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[0:01] Joe Barros: The music of tomorrow is being written today.

[0:10] Jen Sandler: The music of tomorrow is almost ready to play.

[0:18] Joe Barros: Experience the musicals of tomorrow, today.

[0:21] Jen Sandler: Get a glimpse inside the blueprint of an original musical being developed in real time.

[0:26] Joe Barros: With New York Theatre Barn's podcast, The Musicals of Tomorrow.

[0:32] Jen Sandler: The music of tomorrow.

[0:40] Joe Barros: I'm Joe Barros.

[0:42] Jen Sandler: And I'm Jen Sandler.

[0:44] Joe Barros: And we're the hosts of The Musicals of Tomorrow.

[0:46] Jen Sandler: As the Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director of New York Theatre Barn, we make space to speak in community with musical theatre writers and their creative teams.

[0:56] Joe Barros: Lifting up songs from original culture-shifting musicals in development and introducing them to a global audience has become a major part of New York Theatre Barn's evolving story.

[1:06] Jen Sandler: Each original musical's intention, content, and journey are unique and extraordinary to the storytellers who create them.

[1:14] Joe Barros: We believe that there is no formula for musical theatre except authenticity.

[1:20] Jen Sandler: We recently spoke with the writer of Seasons, Tyler Tafolla, and the writers of Starry, Matt Dahan, and Kelly Lynne D’Angelo.

[1:26] Joe Barros: Our first musical is Seasons, which has book, music, and lyrics by Tyler Tafolla.

[1:32] Jen Sandler: The new song cycle Seasons is about six friends who go through the milestone moments and seasons of their lives over a span of six years.

[1:40] Joe Barros: The story is told through the eyes of Max, who so desperately tries to keep his small family of six friends together.

[1:46] Jen Sandler: He discovers that life doesn't always go the way that you plan and that friends drift apart.

[1:51] Joe Barros: Max and his friends come of age as they find out why the seasons must change.

[1:57] Jen Sandler: On Friday, January 28th, a concept album of Seasons will be re-released by Broadway Records and Theatre Barn Records with a fully remastered sound.

[2:05] Joe Barros: It features Desi Oakley, Mariah Rose, Adante Carter, and more and will be available wherever you stream music.

[2:11] Jen Sandler: The show will also have an album release concert on Sunday, January 30th at Feinstein's 54 Below, featuring stars of Jagged Little Pill, Be More Chill, The Prom, and more, with tickets on sale now.

[2:26] Joe Barros: And now, here's our conversation with the writer of Seasons, Tyler Tafolla.

[2:32] Tyler Tafolla: Hello!

[2:34] Joe Barros: Hello!

[2:35] Jen Sandler: So, Tyler, you are a Los Angeles-based writer, performer, and director.

[2:39] Tyler Tafolla: Your other musical in development is Scott Robbins and the Traveling Show, which follows a young con man passing himself off as a world-famous musician to join a traveling circus and make a better life for himself.

[2:51] Joe Barros: Sounds like the music man meets Ted.

[2:53] Tyler Tafolla: A little greatest showman put in there, sure.

[2:56] Jen Sandler: Totally.

[2:57] Tyler Tafolla: Everything, yeah.

[2:59] Joe Barros: Your work has been developed with Rockwell Table & Stage, Hillcrest Center for the Arts, and New York Theater Festival Summerfest.

[3:05] Tyler Tafolla: And I've had the great privilege of getting to explore material from Seasons with my students at The Right Way, my students at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, and students in my private studio.

[3:16] Jen Sandler: So, Joe is your hype man, is what he's trying to tell you.

[3:19] Tyler Tafolla: Yes. I love it. I'll take it.

[3:22] Joe Barros: Additionally, Theater Barn Records, our new imprint of Broadway Records, will be collaborating with Broadway Records on the release of an album of Seasons.

[3:30] Tyler Tafolla: It will be remixed and remastered from its original release.

[3:33] Joe Barros: We know people need to know, more people need to know about Seasons, because I believe that the show is going to be licensed and produced and performed all over the world.

[3:42] Tyler Tafolla: Absolutely. And this is a world premiere announcement, so you heard it here first.

[3:46] Joe Barros: A new album of Seasons is coming out.

[3:48] Tyler Tafolla: Woo! So exciting.

