Emerging Musical Theatre: Helene Yorke

Maybe it's been the heat or the fact that I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, but I've definitely been due for a pick-me-up. There's something about the summer that leaves feelings of restlessness, so for no other reason than conjuring images of the open road and getting out of the crowded haze that is the city, here are some of my favorite travel songs as of late:

First up is Brad Alexander and Adam Mathias' "See Rock City" (sung here by Josh Young) from their song See Rock City & Other Destinations, which is currently playing at The Duke at 42nd Street:

And outdoing any Mapquest directions or GPS in style and delivery are Jay Armstrong Johnson and Alex Brightman singing "Halfway" by Ryan Scott Oliver:

And last, but hardly least, is my quintessential musical girl power road trip song, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk's "Freedom" from The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, performed by Helene Yorke and Phoebe Strole:

Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk are a musical match made in heaven. Their songs are rich in nostalgia, self-awareness, and seem to adapt to their subject matter like a glove conforming to the contours of a hand. Their work, from original musical The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown to song cycle Tales from the Bad Years to their adaptation of popular children’s book Henry and Mudge, ranges in audience and style, but their ability to communicate emotion and perspective is something that always seems to remain constant.

Recently, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk announced on their website that they will begin licensing Party Worth Crashing, a “do-it-yourself concert” in which performance companies can put on a custom-made song set of Kerrigan and Lowdermilk songs for a simple licensing fee. This marks a first in many ways: this is the only kind of show with Kerrigan and Lowdermilk music currently on the market for licensing (as far as I know), this is the first time I’ve heard of where a concert set up of a composer’s music is available for licensing as a complete show, and this is the first opportunity to hand pick the story arc and specs of a performance.

A common complaint of many people who don’t care for musicals is that they feel like musicals are just plays in which people “randomly burst into song.” Where big production numbers and spectacle used to play a huge role in the musical theatre experience, I think the videos and performances featured in this blog alone shows a trend against that impulse (even though this is still a philosophy going on strong on Broadway). Up-and-coming musical theatre works can be just as insular as they are performative on the exterior. They are more personal, able to even stand alone out of context, and they communicate universal themes in small windows of opportunity where a character can pour their heart out, rail against the man, or tell a story that reflects the truths of his or her experience. Kerrigan and Lowdermilk’s Party Worth Crashing is our first glimpse into the possibilities created by this movement, and depending on the success of this project, could become an option offered by many composers, widening the range of what exactly constitutes as “musical theatre.”

In any case, I am very curious and excited about this and can’t wait to see people starting to take advantage of the offer. To check out the information for licensing Party Worth Crashing, take a look at their page here. For the licensing fee, a company has a pick of any song in the Kerrigan and Lowdermilk songbook. So, to end out this blog entry, as well as give some audio/video clips to be entranced by, here are some videos of the songs I would have to have in my set if I was assembling a performance of Party Worth Crashing:

"Run Away With Me" sung passionately by Michael Arden