Listening to People You May Know

Many of the cabaret concerts covered on this blog are initiated by the songwriters themselves or by theatre companies specifically interested in showcasing new writing talent. People You May Know cabaret series is a collection of three actors-- Julia Burrows, Michael Deleget, and Leslie Henstock-- who choose three songwriters/songwriting teams to feature in each iteration of their concerts (their last was version 4.0).

People You May Know is an interesting glimpse into what it is about new work that inspires and interests actors, as the performers takes turns tackling some of the writers' songs and other songs that have influenced the writers' work. When it comes to the latter, sometimes this leads to a rousing cover of classics like "I Can't Make You Love Me," but other times it can lead to interesting new arrangements (usually by musical director Andrew Byrne) like a mashup of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "One and Only." Overall, the shows are great for any musical theatre enthusiast because they welcome new interpretations of newer work, with a fresh stamp by the performers themselves.

I had the pleasure of attending People You May Know 4.0, which featured personal favorite writers of mine: Michael Mahler, Will Van Dyke, and Joe Iconis. Below are some highlights, but feel free to watch all the videos from the show on People You May Know's Youtube channel or on their website (there's videos from past shows too!)

Michael and Julia singing Michael Mahler's "Couldn't You Stay":

Michael singing Will Van Dyke's "Settle":

Leslie singing Joe Iconis' "The Actress":

And because it's too manic and delicious not to share, Julia singing Joe Iconis' "Ammonia":

Tomorrow Morning and beyond

Laurence Mark Wythe is a British musical theatre writer whose work has been featured with Perfect Pitch in the West End and is currently running in New York. Tomorrow Morning, which is playing at The York Theatre until April 23rd, tells the story of two couples, both on the brink of pivotal points in their relationships. One couple is about to take the next step in their relationship; the other is about to end theirs. Through their connected stories, Tomorrow Morning explores the possibility and complexity of relationships, especially when examined through major, defining moments in time.

One thing I love about Wythe's music is the way, especially his group numbers, it seems to melodically piece out individual stories and then converge again to form a greater whole. His other works, The Lost Christmas and Through the Door, are contemporary pieces that also explore modern relationships, finding connections through rhythm and rhyme. Here are a few videos to check out his music for yourself:

Stuart Matthew Price singing "Goodnight Kiss":

The opening number from Through the Door from the 2008 Perfect Pitch showcase:

Rehearsal footage from the Chicago production of Tomorrow Morning, featuring Charissa Armon, Jonathan Rayson, Emily Thompson, and, lo and behold, Michael Mahler:

If you want to check out Tomorrow Morning during its current run, The York Theatre Company is offering a special discount off tickets to remaining performances. You can get tickets for $47.00 (regularly $67.50) by mentioning the code HHCMORNING at either YorkTheatre.org or calling (212) 935-5820.

Channel Surfing

I'm pretty sure that if I went to every new musical theatre show/concert coming up in the next couple of months, I would not only be exhausted but incredibly poor. Not that it wouldn't be worth it -- because there are a ton of great shows coming up (like this one and this one... also, this one... and this one). But while I've been seeing a lot of live theater lately, I also thought it would make for good conversation to point out some other sources for experiencing some new music, whether or not you're in the city.

Many writers have their own Youtube channel, and it's one of the best ways to keep up on their latest works and hear new songs. But there are also a lot of other Youtube channels out there that feature new musical theatre songs sung by incredibly talented people with new interpretations. I thought for this post, I would just share a few of my favorites:

Contemporary Classics is a theatre company that develops and produces contemporary musical theatre. They also post videos on their Youtube channel from their New Voices concerts, which are full of fantastic performers going to town on songs from a slew of new writers. I've posted a few videos on here before, but here are some other great performances:

Keely Avery singing Jonathan Reid Gealt's "No Reason At All":


Christian Duhamel & Jenny Shotwell singing Michael Mahler's "Couldn't You Stay":



Aside from Contemporary Classics, I easily lose all track of time watching videos from New York Theatre Barn, whose videos are the hugest treat if you're looking for fresh new songs. Their Youtube channel is regularly updated with their monthly shows from their D-Lounge. A few worth checking out (though if you want to get sucked in, check out their channel and watch them all):

Alex Brightman singing Kirsten Guenther and Gaby Alter's "Hit Song":


Amy Linden singing Eric March's "Weekend Away":



I've also been a longtime fan of the Urintown Youtube channel, which features performances from UMich's Musical Theatre program. While now there's a lot of varying content on the channel from Andrew Keenan Bolger's blog to episodes of The Battery's Down (which are also worth taking a look at), there are still some great gems from many benefits/concerts, especially The Girly Shows. Oldies but goodies:

Ricki Foss singing Marc Smollin and Kelly Dupuis' "Eduardo":


Cortney Wolfson singing Miller & Tysen's "I Could Go Back":



My last Youtube channel to check out is a recent discovery, but one that's been putting a smile on my face for the past couple of weeks. Alex Newkirk lends his effortless voice to showtune staples, as well as a bunch of newer composers on his Youtube channel.

Here's Alex singing Michael Arden's "Not Afraid":


And here is him singing Sean Grennan and Leah Okimoto's "The Lucky One":



There are, of course, tons of other resources out there. I'll continue to try to blog about them and post them here, but always feel free to share your sources for new music! It's always great to see new talent tackling new material!

How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back?

I was first charmed by the music of Alan Schmuckler and Michael Mahler at last year’s NAMT festival with their presentation of How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back? Unlike anything else at the festival, this adorable musical combined many popular fables into a story about a group of middle schoolers in detention. Think Breakfast Club meets Aesop. And while the show featured a strong book with likeable characters and funny one-liners, there was also some pretty fantastic music that ranged in style but always featured memorable tunes. The title song, in particular, is a great example of the blending of teen angst with a hummable score.



There are huge things on the horizon for this creative team, especially with a television development gig with ABC after their 15-minute web presentation of a musical comedy series Boyfred. Fascinatingly enough, the project came about after a hold up in getting the rights to adapt The Secrets of NIMH for a commission at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Having already tentatively written songs for that show, I can already see a lot of potential if the rights ever come through. Here is one particularly haunting song, beautifully rendered by Angela Ingersoll titled “If Jonathan Were Here”:



Just as a fun addition, a Michael Mahler song that I’ve been finding absolutely infectious as of late is “The Girl Next Door.” It makes even the occasionally absurd lyrics somehow make sense: