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[0:00] Amy Engelhardt and Molly Horan: Ever wonder what it takes to make a new musical sing? Our mission is to make the exclusive inclusive. We are interviewing the creatives who are changing musical theater one 11 o'clock number at a time. This is your Backstage Pass. Get your Backstage Pass. Get your Backstage Pass.

[0:42] Teresa Attridge: This week we continue our conversation with the writers of the new musical, The Completely True Story of West High's 66th Annual Charity Lockdown. West High overachiever and valedictorian Becky Pettersen has her life all mapped out until she overhears a city council meeting and discovers a secret that will threaten the very existence of everyone living in West Falls. In this episode, you'll hear two more demos from this hilarious and poignant new musical. Listen all the way to the end for a game where we debate which musical theater characters deserve to win our favorite high school superlatives.

[1:14] Pauls Macs: So it's like, yeah, I mean, we're talking about all these, like, great responsibilities and all this fear and everything, but at the end of the day, you have to cope with it somehow, right? Like, we're like, okay, yeah, like, climate change is happening, the world is happening, but it's also like, we don't know what the future's gonna look like. There has to be some sort of, like, shard of positivity. There has to be some kind of crystallized optimism in order to just not, like, walk into the ocean, which is easier now because the ocean levels are rising. But the point is, we are still able to, in our way, have something that we can sort of, like, gauge a positive aspect from. We're like, okay, like, what is the silver lining?

You know, you have a lot of songs that sort of, like, circumnavigate the doom of the show that I think is really funny, the way people take it. They're like, well, I guess we're just gonna have to deal with it. We're just gonna have to see what happens.

[1:57] Amy Engelhardt: Oh, yeah. Well, I think this is a great opportunity to do Dream of Fuzzy Demons because it's about coping and how we cope with really terrible situations or at least one person's suggestion of how we cope. So this is really about kind of the sister relationship. It's Becky's younger sister, Rachel, and basically saying that she sees that Becky's freaking out. And at this point, Rachel and a lot of the friends have kind of, I don't want to say come to terms, but have more of a nihilistic approach. They believe they're getting sucked into the demon dimension, even though Becky is trying to avoid it. So this is Rachel just trying to kind of alleviate Becky's fears while still, by the end of the song, I think it's evident that Rachel is still very afraid of the future.

[2:40] Pauls Macs: Great. And who is singing on this demo? Is this Amy again?

[2:43] Amy Engelhardt: Oh, this is on me as well.

[2:45] Pauls Macs: You're a vocal chameleon, Amy. All right, here is Dream of Fuzzy Demons featuring Amy Engelhardt.

[2:51] ♪ Musical number: "Dream of Fuzzy Demons" — performed by Amy Engelhardt ♪

[7:56] Pauls Macs: There's something that's really fascinating about this moment. If we just pretend that it's not gonna be a problem, it won't be a problem. Positive energy. You know, sometimes that false positivity can not be very helpful. Toxic positivity is such a huge thing too. We had an original opening for this that was cut, which I'm still trying to find a way to use parts of. It was Becky. It was all about Becky. It wasn't Best Town Ever. It was called 88.1, and that's the number of seconds she has to live. Years she has to live, statistically speaking. So it was this whole thing about Ferris Bueller was full of it. It's not about taking time off. You have to knuckle down. This is my plan. It was a great tune, but unfortunately it didn't do what we needed an opening number to do, or we decided we needed an opening number to do.

[8:34] Teresa Attridge: Totally. Actually, I'm really curious, just because when it comes to writing a show where you're trying to establish a world where then you later pull the rug out, how do you write an opening number that both tells you exactly where we are and what's happening, while either hinting or completely subverting that plot twist that comes later in the show?

[9:11] Amy Engelhardt: That's a great question. That is our missing puzzle piece. So we've got just about every song written except for the opening number, which I do think, Amy, you can correct me if you're wrong, I think it's now easier that we have everything in place that we kind of know what the general shape of the show is to know what we need from an opening number.

[9:30] Pauls Macs: Oh, yeah. Sometimes you have to assemble the puzzle pieces all together. Then you're like, wait, there's something missing. Or my favorite anecdote in the musical theater canon is about how Stephen Sondheim had to write three opening numbers to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, because the first song was not hummable enough for George Abbott. And then the second song was hummable. In both cases, the first two songs were just disasters because it didn't set the audience expectation up for what the show was supposed to be. And then Jerome Robbins came to see the show and he said, well, you have to write a third number that actually explains to the audience that this show is supposed to be funny.

Stephen Sondheim said, I've already written two opening numbers. Then Jerome Robbins said, well, Steve, you have to write a third number that will be hummable and tell the audience what it's supposed to be. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Demon Dimension. So Stephen Sondheim wrote Comedy Tonight, and then that number enabled the audience to understand, oh, this is supposed to be funny, and there was a hit afterwards. So that question that you're trying to answer, right? The question of, wait, how do we tell them this is supposed to be hilarious but not give away the plot until the third or fourth number? That's a really fascinating writing challenge.

[10:56] Molly Horan: It was very kind of like more Steely Dan, Rolling Stones type, lopey thing. The one note we got was, you keep saying that he's not predatory and that he's not evil sexy or something like that, that he's boyish sexy, but that's not what this number is telling me. And so we scrapped it and we came up with something called The Pursuit of Happiness, which is exactly what we meant to say. And also because the founding fathers, they were Brit Lit fans and they read Tom Jones, written by Henry Fielding, and they incorporated this principle into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. That's what the book's about, is that you can't deny anyone the right to the pursuit of happiness. And yet here we are being born into a planet on fire, so thanks for that.

It all comes back. That's Molly's fault. The plot, not climate change, just to be clear. That one, that one is not me. I was gonna say, Molly, is this for you? Come onto the pod and admit that it is you. You caused climate change. Is this it? Are you Steve?

[11:56] Amy Engelhardt: Who is Steve? Well, I have to make sure to get this on the pod. For those who haven't heard it, I highly, highly recommend that you go download The Pursuit of Happiness right now. In fact, you can find it on the New York Theater Barn YouTube page. It's on MySummerMix right now. It's such a great song. Check it out, because it's fantastic. I love that this episode is both the episode where we talk about how serious climate change is, but also the episode where Pauls is like, everyone go on the internet and download this now. Also follow Amy on Instagram now if you haven't already. Pauls is really like, on my last night in the world, I'm gonna be a tastemaker.

[12:36] Teresa Attridge: That, oh, Teresa's segue. There you go. Oh my gosh. See, we are a great team. Can you talk about that song, When the World Stops? Can you talk about When the World Stops?

[12:39] Amy Engelhardt: Yeah, that's actually the first one that we wrote when we were actually in the same space. So that was the one that we wrote at Bethany Arts that was mostly, at least on my part, written because we realized we wanted to show some material and some songs while we're there. You know, we had some of the book, but we wanted a song. And I really wanted to write a moment that, first of all, was bringing in more students, kind of more characters, because we had this kind of core group of Becky and her friends. But I wanted to expand it to show that more than four people were going to be sucked into the demon dimension, but also to think about so much of it as Becky looking at it as either we put in the work and we figure out how to get out of this, or everything is doom and despair.

We should just lay down and die. And so I wanted this different perspective from a group of teenagers to go, I don't think we're going to get out of it. You know, what have we got? Two days. Let's figure out how to make the most of the two days. And that's still not where they all end up at the end, because if we're going with the climate change allegory is still probably not the best attitude to take towards it. But it kind of shows one step in everyone's journey of processing and figuring out how they are going to best tackle this new reality.

[13:48] Amy Engelhardt: When Molly sent me the lyric, she sent me her first draft of the lyric, I just went, oh my god, this is the saddest thing. But it has this beautiful joy of simplicity to it. The bridge, I think, is the part that really, that really killed me. And then I wanted to set it in this way that made it feel anthemic, like in the way we are the world would be. But we're talking about the end of the world, like something that you could, and the world stops, I put your hand on my shoulder, you know, like something that you could see people holding up a lighter for. In a way, it's the same concept and the totally opposite concept as the school song. We're singing about death and the world stops and this is what I want, you know.

I just think it's an incredibly moving moment. And I think that's kind of the emotional, that's really the emotional core of it. That and I will never lie to you. This brings home that these are kids, these are kids, and they didn't get to do, you know, let's carve our names in a tree knowing nobody will see or know who we were or who we are. It's ah! You know, to me, that's the tragedy of it is, okay, you didn't get to be who you're supposed to be.

[15:03] Amy Engelhardt: I have to share with you that we just did the York Neo concert at Green Room 42 and they did Fuzzy Demons and I Will Never Lie to You, both of which do kind of rah, rah, gah, you know. And at the end of it, the host, the MC, she stepped on stage and she said, that was terrifying and so funny. And that's exactly what we're going for. Brilliant. Well, I think you succeeded for sure. Amy, is this you singing on this demo again?

[15:36] Amy Engelhardt: Okay, no, but you sound fantastic. All right. It's so funny because these are first demos. I get so sick of hearing myself. Then I call in friends. For that, I apologize.

[15:49] Teresa Attridge: I don't think you should. I love hearing you.

[15:51] Amy Engelhardt: So here is When the World Stops, performed by Amy Engelhardt.

[15:57] ♪ Musical number: "When the World Stops" — performed by Amy Engelhardt ♪

[19:55] Amy Engelhardt: I think it's just such an interesting question to ask yourself, what would you do in that moment, right? And I'm, you know, I'm not in my teens. I think it's especially profound to ask that question of what would you do if you never got to be the person you wanted to or supposed to be? It's like a power ballad. It's kind of like a let it be for the apocalypse. Mary Oliver, the poet, has a line in one of her famous poems, what will you do with your one wild and precious life? Instead of like your one wild and precious life, what do you do with your one wild and precious 12 hours? How do you condense a lifetime into a moment? And then you have to decide, I guess you can't, I guess you just kind of take what you do in this very thing. I have the ingredients to make the cake. I'll make the cake.

[20:34] Molly Horan: Yeah, I always think about this moment in the musical A New Brain, where he doesn't know if he's going to survive the surgery. And I mean, it's weird to talk about, because I know it's based on the writer's real experience, but I really love the music. I love the show. But I remember that moment where he kind of shoos his partner away. It's like, I have to finish this work that he actually didn't really care about. And I was just horrified. Of course, you want to spend time with a loved one. But then I have had discussions with, you know, my different artist friends that are like, no, I get that you got to finish the work and that people can have such differing ideas about what to do with a last night.

[21:12] Amy Engelhardt: Oh yeah. George Seurat from Sunny in the Park with George would be painting, don't you think?

[21:15] Molly Horan: Yeah, finishing the hat.

[21:17] Amy Engelhardt: Absolutely. But also these students, or these, I should say, these teenagers, these young people whom I don't know their histories, right. But so many of them seem to want that intimacy that they've always imagined would be possible, and they don't get it. It is wonderful and terrible.

[21:32] Teresa Attridge: Should we play our game?

[21:34] Molly Horan: Honestly, why don't we graduate together into this next game. So the game that we've created for this episode for y'all is going to be called Superlatives! Just so people know it's fun.

[21:51] Amy Engelhardt: So, we were talking about how the musical really captures the essence of high school life and the pressures that come with it.

[22:21] Molly Horan: Absolutely! And I think one of the key elements is how we portray the friendships and rivalries that develop during this time.

[22:41] Amy Engelhardt: Right, and it’s interesting to see how those dynamics shift when faced with a crisis like the one in our story.

[23:01] Molly Horan: Yes, and it really brings out the true colors of the characters. You see who steps up and who might falter under pressure.

[23:21] Amy Engelhardt: Exactly! And I think that’s something everyone can relate to, regardless of their own high school experience.

[23:41] Molly Horan: For sure! And the music plays such a vital role in conveying those emotions.

[24:01] Amy Engelhardt: It does! Each song is crafted to highlight a specific moment or feeling, which helps to deepen the audience's connection to the characters.

[24:21] Molly Horan: And we have some really fun numbers that contrast with the more serious themes, which keeps the audience engaged.

[24:41] Amy Engelhardt: Yes, balancing humor and drama is crucial in telling this story effectively.

[25:01] Molly Horan: Speaking of which, I think we should share a snippet of one of our songs.

[25:21] Amy Engelhardt: Great idea! Let’s play "Dream of Fuzzy Demons."

[25:41] ♪ Musical number: "Dream of Fuzzy Demons" — performed by Amy Engelhardt ♪

[26:01] Molly Horan: That was so much fun!

[26:21] Amy Engelhardt: I love that song! It really captures the whimsical yet chaotic nature of high school life.

[26:41] Molly Horan: And it sets the stage for the more serious moments that follow.

[27:01] Amy Engelhardt: Absolutely! It’s all about finding that balance.

[27:21] Molly Horan: And I think our audience will appreciate that journey as they watch the characters evolve.

[27:41] Amy Engelhardt: Yes, and we’re excited to see how they react to the twists and turns in the story.

[28:01] Molly Horan: Definitely! And we have another song that I think really encapsulates the emotional core of the show.

[28:21] Amy Engelhardt: Right, "When the World Stops" is a poignant moment for our lead character.

[28:41] Molly Horan: Let’s share that one too!

[29:09] ♪ Musical number: "When the World Stops" — performed by Amy Engelhardt ♪

[29:19] Amy Engelhardt: That song always gives me chills.

[29:39] Molly Horan: It’s such a powerful moment in the show.

[29:59] Amy Engelhardt: And it really highlights the stakes for our characters.

[30:19] Molly Horan: Exactly! It’s about realizing what truly matters when everything else is stripped away.

[30:39] Amy Engelhardt: And I think that resonates with everyone, especially in today’s world.

[30:59] Molly Horan: For sure! We’re really proud of how the musical addresses these themes.

[31:19] Amy Engelhardt: And we can’t wait for audiences to experience it.

[31:47] Molly Horan: Thank you for having us on the show to share our work!

[32:18] Teresa Attridge: Thanks for joining us on New York Theatre Barn's Backstage Pass,

[32:22] Pauls Macs: hosted by Teresa Attridge and Pauls Macs.

[32:25] Teresa Attridge: And if you believe in supporting original culture-shifting musicals,

[32:28] Pauls Macs: please like, subscribe, and share.

[32:31] Teresa Attridge: Get your Backstage Pass

[32:35] Pauls Macs: Get your Backstage Pass.