Rocket Science News

Happy Holidays to everyone.  Hope they are great for you.  

Working towards a January table reading of my new show, "Rocket Science".  Working with two great partners - Jason Rhyne on lyrics and Patricia Cotter on book.  We are getting into the piece more and more and falling in love with these characters.  I also love the fact that we are using the source material from the movie, but really making it ours as we flesh it out.  Andrew Panton, my good friend, and a great director (he is the artistic director of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) would like to see us get the show on its feet for a production at the Fringe this summer, which is entirely doable.  I would love that, since two of my other shows have been showcased there beautifully, and Edinburgh is such an incredibly beautiful city.  The Fringe is unlike anything I've ever witnessed as well.  

The writing part of the musical - getting that finished first draft - is always the fun part.  Writers are uninhibited and the essence of the piece - of what it will become and be, is done at this stage.   Its the marketing, re-writes and production problems that ensue - that gets in the way!  But nonetheless, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that "Rocket Science" sees the light of day.  It really is a marvelous story - with a great "anti-hero" who has a compelling need to join the speech and debate team in high school even though he is a terrible stutterer.  After reading about the premise and communicating with the writer, Jeff Blitz, I fell in love with the script - it is so smart - and just knew that it had the makings of a musical.  Our book writer Patricia is staying faithful to the tone but is so adept, funny and wry in her writing and is doing a beautiful job with the book.  Jason is just top notch and is writing smart and fresh lyrics all the way.  The three of us get along so well and just love the process of writing this show.  

The other thing I am loving is that it gives me a chance to write in a more contemporary vein, after having been stuck in the '50's with "Hudsucker Proxy", "Iron Curtain" and "New Jersey".   The score is still mainstream, nothing too weird or anything, but its just nice to try new harmonies and sounds.  You never know what you have until you throw it up there, and I'm not counting any chickens before they are hatched:  but what is important is to love what you are writing and believe in it.  Developmental readings, audiences (and if you get this far), critics, will take care of the rest.  

That's it for now - my first official "blog".  Happy Holidays to all.