[3:50] Joe Barros: I'm so pumped. This team is amazing.

[3:53] Tyler Tafolla: I've been talking with them for a long time now, and it is just, like, so exciting to finally talk about it now.

[3:59] Jen Sandler: Awesome. Well, yeah, so let's talk about it a little more. What inspired you to write such a dynamic and eclectic song cycle rooted in friendship, love, and heartbreak?

[4:10] Tyler Tafolla: Like you said, I had written a musical, Scott Robbins and the Traveling Show. I had been workshopping and pitching it here and there. I wanted to write something a little more, a little smaller, a little more, you know, scaled back. I had been working on writing songs here and there. I had been doing a one-man show at Rockwell, which is how that kind of all got started. And I was showcasing all these original songs. They didn't have a through line yet or, you know, any sort of structure yet. But they're all good songs. And I realized like halfway through writing them is like these all, you know, hit key moments in people's lives. You know, falling in love and out of love, chasing careers, starting families and all that kind of stuff.

And I was like, I might as well, since it's all about, you know, the different seasons of our life. Let's turn this into a song cycle. Let's have some fun with it. Like I said, I wanted to, you know, do something a little more scaled back with a smaller cast. And that the story could be told throughout just the music. So that's kind of where I wanted to be. And I think what's so exciting about song cycles is they have a through line, but at the same time, they are their own thing too. You know, they can be a song on their own. Your songs can live on as singles, but also be part of this greater story.

[5:30] Jen Sandler: Yeah, that's the exciting thing. You can like listen to any of the songs on the album now and take, you know, just take the song as itself and see a whole arc of a person's character throughout it. So that's fun. That's exciting stuff. They're like mini one-act plays. One of the songs I really love is called One Step Behind, which we're going to hear later.

[5:40] Tyler Tafolla: And I could immediately relate to the song. I went to kindergarten early when I was four. It was a really traumatic year for me. It was, for those of you who know the story of my grandparents, it was the year my grandparents were dying and it was incredibly painful for my family. And so I actually stayed back in kindergarten. I did kindergarten twice. But that moment, which might have seemed like strange at the time, my parents supported me through it. I always feel like I was given this gift to have an extra moment to examine how to continue my life. And so One Step Behind, I immediately identified because the lyric is, you're always one step behind, but you're one step ahead. And so I feel like by being pulled back, I was able to get even further. And I thank my parents for trusting the educators for seeing that.

[6:34] Jen Sandler: That's amazing. Oh, my gosh. I'm so happy you took that from that. That's awesome.

[6:39] Tyler Tafolla: I feel like sometimes your life is a musical. What I love about what Lin-Manuel Miranda said in a documentary that I saw recently, he said, musicals are about us. And musicals can be about anything. And I think there's so many incredible themes in Seasons. And even when we were talking about it with Van over at Broadway Records, we were saying, you know, this is the modern songs for a new world. This has that feeling.

[7:06] Jen Sandler: Yeah.

[7:07] Tyler Tafolla: That's totally like the way I went about it. It's like we have, you know, like you said, we have six characters. They're all going through different journeys of their life. They're going through their different seasons. And sometimes they come together. Sometimes they separate. And seeing how the lines cross and move away from each other, that's the exciting stuff. And when you're talking about One Step Behind and talking about, you know, musicals are about us, that song in particular is definitely specifically a song that, like, I was in a moment, you know, where I was, like, thinking to myself and thinking about the person that I would want to be with someday and thinking, like, I'm ready for you.

I'm excited. You know, whoever you are, maybe I've met you. Maybe I haven't yet. But, you know, I can't wait till we meet or meet again or meet for the first time. Either way, just know I'm going to be in it to win it, which is funny because literally, like, a couple months later, I met my now fiancé. Who's on this album.

[8:07] Jen Sandler: Who's on this album.

[8:08] Tyler Tafolla: So it all connects.

[8:10] Jen Sandler: It all connects.

[8:11] Tyler Tafolla: And I think, like, at the end of the day, love and friendship and heartbreak, they're so general. But at the same time, there's something that everybody goes through.

[8:18] Jen Sandler: Well, I mean, for me, like, I love breaking down things to its simplest form that can be accessible for everybody. Like when I'm writing, I think like I'm writing in the headspace of like, you know, what's something that we've all gone through? We've all experienced falling out of relationships, falling out of friendships. Ten years ago, 15 years ago, I was in high school and you're telling your friends like, you know, oh, we'll always stay together forever, you know, and then like life happens.

[8:42] Joe Barros: Yeah.

[8:43] Tyler Tafolla: And it's not a bad thing. And that is OK to become different people as you age. So I think with the show, it just kind of like allows people to like, hey, it's OK. You're doing OK. Don't feel the weight of everything you're thinking. You know, there's people where like I'm closer than ever with them. There's people where I haven't seen them in over a year. And it's all a test right now. And it's all, you know, everyone, we're all going through things and we all.

[9:08] Jen Sandler: Yeah, we all need each other in different ways.

[9:10] Tyler Tafolla: Yeah. And especially like because we recorded and the thought that kept coming by, which, you know, is kind of the crux of the end of the show. It's like we don't have control over a lot of things that happen in our life. We can't go back. We can't fix it. We can't change it. So what are we going to do moving forward? Where are we going to go from here? It's our narrative that we have to follow, but we can't change the narrative. It's it's written and that's that.

[9:35] Jen Sandler: Exactly. So tell us more about the development of your show. You know, Rockwell, as you said, has played a huge part in your development and it's kind of what led you to your concept album.

[9:44] Tyler Tafolla: Yeah. So, yeah, we did the Rockwell show and that was awesome. And then I decided to do the song cycle and it was pretty much just like a writing experiment for me just to see if I could do it. Because prior to that, I did a full book musical. So I was like, can I tell a story within, you know, 15, 10 songs or whatever? But I did exactly like you're saying. I went back to like, you know, edges and songs for a new world or like the last five years and seeing like, what's the structure of that? How can I use what's come before? Because I'm always, you know, I'm a nostalgia junkie and I just take what's come before and because it works and seeing like, how can I take the good things that have already come before and create something new out of it that is relevant to the world that we're living in today?

The show was finished and we were going to do a production of it in Southern California back in like February or I think it was March 2020. We were going to do auditions like that and do it that summer and then everything. So but again, in the same like in the same spirit of the show, it's like, OK, where are we going to go with this? What are we going to do now? And I was like, I might as well do an album because I still have these songs out. And it was the perfect time to get, you know, to work with artists that like I wouldn't have been able to work with prior because of everything. Like we got Mariah's Faith on it, who's awesome and has been such an advocate. You had Adante Carter. You had Dylan Klena. You had so many great people. It was a dream. It was awesome. And we were all in our rooms just wanting to create something. So it was like, you know, just the perfect time.

[11:27] Jen Sandler: So what is the first song we're going to hear tonight?

[11:29] Tyler Tafolla: I believe it's More Than This. It is.

[11:33] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Um, yeah, so this is more than this. This is the character Sandy who is, um, starts the show at a very different place than the end. She ends up, she has plans of traveling the world and getting out of her own town and doing all these things. And then she, um, finds herself as a single mother trying to make sense of this world that is, you know, crumbled around her. And she comes to a point in, by the end of the song where she realizes, like, this is all I've ever wanted. You know, this, this kid, this life that I have, you know, this is what I'm going to put all my, you know, effort and attention into, because it's giving me the most joy. And all I've wanted is, you know, joy and someone to love. And that's like, you know, what she discovers by the end of it. So it's called More Than This. I hope. Who is singing it? Your fabulous fiancé?

[12:24] Matt Dahan: Yes! Megan Kuromoto Monroe, soon to be Tavoya, which is pretty rad. And she's the best. And yeah, she sings beautifully. And I hope you guys just, you know, fall in love with her. More Than This.

[12:36] ♪ Musical number: "More Than This" — performed by Megan Kuromoto Monroe ♪

[16:35] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: That's a great song, and I can tell you from experience, children across America are starting to sing that song. Yeah, so great. So I wanted to quickly ask you, before we saw the next song, Starry has been a big sibling to Seasons. Tell us what it's been like to have the support of Matt and Kelly.

[17:00] Tyler Tafolla: Their team is just the absolute best, because a lot of the team that recorded with us and shared a lot of stuff with us, they're from the Starry family too, so it's just kind of a cool little collaboration that we've been doing together. Kelly and Matt have been talking back and forth just about our experiences and how we've tried to navigate this new digital way of making new musicals, which is pretty crazy, because it's getting more and more hard for original things to come out, at least from my experience. And that's just a state of the world. There's way more media and things to consume now, so it's a lot harder for original artists and original writers to find their audience right now. So little things like the things we did at Rockwell or the things we're doing now, it's giving writers and artists a stage to stand on, which is pretty awesome.

And the more we can all come together, either on the internet or together, however, that's going to be the way that original art is going to keep on happening, because if not, we're going to continue getting a lot of the same stuff, which I want to hear. I want to continue to hear new stuff. Give us more to see, you know?

[18:16] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Well, this next song is one step behind the song I was telling you about before, or telling you that I loved before, and you're going to be singing it. Did you want to tell us a little bit more about it from your perspective?

[18:25] Tyler Tafolla: Yeah, sure. So yeah, it's around the end of the show. It's our 11 o'clock number. Max, one of the main characters, he's kind of our narrator throughout this whole thing. He's at a point where, you know, the six friends have all kind of gone their own separate ways, gone their own journeys of growing up and all of that. And he's kind of in a space where he doesn't know what the next step is. He doesn't know what path to take, where to go. And he's been burned a lot from past relationships and all that kind of stuff. He's gone through the ringer, a lot of that stuff. So he's at a point where all he can do now is just think about, just sit and think about what it's going to be like when he finally gets to the point where he's with somebody he loves, where he is in a point of his life where he loves the person he is, all that kind of stuff.

And he's just imagining in his head how amazing that's going to be. And it's a song of hope, you know, in the sense of like, you know, it's not there yet, but I know it's going to be this, I know it can be this, and I'm excited when it happens.

[19:37] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Wow, and you are singing this and you normally don't sing this song. So this is a big treat for everyone.

[19:40] Tyler Tafolla: Pretty rad. You get some Tafoya pipes tonight. There you go. So here's One Step Behind.

[19:46] ♪ Musical number: "One Step Behind" — performed by Tyler Tafolla ♪

[23:01] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Wow. Well, beautiful, beautiful work. We cannot wait to release this.

[23:06] Tyler Tafolla: It's really exciting to be here and share more about "Seasons." The journey of creating this song cycle has been incredible, and I can't wait for everyone to experience it.

[23:36] Matt Dahan: Absolutely! And with "Starry," we’ve been on a similar path. The story of the van Gogh brothers is so rich, and it’s been a joy to bring that to life through our music.

[23:54] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: I think both of our projects really explore the themes of connection and the passage of time, which resonate deeply with audiences.

[24:22] Tyler Tafolla: For "Seasons," we focus on the milestones of friendship and how those relationships evolve over time. It’s a reflection of real life, where sometimes people drift apart.

[24:50] Matt Dahan: And in "Starry," we delve into the bond between Theo and Vincent, showcasing how their relationship influenced their art and lives. It’s about finding your voice and the importance of support.

[25:14] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: I love how both shows highlight the beauty and complexity of human relationships. It’s something everyone can relate to, no matter their background.

[25:44] Tyler Tafolla: Exactly! And with the remastered album of "Seasons" coming out, we hope to reach even more people and share that message.

[26:10] Matt Dahan: And for "Starry," the response to our concept album has been overwhelming. It’s amazing to see how the music resonates with listeners.

[26:38] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: We’re also excited about the upcoming performances. There’s something special about sharing this work live with an audience.

[27:04] Tyler Tafolla: Yes! The concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below is going to be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the music and connect with fans.

[27:34] Matt Dahan: And we’re thrilled to be part of a community that supports new works. It’s vital for the growth of musical theatre.

[28:02] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Absolutely! We’re all in this together, and it’s inspiring to see so many artists pushing boundaries and telling new stories.

[28:30] Tyler Tafolla: I think that’s what makes this moment in theatre so exciting. There’s a real hunger for fresh perspectives and innovative storytelling.

[28:58] Matt Dahan: And it’s important to celebrate that diversity in voices. Each story brings something unique to the table.

[29:26] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: I agree! It’s about creating space for everyone and ensuring that all stories are heard.

[29:56] Tyler Tafolla: And as we move forward, I hope we continue to uplift one another and champion new works that challenge the status quo.

