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[0:01] Martín Acuña: Hi everyone, I am Martín Acuña and you are listening to Backstage Talk.

[0:10] Martín Acuña: Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Backstage Talk. I think this is one of my dreamed interviews. Today's guest is Joey Contreras. He is a New York-based Mexican-American musical theater and pop songwriter. After years and lots of social media interactions with Joey, I finally have him on Backstage Talk. He is a Fred Ebb Award finalist, a Jonathan Larson Grand Finalist, and an alum of the Johnny Mercer Project. His musical, In Pieces, is one of my favorite musical theater shows ever, is currently licensed, and performed worldwide with a commercial run in the works. The Highlights album, which I have on replay every other day, was released by Broadway Records. His other musicals include Forget Me Not, Heartbreakers in Hell, All the Kids Are Doing It, I Used to Shine, and he has a few upcoming commissions in the works. So Joey, with that intro, welcome to Backstage Talk. It's a dream to have you here.

[1:23] Joey Contreras: Oh, I'm so happy to be here and so happy to see you as well. Thank you so much for all those sweet words.

[1:29] Martín Acuña: So I just introduced you, but what else do we need to know about you?

[1:34] Joey Contreras: Oh gosh. Well, that was a great, nice little overview of what's going on. But I also just today got the frame for a 2003 Britney Spears magazine that I bought off of eBay that I'm planning to frame and put in my little Britney Spears corner. And I feel like sometimes I thought that I had like grown up, but then it's moments like that where I'm like, oh, I'm still that 12-year-old. I'm still that Britney Spears superfan 12-year-old. So that is something that I can share right now.

[2:16] Martín Acuña: I love it. I love it. But wait, before we dive into your interview, have you gone to see Once Upon a One More Time already?

[2:23] Joey Contreras: Of course. Of course I have. I got to see it in workshops. I got to see the Out of Town. I have a lot of friends in it. And, you know, it was such a collision of my two loves and passions, you know, musical theatre and Britney. So it was a good time. It was fun. It was a party and those musical arrangements are top notch. I honestly am manifesting a Once Upon a One More Time cast recording because it's gonna be on replay when I'm taking showers.

[3:00] Joey Contreras: Yes, the circus dance break is a lot of fun. And Aisha Jackson doing From the Bottom of a Broken Heart is I Need That Immediately. And yeah, I think what was really fun about it was how much they jam-packed into it and even some lesser-known songs as well. Like it's funny because I've seen it a couple of times in audiences as well. And, you know, everyone always has the same reaction when it's Oops or Toxic or those songs. Brightest Morning Star, which is the duet between Cinderella and Snow, is a very deep cut. I think the audience was like, huh, what is this? But I was there and I was getting it. And I was like, I love this.

[3:48] Martín Acuña: Yeah. So let's go back to your whole thespian journey. How and why musical theatre and how and why Broadway?

[4:02] Joey Contreras: Musical theatre and music in general has been a part of my life since inception. Is that the word they use? Since I was conceived? My mom and my dad were musicians and they were playing in bars and hotels and clubs and everything. They had a cover band and they were playing live and up to even when my mom was pregnant. So I was hearing Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson and a lot of pop music in the belly. And then right immediately, like by four years old, I was doing tap dancing. My mom really put me in a lot of stuff. She definitely was super, super supportive and encouraging. And I took to it very quickly. So music and theatre and dance and everything was a part of my life right at like four years old and did a lot of community theatre and yeah.

So and then it's just always been my journey. It's just and I remember being in high school in a bus and one of my friends was like, it's just amazing that you know what you want to do right now. And yeah, I guess I just have always been it's been my life since a very, very, very young age. And I'm so grateful that I'm still doing it. I'm also really proud of myself that I'm still here because it is tough, especially being a musical theatre writer. And so yeah, it's been a journey and I'm proud of myself and still going.

[5:36] Martín Acuña: I love that. I love that. So let's dive into In Pieces, Forget Me Not and the rest of the works that you do. You now have this show licensed. You have In Pieces licensed. We are getting a couple of high school productions, college productions, and you are working on it right now to have a commercial run, right?

[5:51] Joey Contreras: Yeah, In Pieces has been such a beautiful gift, a wonderful backwards journey of a show. I, for people that don't know, a lot of my initial career was built off of musical theatre albums. I love being in the recording studio. And so when I started writing more theatrical music, because I was writing pop music since I was like 14 years old and copyrighted like 200, hundreds and hundreds of songs of me giving you Britney Spears-esque pop. And I still, I mean, you could still hear those influences in certain songs and certain scores and everything. But when I went to school, I went to a BFA musical theatre program and got my undergraduate degree in that. And it was then when I started really kind of combining my love for pop music and theatre music together to kind of create my own voice.

And then when I moved to the city, I just was like, let me go into the studio because I love being in the studio and record these albums and put it online and very quickly started kind of carving out an interesting path and journey for myself as a writer and finding an audience. And so for the first like five, six years of my career and being in the city, I had built up a following of people that knew me for these standalone songs often, which were really popular, especially in that era of time that I kind of came up in. And then the conversation was always, oh, well, can you make a song cycle of your music, something that's sort of like your songs for a new world? So I started kind of I have a couple of different versions of that that have been kind of being developed.

