The Musical Mood Ring

I have to admit it's been a busy last couple of weeks, with much busier ones on the horizon. I've been preparing for a reading of one of my own plays set for November, in addition to launching a new podcast on Crazytown (listen in-- we'll be sure to talk about musicals in future episodes). It's been so busy that I haven't had a chance to write out something more elaborate for Emerging Musical Theatre this week, but I do promise there's a ton of exciting things on the horizon (Look at the calendar! The next couple of months are going to be musical-filled for sure). In the meantime, I simply leave you with this gorgeous song from Todd Almond, which was recently featured in Sherie Rene Scott's 54 Below concert (and is performed below at a St. Mark's Church concert). "Oh, Sean" is a strangely cathartic tune, a wistful song for the realist lover:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

It may have just ended its run at the Yale Repertory Theatre, but that doesn't lessen my enthusiasm about the recently mounted production of Adam Bock and Todd Almond's adaptation of We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Based on the book by Shirley Jackson, this twisted classic was just waiting to have the musical treatment like the upcoming Matilda adapted from Roald Dahl's awesome novel. Adam Bock is already a well recognized playwright in his own right, but Todd Almond is definitely up-and-coming, having worked on the music for Marcus Gardley's On the Levee and having written the book for the musical Girlfriend, which had its world premiere Berkeley Rep this past spring. Below are the trailers for the Yale Rep productions, along with a video of Jonathan Groff singing "At Sixteen" from Todd's Kansas City Choir Boy: