Lynne Wintersteller (A Grand Night For Singing, Closer Than Ever) and Andrea Frierson (Once On This Island, Marie Christine, Juan Darien, The Lion King). This fundraiser will also feature new songs by Brooke Sunny Moriber, Bill Schermerhorn and Michael Feinstein and Georgia Stitt and Bil Wright and special appearances by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and more. Directed by Randy Redd, Aaron Jodoin musical directs and leads a 5 piece band with vocalists Cole Burden, Mary Catherine McDonald, Caroline Dooner, Justin Lopez and Matt Dengler. All proceeds go through After The Storm directly to SOS Children’s Villages.

SOS Children's Villages is assessing the most immediate needs of the thousands of victims of the disaster in Haiti and will provide medical supplies, drinking water and basic food supplies. In the days and weeks to come, SOS Children's Villages Haiti will provide temporary care for children who are not accompanied by adults or even long-term care for children who have lost their parents in this terrible catastrophe.

www.sos-childrensvillages.org

30,000 Songwriters In The Making (Paul Williams)

Important stuff, and how exciting to be fighting the same fight as Paul Williams! From the Huffington Post. 30,000 Songwriters In The Making.

I'm a songwriter. I've also been an actor, a performer, a public speaker, a husband, a dad and -- currently -- the president and chairman of the board of ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). But I'll always be a songwriter, because creating music is a big part of how I know I'm alive.

I'm worried for the future of this craft. People who create music have more tools, technology and options at their disposal than ever before. Yet the question of how they can and will make a living from their art has become a flash-point for attack, particularly online. An "attack mentality" has taken root, springing up at any mention of how creators should be compensated when their works are used in digital channels. And speaking frankly, it's strangling the real dialogue that's sorely needed.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.

AUSTRALIA

Anyone in Melbourne reading this? There's a concert of my music coming up on the 22nd of February (8 pm) that includes the Australian premiere of "Alphabet City Cycle." Click here for details!