This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

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

[0:10] Joe Barros: The music of tomorrow is almost ready to play.

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

[0:21] Joe Barros: 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] Joe Barros: 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] Joe Barros: 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] Joe Barros: 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.

[1:19] Joe Barros: We recently spoke with the writers and creators of Anjou! The Musical Horror Tale by Guillermo Mendez M., Guadalupe Sandoval, Javier Vallarta, and Roberto Araujo and the writers of For Tonight, Whitney Rhodes, Chanel Salsito, and Spencer Williams.

[1:37] Joe Barros: Our first musical is Anjou! The Musical Horror Tale, which has music by Guillermo Mendez M., lyrics by Mendez M., and Guadalupe Sandoval, and a new English translation by Javier Vallarta.

[1:50] Joe Barros: Anjou! The Musical Horror Tale is a modern Mexican opera which recently had its English-language premiere.

[1:58] Joe Barros: The musical is a cautionary tale set in 16th-century France revolving around the massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572.

[2:08] Joe Barros: Fusing Renaissance-inspired melodies, modern orchestrations, and Latinx-infused tunes, Anjou! turns a tragic moment in history into a riveting exploration of kindness and acceptance against a backdrop of injustice, prejudice, and ruthless ambitions.

[2:26] Joe Barros: And now, here's our conversation with the writers and creators of Anjou! The Musical Horror Tale, Guillermo Mendez M., Guadalupe Sandoval, Javier Vallarta, and Roberto Araujo.

[2:39] Joe Barros: Hi guys! How are you guys? Thanks for being here.

[2:43] Joe Barros: So Javier, you are a Mexican-Canadian visual performance creator, stage director, movement coach, and translator. As a stage director, you have collaborated with Canadian companies such as Theatre Calgary, Sage Theatre, Downstage, Storybook, and Arts Commons.

[2:58] Joe Barros: In 2005, you co-founded, along with Black artist Norma Lewis, the visual performance ensemble Ocho Rojo. With this group, you have devised five interdisciplinary creations and traveled Canada and as far afield as Mexico, the Czech Republic, Sweden, France, Taiwan, and the U.K.

[3:14] Joe Barros: With Ocho Rojo, you were awarded the Innovation in Performance Award at the 2016 Staff Festival in Stockholm, Sweden, and were nominated for two 2021 Off West End Awards in London.

[3:28] Joe Barros: You've translated the text, A Hundred Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda, and Federico Garcia Lorca's Rural Trilogy.

[3:35] Joe Barros: Roberta, you're a performer and you've been a part of our New Work series twice for Sueños, our American musical. You're a director, producer, photographer, and content creator originally from Mexico City.

[3:46] Joe Barros: As the director of video production at Playbill, you've created several recurring series, including Playbill the Game Show, Elevator Pitch, and From Ballet to Broadway, as well as being a producer and editor of the recent virtual concerts Pride Spectacular, Women in Theatre, and Viva Broadway, Hear Our Voices.

[4:03] Joe Barros: You even recently directed the New York City Gay Men's Chorus Holiday Concert, Sweet is the Sound, and you've directed and produced your own solo show, Do You Dream in Spanish, at the Green Room 42. He does it all.

[4:15] Joe Barros: That's right. So, Javier and Roberto, what was the impetus for your collaboration, and why now have you chosen to translate Guillermo Mendez M. and Guadalupe Sandoval's celebrated modern Mexican opera?

[4:27] Javier Vallarta: I think the beginning of this idea, it started when we were all stuck at home craving to create things. I started doing socially distant duets with friends, and one of those duets was a duet that I sang in Anjou when I did it a few years ago.

[4:44] Javier Vallarta: So my friend Sandra Gettner in Mexico City and I just did this video, very simple, you know, straight to lens, split screen, and it got a really great response online. And that's when I was talking to Javier, and he's the one that said, let's do the whole show. And then that, that's when the wheels started turning.

[5:04] Javier Vallarta: Yeah, it was just a great opportunity. I just want to add to this that this was a great opportunity for us to showcase a musical that was not originally written in English. It's a very, very unique thing.

[5:15] Javier Vallarta: Like, especially hubs like Broadway or the West End that have so many musicals, New York or England, but they're mostly or uniquely English written musicals. So to open the door to what's out there in the world, which I'm sure is full of amazing things from different composers, that really enrich the world of musical theater.