[30:24] Matt Dahan: Well said! It’s about collaboration and supporting each other’s journeys in this industry.

[30:54] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: I’m excited to see where we all go from here and how our projects will evolve.

[31:24] Tyler Tafolla: Me too! It’s a thrilling time to be part of the theatre community.

[31:54] Matt Dahan: And we’re grateful for platforms like this podcast that allow us to share our stories and connect with audiences.

[32:24] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Thank you for having us and for shining a light on our work!

[32:36] Tyler Tafolla: Yes, thank you! We can’t wait for everyone to hear our music and experience our stories.

[33:06] Matt Dahan: Here’s to the future of musical theatre and all the incredible stories yet to be told!

[33:34] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Cheers to that!

[34:02] Tyler Tafolla: Let’s keep the conversation going and inspire each other along the way.

[34:32] Matt Dahan: Absolutely!

[34:39] Tyler Tafolla: So, Seasons is really about the journey of these six friends, and it takes place over the span of six years. Each song represents a different season in their lives, and we really wanted to capture those milestone moments that everyone goes through.

[35:09] Matt Dahan: And I think what’s really interesting about it is how Max, the main character, tries to hold everyone together. He’s really the glue of the group, and as life happens, he learns that sometimes people drift apart, and that’s okay.

[35:39] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Exactly! It’s about growth and change, and how those seasons reflect not just the weather but also the emotional landscapes we navigate as we grow up.

[36:09] Tyler Tafolla: And we’re really excited about the remastered album coming out. It’s been a labor of love, and we hope it resonates with people who have experienced similar journeys.

[36:39] Matt Dahan: Speaking of journeys, Starry is also about a deep connection between two brothers, Theo and Vincent van Gogh. It’s inspired by their letters and explores the power of expression through art.

[37:09] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: The contemporary pop-rock score really brings their story to life, and we wanted to make sure that the music felt fresh and relatable while still honoring their legacy.

[37:39] Tyler Tafolla: It’s fascinating how both of our projects deal with relationships and the passage of time, albeit in very different contexts.

[38:09] Matt Dahan: Absolutely! And the way we approach storytelling through music can really elevate those themes. It’s all about finding that emotional core.

[38:39] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: And I think that’s what makes both Seasons and Starry so special. They’re not just musicals; they’re experiences that invite the audience to reflect on their own lives.

[39:09] Tyler Tafolla: We’re really looking forward to sharing these stories with everyone and hope they find something in them that resonates.

[40:09] Matt Dahan: And for anyone interested, the concept albums for both shows are available for streaming now, so you can get a taste of what we’re creating.

[40:16] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Plus, we have some exciting performances lined up, so stay tuned for those announcements!

[40:19] Tyler Tafolla: It’s going to be a great opportunity to see the music come to life on stage.

[40:25] Matt Dahan: And we’re so grateful for the support from the community. It really means a lot to us.

[40:32] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Definitely! We couldn’t do this without the amazing artists and audiences who believe in our work.

[40:36] Tyler Tafolla: It’s all about connection, and we hope to foster that through our shows.

[40:40] Matt Dahan: And we’re excited to see where these stories take us next!

[40:46] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Here’s to new seasons and new stories!

[40:53] Tyler Tafolla: Cheers to that!

[41:01] Matt Dahan: Thanks for having us on the podcast today. It’s been a pleasure sharing our work with you.

[41:06] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Yes, thank you! We appreciate the opportunity to discuss our projects.

[41:10] Tyler Tafolla: And we can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks about Seasons and Starry!

[41:26] Matt Dahan: Let’s keep the conversation going and continue to support each other in this incredible industry.

[41:39] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Absolutely! Collaboration is key, and we’re all in this together.

[42:09] Tyler Tafolla: Here’s to more stories that inspire and challenge us!

[42:39] Matt Dahan: And to the friendships that form along the way.

[43:09] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Thank you again for having us, and we hope to see you at our upcoming events!

[43:39] Tyler Tafolla: Yes, thank you! We’re looking forward to it.

[44:09] Matt Dahan: Until next time, keep creating and supporting the arts!

[44:39] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Bye everyone!

[45:09] Tyler Tafolla: Bye!

[45:39] Matt Dahan: Bye!

[46:09] Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: Bye!