Northern Sky Theater Offers TRUNK SONGS as Part of Their Ongoing Virtual Season

As part of its ongoing virtual season, at 7 p.m. on August 7, Northern Sky Theater will present Trunk Songs, a virtual concert of songs that were written for original Northern Sky musicals but didn't make that particular show's final cut. The songs, whose roots range in chronology from Northern Sky's 1994 cult classic Belgians in Heaven to last year's mega-hit Dad's Season Tickets, will (in many cases) be performed by the playwrights/composers themselves.

"Creating an original musical is a long, convoluted process," said Associate Artistic Director Molly Rhode. "A lot gets written and then cut along the way. When a song gets cut, it leaves the show, but it goes into the author's trunk-that's why we call it a 'trunk song.' A lot of them are really good! We've always been looking for an excuse to showcase these songs, and this seemed like the perfect time."

In addition to offerings from Dad's Season Tickets and Belgians in Heaven, Trunk Songs will feature shelved selections from Northern Sky favorites Dairy Heirs, Doctor! Doctor!, Guys & Does, Loose Lips Sink Ships, Muskie Love, Oklahoma in Wisconsin, See Jane Vote, The Bachelors, Victory Farm, and Windjammers.

"I honestly didn't know what to expect with this particular offering," said Artistic Director Jeff Herbst. "Would it be a curiosity? Only interesting to those who know the show that the song came from? But when I watched the performances by the authors, I was totally delighted. Honestly, I was laughing and crying. As I said to Joel Kopischke, who took the lead on making this project happen, the nostalgia is thicker than molasses, but the creativity of this as its own premiere puts it right smack into the Northern Sky canon as a true original."

The authors introduce and some even perform their trunk song - Richard Castle, Katie Dahl, Doc Heide, Dave Hudson, James Kaplan, Joel Kopischke, Robin Share (and family), Clay Zambo (and family), and Matt Zembrowski with a few performers adding to the singing (Laurie Flanigan Hegge & Molly Rhode).

Trunk Songs is just the latest installment in Northern Sky's robust virtual season, which so far has included live offerings like Mary's Playlist (a concert of Northern Sky favorites performed by company members from across the country) and The Jeff & Katie Show (a weekly talk show featuring music and bakery), as well as prerecorded content like A Decade of Delight (a compendium of archival footage from recent Northern Sky shows). The company has a long list of offerings that will follow on the heels of Trunk Songs.

For a donation of $30 or more, you will receive a private video link to Trunk Songs. The link will be available on Friday, August 7 at 7 p.m., but can be viewed anytime after that date as well. Those interested in "attending" should visit www.northernskytheater.com to register.

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