[5:36] Javier Vallarta: So yeah, translating something to introduce a show that is Mexican, not only Mexican, but that we're not talking about culture, say, but it proves that we can talk about anything. That not because it comes from a specific place, that we don't need to talk about our background specifically. Things that maybe can become a little bit trite very soon, very fast.

[5:54] Javier Vallarta: So that something that talks about a theme that can't be written anywhere. And we were pretty proud that it came from Mexico and that it has access to the same standards as an English written musical.

[6:07] Joe Barros: And what was it like working with Guadalupe and Guillermo to adapt this tale? Was the process very close with them? How did that all work out?

[6:14] Javier Vallarta: They were so, so generous with their time and their talents and their work. I approached Guillermo and I proposed the idea. And I'm not sure if he knew where I was going with this because, you know, we've been seeing this virtual concert in a very specific format.

[6:31] Javier Vallarta: After editing, you know, for hours, this specific format, I wanted to break away and do something a little different just for myself. And they gave us their blessing and we're very grateful that they were so supportive with us to make this happen.

[6:46] Javier Vallarta: One thing to note is that they're both very celebrated artists in Mexico. I mean, they may not be known outside of where they work, but they are actually very well known and very resilient as well. It was a bit of a privilege to be able to expose this to audiences that I didn't have a chance to otherwise.

[7:01] Joe Barros: And I know they couldn't be with us tonight, but we have a video from them about why they wrote the show. So let's take a look at that.

[7:10] Guillermo Mendez M.: What attracted you to the story of Anjou? What caught my attention was that it could be a portrait of universal human passions, because that's what human passions are. They never expire, they don't change, despite the times and whatever happens.

[7:33] Guillermo Mendez M.: In the centuries of the centuries, human beings will always be the same, and passions will always be intrinsic. Anjou is, for a good playwright, like receiving a wonderful plate of juicy fruits. Very varied. And each fruit has its own aroma, its own consistency.

[7:55] Guillermo Mendez M.: Well, the mixture of all these fruits gives you the possibility to expand on your ideas, and more so in the musical field, where each number or each character has its own musical essence. And that's what's valuable to me in all the plots. It's what gives it importance to write.

[8:18] Guillermo Mendez M.: All this filled me with emotion, looking for this biography. And that's why we developed it with so much love and so much wisdom, because we did put a lot of information into it. Of course, in a dramatic way. And it was going to reach anywhere in the world, to any person, in any language, and at any time.

[8:49] Guillermo Mendez M.: What influenced you musically and dramaturgically as you wrote the show? The authors who have influenced me the most are Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Schwartz, and Leonard Bernstein. The influences I had, and still have, are due to experience.

[9:09] Guillermo Mendez M.: I have the experience of having worked with the great producers of Mexico. I have dedicated most of my time to musical comedy. I have had as teachers my great directors, producers, and above all the writers of these great musicals.

[9:34] Guillermo Mendez M.: Universal. Intelligent. It's not a single word, but I think it's of good quality. A great musical.

[9:44] Guillermo Mendez M.: What would you like audiences to take away after experiencing Anjou? They have a great experience. They fall in love with this show. That's what I wish. That the audience who sits down to watch the show, or listen to the music, knows that it was worth their time, their money, and their interest.

[10:13] Guillermo Mendez M.: That in Mexico we are trained to produce this type of work, trained to write and produce this type of work, which are of an international level.

[10:43] Joe Barros: You have to sample different fruits. I just love how Guadalupe was saying she learned so much from her mentors, and her leaders, and her collaborators. They really helped her focus on the authenticity of her experiences to create the best art.

[10:59] Joe Barros: I think they didn't set out to make the show international, and I think they're so excited about what it's become. That's so thrilling to me. That's the testament to what amazing work they've done.

[11:11] Joe Barros: Guillermo was the first Joseph in Mexico City. And her, she's been in Godspell. They both come from the school from where the original Broadway productions from the 70s and 80s transferred to Mexico City. They were the first ones to do those. So they really had all the influence. They worked with the great directors to be influenced to write something really, really special.

[11:32] Joe Barros: Absolutely. Before we get into the songs we're going to see tonight, can you tell us more about the development path of this show? Because it's such a different and exciting one that's now 30-plus years in the making, which you don't hear a lot now and is important.

[11:46] Javier Vallarta: Yeah, that's right. So the show was first produced in Mexico in 1986.

[11:52] Guillermo Mendez M: The composers, Guillermo Mendez and Lupita Sandoval, in the leading roles. There was another production in 1992, and since then, the show has been staged by several different theaters and schools. Actually, Javier and I were in a production in our high school, which is how we came in contact with this incredible show. Anyhow, what are we going to see tonight?

[12:18] Guadalupe Sandoval: Great. So, first, we're going to see the prologue. So, as the show begins, the spirits of the people who died in the San Bartholomew's Day Massacre appear to tell us this cautionary tale, this tale of horror.

[12:34] Javier Vilalta: And who is singing that song?

[12:34] Guadalupe Sandoval: We are going to have Nathan Cockroft, Kevin Curtis, Gabriel Hyman, and Michael Perry Jr.

[12:40] Guillermo Mendez M: Amazing. So, here is Tale of Horror.

[12:48] ♪ Musical number: "Tale of Horror" — performed by Nathan Cockroft, Kevin Curtis, Gabriel Hyman, and Michael Perry Jr. ♪

[16:03] Whitney Rhodes: Wow. So what about the show do you think transcends time so much? Why do you think it's so important now? I mean, I think this has Shakespearean-like magnitude. It's about the emotions and it's about a moment in history that keeps repeating about the atrocities that happen and the abuse of power. And it just really carries that message and that emotion through.

[16:30] Shenelle Salcido: And I think that is why it doesn't matter who plays these characters. We had the most diverse cast. That's why we had four Catherines, we have five Henrys, and they all brought their own toolbox to bring the best they could to tell this incredible story. But yeah, I think it definitely transcends time when the root of the story, it's the human passion, you know? And I think it's the need for compassion at this very moment. We need it. We need stories like this. Absolutely.

[17:00] Spencer Williams: Latest intolerance and just intolerance is at the core of the show. That's like, you know, how people used to impose themselves politically to their way just by, you know, they kill so many people. One of the bloodiest events in history up until like World War II, guarding and murdering people in the name of us, you know? And it's just so sad that we need to keep reminding ourselves that this is just not okay.

[17:25] Whitney Rhodes: And not just keep acting in the name of these causes. It's just so tragic. And I don't feel like it's nice to say that the show is relevant. It's just sad that we need to keep reminding ourselves that these things happen. And until they stop happening, it is truly a tale of horror. And I know that this is a bit of an extremist word to describe the show, but it is a tale of horror. We're living it right now. And I really hope this comes to an end. Absolutely.

[17:52] Shenelle Salcido: You know, I think we need to see ourselves in a mirror to know how to move forward.

[17:58] Whitney Rhodes: Exactly. So what is our second song tonight?

[18:00] Spencer Williams: Our second song. So this is Catherine's song. At this point in the show, Henry of Anjou finds out his sister Margot is getting married to his worst enemy, Arthur, the Protestant knight. He's furious and he calls on his mother, Catherine de Medici, demanding an explanation on why she's allowing this union. And in this number, we have the wonderful Taylor Iman Jones playing Catherine de Medici and the incredible Jelani Remy playing Henry of Anjou. Two people I love. So here is Catherine's song.

[18:43] ♪ Musical number: "Catherine's Song" — performed by Taylor Iman Jones and Jelani Remy ♪

[23:46] Guillermo Mendez M: It would be awesome to run the show on Broadway with a cast that performs the show in English and a cast that performs the show in Spanish, or they're the same cast and the shows are in rep.

[23:59] Guadalupe Sandoval: I know a person that knows a person, so I'll suggest it.

[24:03] Javier Vilalta: You know, you have our numbers.

[24:06] Whitney Rhodes: And you know, it's such a fable and an epic tale, kind of like For Tonight. So perhaps if this was at the Music Box, For Tonight would do great at the Booth Theatre.

[24:15] Shenelle Salcido: Or, this is fun trivia for you. So the Schoenfeld and the Broadhurst actually have exes to each other and they're duplicates of the other, just so you know.

[24:26] Spencer Williams: Oh, look at that.

[24:28] Whitney Rhodes: Yeah. Thank you, Jim Tepper.

