2023 Shows
Book by Blythe Inanna, Music & Lyrics by Summer Hoagland-Abernathy and Deven Duphare
Still reeling from a recent tragedy and desperate to hold together a crumbling friend group, Julie invites potential romantic interest Mak to DM her D&D campaign, but rising tensions due to Mak’s intrusion force the players to confront that maybe not every problem can be solved with a roll of the dice.
Book, Music, Lyrics, by Katherine McGuinness
Artwork by Lily Pezzee, @spetermarker
Fate is a musical written and composed by Katherine McGuinness, which she was inspired to write upon realizing that the typical number of songs in a full-length musical lined up with the number of cards in tarot’s Major Arcana (twenty-two). Using tarot and mysticism as a jumping-off point, the show explores such issues as free will, grief, and mother-daughter trauma. It follows the story of young single mother Dalia Atropos as she grapples with her identity and tries to find her place in the world, between the ghosts of her past and her cynical idea of a future.
Book & Lyrics by Liana & Jabari Asim, Music by Joshua Stephen Kartes
The Hairy Scary (book/lyrics by Liana & Jabari Asim and music by Joshua Stephen Kartes) is a musical swamp odyssey for all ages. At the edge of The Enchanted Swamp live a loving mother and her son, a headstrong boy named Wiley. These two have fashioned a strong bond while struggling to recover from the unexplained disappearance of Wiley’s father.
Early one bright morning Wiley’s mama sends him out to the swamp to get some wood to build a new hen roost. She cautions him to be aware of the Hairy Scary, a shape -shifting monster rumored to live in the swamp—and to take his hound dogs with him. Wiley heeds his mother’s advice ’cause the Hairy Scary can’t stand no hound dogs.
The swamp seems to become a living thing, taunting him, luring him, wrapping him in its dangerous embrace.
The Hairy Scary soon emerges with every intention of eating Wiley. With the aid of some very clever trickery and the help of some loyal friends, Wiley and his Mama defeat the monster three times, which causes Hairy Scary to never return again. The thrill of victory becomes overwhelming joy when Papa returns, fulfilling Wiley’s fondest wish.
And they all lived happily ever after.
2023 Writers
The Hairy Scary Writing Team
Liana Asim (book & lyrics) loves stories. She tells them, reads them, and writes them in the same way that she chooses to live -- with love and light. She is the Co-Book/Lyricist for The Hairy Scary (a musical swamp odyssey co-written w/Jabari Asim and Joshua Stephen Kartes).
Photo by Indigo
Jabari Asim (book & lyrics) is the Distinguished Professor of Multidisciplinary Letters at Emerson College. A Guggenheim Fellow and the author of 23 books, he loves theater in all its forms, including musicals, experimental works, and plays for children.
Photo by Larry D. Moore
Joshua Stephen Kartes (Composer) is a new resident of Denver, after two decades living and working in New York City and Chicago. He is a composer, arranger, pianist, and vocalist, as well as a co-creator of the critically acclaimed Broadway Sings concert series.
Roll With It Writing Team
Blythe Inanna (she/her/hers; book) is a theatre artist with a BA in Musical Theatre and Playwriting from Columbia College, where she and her writing partners first conceived RWI as a school project. Originally from the Bay Area, she‘s currently based in Chicago where she is a professional child wrangler (works in a preschool), makes cool things (stares at blank Word documents) and plays dnd…a lot (that one’s true).
Summer Hoagland-Abernathy (music & lyrics) is honored to be working with the New Musical Project! In her daily life, she works in the Chicago mayor's press office; practices Tae Kwon Do; and reads, writes, and sings using everything she learned in her double B.A. in journalism and playwriting from Columbia College Chicago.
Deven Duphare (music & lyrics) is a composer and performer based in Chicago. In addition to musicals, he has composed music for chamber orchestra, solo instruments, dance performance, and film. As a performer, Deven has a background as a jazz saxophonist and classical pianist.
Fate Writing Team
Katherine McGuinness (book, music, lyrics) has been working on various original musical theatre projects since her first year of high school, in between brewing cups of tea, memorizing shark facts, writing poems, and pursuing a degree in Zoology from Colorado State University. This is the first time her work has been produced in any capacity, so she is thrilled to be participating!