And then I presented In Pieces for the first time in 2017 at a New Works thing at Lincoln Center. And then it kind of went on the back burner and I started working on some other shows. And then in I was going to end up doing some development in 2020, and then COVID happened. And so that got stopped. But then at the same time, the universe still said, well, you may not be going to Denmark to work on In Pieces, but you can still work on it in the city in quarantine. So once a university had reached out about wanting to explore in this kind of hybrid setting, it was the first time that I really got to like, look at it, open it up, figure it out quickly, work on it with them. And very quickly also realized the appeal and the license potential for a show like this.

And I've always been someone who didn't wait for permission to do anything. And I've always been a go-getter. And I just don't wait for the phone to ring. And so I quickly, like just contacted one of my friends who works in licensing, I was like, I think I want to just like release these licensing rights. And I just recorded 22 songs, the production tracks so that people could, if they wanted to produce the show, but didn't have access to a band, they could purchase the tracks so that they can still put on the show trying to just create an ease of producibility for people. And then once I had all these really wonderful backing tracks that I had gotten, you know, some of my favorite musicians to hop on and record and all that stuff.

Then I was like, well, there's 10 songs that nobody knows like that some of them, you know, because In Pieces had taken interpolated songs from my catalog. And then I'd also written a couple of new songs for the show and, and they hadn't been officially released. And I was like, well, let me get some of my like, favorite voices and favorite people on this. And then it just kind of went from there. Suddenly it was like the licensing was dropped and people started wanting it right away. And then I released the album. And then next thing I know, it's being produced in Singapore and Australia and London and Ohio and, and, you know, Utah, like all these places. And, and what's been beautiful about that is that I've been able to see this show and see how it, how, how performers get to experience it and how they have such a nice, beautiful connection with the music and the, and the moment in time that they are, they are performing it.

But, but what's weird about it is that I have actually never done a production of In Pieces. So I've had all these people are like literally doing In Pieces and I, the writer hasn't, hadn't gotten a chance. So then when a producer came on and we were like, okay, let's, let's look at this, let's

[10:41] Joey Contreras: Thank you so much for having me, Martín. I'm really excited to be here and to talk about everything that's been going on.

[11:11] Joey Contreras: You know, it's been a whirlwind of a journey, especially with the new projects that I've been working on. I feel like every day brings something new and exciting.

[11:36] Joey Contreras: One of the things that I love most about songwriting is how it allows me to express my heritage and my identity. It's a way for me to connect with my past and share that with others.

[12:01] Joey Contreras: I think it's so important for artists to celebrate their roots and to bring their stories to the forefront. That's what makes our art so rich and diverse.

[12:26] Joey Contreras: Recently, I've been diving deep into some of my family history, and it's been incredibly inspiring. It’s amazing how much you can learn about yourself when you explore where you come from.

[12:51] Joey Contreras: I’ve also been collaborating with some incredible artists who share that same passion for storytelling. It’s really a beautiful thing to see how our different backgrounds can come together to create something unique.

[13:16] Joey Contreras: I believe that everyone has a story worth telling, and I want to encourage others to embrace their heritage, no matter where they are in life.

[13:26] Joey Contreras: There’s a sense of pride that comes with sharing your culture, and I think that resonates with audiences. It’s about authenticity and being true to yourself.

[13:36] Joey Contreras: I’ve been working on a new musical that really embodies that idea. It’s a celebration of culture and identity, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

[14:01] Joey Contreras: The process of writing this show has been cathartic for me. It’s allowed me to reflect on my own experiences and how they shape my perspective as an artist.

[14:26] Joey Contreras: I think that’s what makes musical theatre so special. It’s a platform for voices that often go unheard, and I’m grateful to be part of that conversation.

[14:36] Joey Contreras: I’ve also been thinking a lot about the role of community in the arts. It’s so important to support one another and lift each other up.

[15:05] Joey Contreras: I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing mentors who have guided me along the way, and I want to pay that forward.

[15:30] Joey Contreras: I believe that collaboration is key. When we come together, we can create something truly magical.

[15:40] Joey Contreras: I’m also really passionate about education and sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation of artists. It’s vital to keep the art form alive and thriving.

[15:55] Joey Contreras: I think it’s important for young artists to know that their voices matter and that they have the power to make a difference through their art.

[16:13] Joey Contreras: I’ve been involved in some workshops and programs that focus on empowering young creators, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.

[16:42] Joey Contreras: Seeing their passion and creativity reminds me of why I fell in love with this art form in the first place.

[17:07] Joey Contreras: I’m excited about the future and all the possibilities that lie ahead. There’s so much talent out there waiting to be discovered.

[17:27] Joey Contreras: I think we’re entering a new era of storytelling in musical theatre, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

[17:47] Joey Contreras: It’s all about pushing boundaries and exploring new narratives that reflect our diverse world.

[17:57] Joey Contreras: I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where it takes me.

[18:17] Joey Contreras: Thank you again for having me, Martín. I can’t wait to share more about my projects as they develop.

[18:27] Joey Contreras: It’s been a pleasure to chat with you and to connect over our shared love for musical theatre.

[18:37] Joey Contreras: Let’s keep the conversation going and inspire each other along the way.

[19:04] Joey Contreras: I’m always open to new collaborations and ideas, so feel free to reach out!

[19:29] Joey Contreras: I truly believe that together we can create something extraordinary.

[19:58] Joey Contreras: Here’s to celebrating our heritage and the stories that make us who we are.

[20:25] Joey Contreras: I’m excited for what’s to come and can’t wait to share it with everyone.

[20:47] Joey Contreras: Thank you for this opportunity to share my journey and my passion for musical theatre.

[21:02] Joey Contreras: Let’s keep shining a light on the voices that deserve to be heard.