[24:31] Shenelle Salcido: You can also hear the air conditioner from the Booth Theatre in the Shubert Theatre, which had to be turned off during Paul's monologue during a chorus line.

[24:40] Spencer Williams: The dressing rooms can hear each other probably, too.

[24:44] Whitney Rhodes: Yeah. Well, we'll be here all night if we keep talking musical theory.

[24:48] Guillermo Mendez M: Anyway, Roberto and Javier, thank you so much for being with us.

[24:53] Guadalupe Sandoval: Thank you so much for the support. Amazing.

[24:56] Javier Vilalta: We want to make sure people can learn more about the show on your Instagram account, instagram.com.com.

[25:04] Whitney Rhodes: Thank you both. We can't wait to see this multilingual co-production on Broadway.

[25:09] Shenelle Salcido: We'll see you guys soon.

[25:11] Spencer Williams: Thank you.

[25:12] Whitney Rhodes: Our second new musical is For Tonight, which has a book by Whitney Rhodes, Shenelle Salcido, and Spencer Williams, and music and lyrics by Salcido and Williams.

[25:23] Shenelle Salcido: When their parents die of a mysterious illness in their small Welsh village, surviving siblings Thomas, Hayden, and Nettie are forced to fend for themselves.

[25:32] Spencer Williams: Inspired by the Romani who once shared their home, Hayden heads off to Liverpool, guitar in hand, to find what he's been missing.

[25:40] Whitney Rhodes: There he meets a Romani woman who speaks to his wandering soul.

[25:44] Shenelle Salcido: With a riveting indie folk rock score, For Tonight explores the indelible power of home.

[25:50] Whitney Rhodes: And now here's our conversation with the writers of For Tonight, Whitney Rhodes, Shenelle Salcido, and Spencer Williams.

[25:59] Whitney Rhodes: Hello.

[26:00] Shenelle Salcido: Hi.

[26:01] Spencer Williams: Thanks for having us.

[26:02] Whitney Rhodes: Whitney, you are a writer, administrator, producer, and content creator currently based in Chicago.

[26:07] Shenelle Salcido: You are also the artistic director of Underscore Theatre Company, Chicago's home for new musicals.

[26:13] Spencer Williams: Prior to moving to Chicago, you spent a decade in the Twin Cities as a performer and arts leader.

[26:18] Whitney Rhodes: You've also held leadership roles at Mixed Blood Theatre and the Hennepin Theatre Trust.

[26:22] Shenelle Salcido: Chanel, you're a composer, lyricist, and playwright who writes with the intention of creating work that you say might convince your former musical theatre loathing self to embrace the power of theatre.

[26:33] Spencer Williams: Besides For Tonight, you're currently working on The Mark of Mendelssohn, a musical which explores the life of Felix Mendelssohn, his sister Fanny, and the Curtis Christmas Challenge, a full-length play.

[26:46] Whitney Rhodes: As a former music educator and music director, you've taught everything from mariachi to music theory.

[26:52] Spencer Williams: Spencer, you are a queer musical theatre educator, composer, and playwright.

[26:56] Whitney Rhodes: You are the founder of the educational platform and curriculum Broadway Refocused.

[27:01] Shenelle Salcido: I'm currently teaching this extraordinary teaching unit to my students at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

[27:07] Spencer Williams: And you are also the host of two new podcasts, Broadway Refocused and Musicals with Impact.

[27:13] Whitney Rhodes: Jen and I both have had the honor to be involved as both guests and help feature many of New York Theatre Barn's writers.

[27:19] Shenelle Salcido: In educational theatre, you've premiered Duncan Sheik's Whisper House, An Evening with Stuart Brason, The Stories of Tonight, and you directed and produced over 30 other musicals.

[27:29] Spencer Williams: Also, you've directed choirs at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Paris, France, Cadogan Hall in London, and Canterbury Cathedral.

[27:37] Whitney Rhodes: Is that it?

[27:38] Shenelle Salcido: So Spencer, Chanel, and Whitney, you guys are extraordinary.

[27:42] Whitney Rhodes: What inspired you to tell a rich, dynamic, and authentic story about the collision of two different cultures?

[27:50] Spencer Williams: And how did the three of you come to collaborate on this piece?

[27:53] Whitney Rhodes: It's a very loaded question.