2023 Directing Teams
Chevez Smith, The Hairy Scary Director
Amina Gilbert, Fate Director
Ben Stasny, Roll With It Director
Elle Tyler, Music Director
Chevez Smith (she/her/hers) born and raised in South Carolina, is a first-generation college graduate from Coker University located in Hartsville, South Carolina. She received her BA in Theatre Performance in May of 2021. Chevez has focused her work in graduate school on the art in local communities, combining specifically the climate community and theatre for the empowerment of the youth. Her passion is to bring forth a survivable, and thriveable future with theatre and dance for all. Known for her willingness and helpful spirit, she is always looking for opportunities to be those traits to work. Chevez continues to love herself through being a black woman, a poet, an activist, and a feminist in the world today. Chevez received her master’s for Theatre Studies in May of 2023 from the University of Colorado Boulder. Stepping out of the performance aspect of theatre, she looks forward to directing more and leading young people in the future. Outside of the world of theatre she loves to travel, write poetry, facilitate programming, try new foods, and attend concerts. However, nothing beats enjoying downtime with family and friends!
Amina Gilbert is an almost-graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Theatre with concentrations in Directing and Lighting. She grew up studying music and theatre in Boulder, and is proud to work with New Musical Project for the second time! She loves hiking, yoga, reading, and dancing like nobody's watching. Previous works include James and the Giant Peach Jr (asst. director), I and You (asst. director), The It (lighting designer), Tango Palace (director), Whelmed, a Clown Cabaret (performer, creator, director), and Polly the Musical (director). She aspires to be a clown who lives in the woods!
Benji Stasny is a PhD student at CU Boulder studying the intersection of queer futurity, climate communications, and improvisational pedagogy. While in grad school, Benji has developed workshops using theatrical techniques to communicate climate change which he has led in Boulder, Chicago, and London. Benji partnered with NYC’s Climate Change Theatre Action to help produce CU Boulder’s 2021 production of Climate Cabaret. Benji also works frequently as a director, having worked on Twelfth Night, Treeson: an eco-musical, and Roll With It (Parlando), Company (CU Boulder), Mamma Mia (Fairview High School), The Fall of Man (ATLAS Black Box), and several new plays since 2021. He will be directing Freaky Friday at Fairview High School this coming fall. A few favorite acting roles include Genie in Aladdin (Disney Cruise Line), Harry in When Harry Met Nancy (Off-Broadway), Pirelli in Sweeney Todd (Arizona Broadway Theatre), Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret (Sierra Repertory Theatre), Zach in A Chorus Line (The Palace Theatres). Benji is thrilled to be back directing with Parlando for the second time this summer. Thank you for supporting live theatre!
Elle Tyler wants all people to experience the wonder and joy that come with creating and encountering music and theater. For the last ten years, she has taught toddlers through elders in general music, piano, and songwriting, and has served as musical director for full-scale theatrical productions and community cabarets. As part of the duo The Bootlegger’s Wife, she writes and performs original songs inspired by favorite works from East of Eden to It’s a Wonderful Life. The group had the opportunity to open for Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore in 2018. While completing her masters in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Colorado, she began teaching at Parlando School of Musical Arts, where she still maintains an active studio. She also has a piano studio at her home in Erie, Colorado.
Elle currently performs as half of the duo Chansonniers—women performing music composed by women, from the Baroque era to Broadway. She is a 2022 Artist in Residence at the YMCA of the Rockies. In addition to stand-alone songs, Elle has written and produced an Easter cantata entitled Good News!, and two full-length musicals (This Year and The Door). @ellegtyler @chansonniers.music
2023 Casts
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M’Dear: Sue K.
Rose Etta: Maya
Jean: Ravel
Louis: Robin M.
Thomas: Lexie M.
Widow Weed: Melody B.
Papa/Shadowy Figure: Kane W.
Mama: Emily S.
Wiley: Brayden B.
Sooner: Marcus S.
Later: Nat M.
Swamp Chorus: Carolyn A., Ashley B., Tatum H., Jamie L., Vivian T.
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Julia/Althea: Ella S.
Mak: Lexie M.
Gwyneth/Kildrak: Vivian T.
Sam/Nimble: Alton P.
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Chorus Member #1: Melody B.
Chorus Member #2: Ella S.
Chorus Member #3: Vivian T.
Dalia Atropos: Tatum H.
Moira Atropos: Carolyn A.
Jules Atropos: Amelia R.
Nick: Jamie L.
AJ Monahan: Alton P.
TJ Dalton: Ray V.
Michael May Morrison: Ashley B.
Katerina: Grace G.
Ensemble: Sue K., Grace G.