[27:55] Shenelle Salcido: Yeah, it's a big question.

[27:56] Spencer Williams: I'll jump in first.

[27:58] Whitney Rhodes: So Chanel and I were looking over my great-great-great grandfather's journals about eight years ago.

[28:05] Shenelle Salcido: And we were trying to figure out, like, where's the show? What's the adventure here? What do we want to tell?

[28:10] Spencer Williams: And we realized in the first four paragraphs, that's where the show was, which was about him losing his parents to the cholera epidemic, to falling in love, moving away to Liverpool, and then eventually emigrating to America.

[28:27] Whitney Rhodes: But we thought, you know, it's such an interesting story of how do you get to the spot to make that big choice to move across the world, to leave your family behind, to leave your culture behind, and start completely fresh?

[28:43] Shenelle Salcido: And that to us was like, how can we figure out, and why does this person have so much courage to do that?

[28:52] Spencer Williams: And so that was just, it was really exciting.

[28:54] Whitney Rhodes: And then the whole piece, like you said, is about siblings.

[28:58] Shenelle Salcido: And Chanel, maybe you can tell a little bit about the sibling piece.

[29:02] Spencer Williams: Yeah, so in one of these four paragraphs in the journal, there was commentary about how this marriage between one of the leads in the play, who we've named Hayden, how his siblings were not fond of the woman that he married.

[29:20] Whitney Rhodes: And we looked a little more into the cultural ties of the woman that he actually married was not Romani, but based on the death of the parents, and doing some historical research and understanding that it was likely cholera from which they died.

[29:36] Shenelle Salcido: We also learned that at the time, cholera was really, was something that a lot of people blamed the Romani people for.

[29:43] Spencer Williams: And so we, though we didn't know much about Spencer's great, third great grandfather, we thought, there's a story right there.

[29:51] Whitney Rhodes: So it was inspired by these events. But the story is that we took it a step further was understanding the prejudice between Romani and Welsh people at that time.

[30:03] Shenelle Salcido: And if you want a serious, dramatic relationship between siblings, have him marry a Romani woman.

[30:10] Spencer Williams: So that's where that sibling conflict is based in. But in addition to that, the conflict is also based in how each of the siblings took a different path after the death of their mother, and every family deals with grief differently.

[30:25] Whitney Rhodes: Sometimes families can be torn apart through grief. And this is that story of how they are torn apart, but find a new way to navigate their familiar relationships.

[30:37] Shenelle Salcido: Well, in a story that includes strong, powerful female characters, I think it's only fitting that you added another woman to your creative team along the way after you discovered that this is the story you wanted to tell.

[30:49] Spencer Williams: So how did Whitney join the team?

[30:51] Whitney Rhodes: Yeah, so Spencer and I met when we used to both run education programs, him in California, me in Minneapolis.

[30:59] Shenelle Salcido: And we met at the National High School Musical Theater Awards, the Jimmy Awards, and totally hit it off, became great friends.

[31:05] Spencer Williams: And very sincerely, we're just catching up one night. And he said, Chanel and I have started writing this musical, but I think we need a book writer.

[31:13] Whitney Rhodes: And I was, I just said, I might sometimes send over the idea. And, you know, we'll, we'll give it a shot.

[31:21] Shenelle Salcido: And so I sent them a couple of one-act plays that I had written. And the rest is a whole flurry of Google Doc across the country, bits and pieces of history.

[31:30] Spencer Williams: And why, why did the story resonate with you? Why did you have to be involved?

[31:34] Whitney Rhodes: Yeah, I think all of what they've said so far is really, is really true.

[31:39] Shenelle Salcido: And, and for me, as someone who grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and went away to college and never looked back, I really resonated with that idea of discovering my own path, forging my own path.

[31:49] Spencer Williams: And the challenges that come along with that, and sort of the ways that you have to navigate the idea of home.

[31:55] Whitney Rhodes: And that as you get older, it really becomes a people and not necessarily a place, and how we redefine that idea.

[32:02] Shenelle Salcido: And so that really resonated with me. And their score is Out of This World, which you'll, you'll get to hear.

[32:09] Spencer Williams: So also, when you hear the music, you just don't say no. And writing with two people that you really like, please sign me up every time.

[32:16] Whitney Rhodes: It's easy. Well, we want to keep talking about the music and the development of the show.

[32:20] Shenelle Salcido: So we're going to bring on Drew Blackie, who has been your music director for the entire process.

[32:25] Spencer Williams: Hi, Drew.

[32:26] Drew Blackie: Hey, everybody.

[32:27] Whitney Rhodes: Hey, Drew, you've been a part of this project on multiple continents.

[32:31] Shenelle Salcido: How do you feel about the score? How do you think it transports the story?

[32:35] Drew Blackie: And how have you strengthened the piece by working on it?

[32:39] Whitney Rhodes: Well, to be quite frank, I don't know that I personally strengthened it, really.

[32:42] Drew Blackie: I've just really taken what Chanel and Spencer have created in Stars the Music and really just transported it to these different casts and to a different set of circumstances each time, trying to keep consistent their own sense of quality and excellence and authenticity, based on how Chanel and Spencer write.

[33:01] Whitney Rhodes: And Chanel, maybe you can talk a little bit about the style that you write in and just about the own path that you took the show in, because that's been what's been so exciting for me, is to try to consistently carry that on based on each changing moment in the show.

[33:21] Shenelle Salcido: So as far as the score goes, we really attempted from the beginning, the goal was to create a score that could, out of context, be standalone songs that would be just fun to listen to, that you could put on in your car, that you could just enjoy out of context.

[33:38] Spencer Williams: But then, of course, they need to drive the story with that thought.

[33:42] Whitney Rhodes: You know, the music is modern and feel and depending on the character, whether that's a group of people being the Romani or the Welsh, there are traditional elements of that music.

[33:52] Shenelle Salcido: But then we've infused more elements from rock, indie, folk, pop music, just to give that modern feel to it.

[34:01] Spencer Williams: But you'll notice if you listen throughout the score that there are themes based on character.

[34:05] Whitney Rhodes: There are certain instrumentations that are used, for example, the Romani instruments traditionally used.

[34:11] Shenelle Salcido: You'll hear harp, you'll hear violins, you'll hear some of those folk acoustic instruments.

[34:16] Spencer Williams: But then some of the internal moments of the score is really where we take it to this modern feel, where characters are having an internal moment.

[34:24] Whitney Rhodes: Then you hear these electric guitars and just these ideas of helping drive the emotion of the score.

[34:29] Shenelle Salcido: Well, what's so cool about it is that you've expanded it beyond something that is simply limited to the time frame that you wrote the piece in, is that you guys sort of blew up the influences that you were willing to invite musically into it.

[34:37] Spencer Williams: So while really taking care to bring Welsh and Romani and historically accurate ideas and languages and words and just textures, you know, choral textures and rhythms, you also just embrace that you are just one of the best pop songwriters that I have ever heard in my entire life.

[35:04] Whitney Rhodes: You know how to write an amazing pop song.

[35:07] Shenelle Salcido: And so that coupled with this amazing gift of wanting to harness the power of these characters in the world of your pop music is really what gives this show to me so much energy.

[35:17] Spencer Williams: And honey, that's why I haven't gone away for a second.

[35:21] Whitney Rhodes: They're stuck with me because I bop around the apartment to the tunes.

[35:25] Shenelle Salcido: Well, I think it brings back to the history of musical theater, which used to be the pop music of the generation.

[35:32] Spencer Williams: That idea, I think, is really cool, too.

[35:35] Whitney Rhodes: Absolutely.

[35:37] Whitney Rhodes: Not only do you have pop rock and you have the sound of the Romani village, you also have Welsh folk songs that you've written. And I love when both worlds really collide at the end of Act One in your extraordinary quartet "Home," which I think is the backbone of your show, and the glorious sound of the end of that moment that is a cappella with your full company, and then how that evolves in Act Two, transcending even into the Romani world, especially in your song, "One Step, Don't Forget Me." I'm saying these songs because we're not going to see them tonight, but it's an epic moment for a character who's a woman of color. It's a credit to your great songwriting and really clear storytelling.

[36:24] Shenelle Salcido: Well, it just sounds like Joe has a crush on the show.

[36:27] Spencer Williams: Oh, he does! He does!

[36:29] Whitney Rhodes: So before we get into the amazing songs of this show, can we quickly walk through your development path? I know you started your journey at Nymph, Rest in Peace New York Musical Festival, and where have you gone since?

[36:34] Spencer Williams: So from Nymph, we went to Goodspeed, Goodspeed Musicals, and then Michigan State University. And then we had the amazing opportunity to go to the Isle of Man, which was incredible. Drew joined us there. And then from there, we did the New York Theatre Barn. And then our final world premiere that we had was at Queensberry Theatre in Houston, Texas.

[36:59] Whitney Rhodes: So let's hear about the songs we're going to see tonight. What is our first song?

[37:04] Spencer Williams: I'll tell you a little introduction to this piece. It is the dockworkers in Liverpool. So it's a lot of immigrants from the UK into Liverpool. So it's largely Welsh, a Welsh ensemble, but there would also be Irish dockworkers there because of the influx of Irish immigrants at the time. And it's just them kind of singing about the hardship of what it's like just barely being able to make ends meet. And this is also infused with the story of Hayden and his friend Wynne working at the dock, where you start to see Wynne introduce that idea that this woman that Hayden's fallen in love with might not be a great idea for his family. And who is singing the song?

[37:46] Shenelle Salcido: We have Luke McCall and Simon Gordon and an ensemble of men from Wales, which is amazing. So happy that they're here. So here is "Keeping Us Alive."

[38:51] ♪ Musical number: "Keeping Us Alive" — performed by Luke McCall, Simon Gordon, and ensemble ♪

[40:28] Whitney Rhodes: So, what's her name? And more importantly, does she have a sister?

[40:31] Spencer Williams: I've no idea what you're talking about.

[40:33] Whitney Rhodes: Oh, it's all right if you don't come home at night, Paddy, but there's no need to hide your love from me.

[40:37] Spencer Williams: Gonna make me guess then? All right. It's the girl with the big eyes and the big...

[40:43] Shenelle Salcido: Mirella. Her name's Mirella.

[40:45] Spencer Williams: Huh. That's not the proper Welsh name I was expecting.

[40:49] Whitney Rhodes: Ah, so now you're suddenly concerned with what's proper.

[40:52] Spencer Williams: Listen, Hayden. Your family's been through so much, and this is something Thomas won't allow.

[41:04] Whitney Rhodes: I see how much they love you, but they may not understand the life you've fought.

[41:10] Spencer Williams: Nettie will understand.

[41:15] Whitney Rhodes: She wants you to be happy, yes, but Thomas, this could break his lonely heart.

[41:25] Spencer Williams: And there may be no turning back, so please make sure this girl is what you want.

[41:33] Whitney Rhodes: It's fine, it's what you want. I hope it turns out fine.

[42:03] Spencer Williams: It's not my trouble, Nettie, but it's keeping us alive.

[42:30] Whitney Rhodes: Such a fantastic number with great orchestrations. What is our second song tonight?

[42:37] Spencer Williams: Well, it is a title song, so tonight we're going to hear "For Tonight" from For Tonight.

[42:41] Whitney Rhodes: So let's set up that.

[42:43] Spencer Williams: So this is the Uncertain love song. It's not a normal love song, Uncertain. And we have Adam Tabilea, who was the first person who ever sang our music back in the Bay Area around our piano with us, and then Michelle Beth Herman, who starred as Marella at Good Speed Musical. So these two have been a gift to us, and I want to say thank you to both of them, because without them, we wouldn't be able to develop our work. So this is "For Tonight."

[43:21] ♪ Musical number: "For Tonight" — performed by Adam Tabilea and Michelle Beth Herman ♪

[46:19] Whitney Rhodes: Thank you so much to Michelle and Adam, and thank you to Drew, Spencer, and Chanel. Thank you, and thanks Joe and Jen and New York Theatre Barn for your continued support of the show. We really appreciate it. And Drew, you know we love you. We'll see everyone soon!

[46:50] Spencer Williams: Thank you! If you enjoyed The Musicals of Tomorrow, please rate, subscribe, and share.

[46:57] Whitney Rhodes: The podcast is co-produced and edited by Paul Schmock and Hector Flores Jr. Our theme song, The Music of Tomorrow, was written by Lynn Schenkel and Sarah Cooper for their all-female identifying musical, Perpetual Sunshine and The Ghost Girls. Join us next time for more of The Musicals of Tomorrow!