Maria Isabella Andreoli and EmmaLee Kidwell to Release First Single from THE WAITING

Musical theatre writers Maria Isabella Andreoli and EmmaLee Kidwell will release “To Be A Butterfly,” the first single from the upcoming concept album for their developing folk musical The Waiting, on October 1.

The Waiting takes place in a mystical purgatory in rural Vermont, telling the story of grief from the perspective of the dead. The musical was recently showcased at the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, where the writers presented the show to a sold-out audience and received feedback from Winnie Holzman, Robert L. Freedman and Irene Mecchi. The workshop cast included recent Hadestown tour stars Megan Colton and Bryan Munar, alongside Shannon Purser (Stranger Things).

The musical had a Developmental Premiere in 2025 with Playhouse Stage Company, where it played a weekend-long run of shows at Cohoes Music Hall.

“To Be A Butterfly” was recently selected as a finalist for the Write Out Loud competition and was subsequently performed at 54 Below by Mary Kate Morrisey (Wicked). The song is sung by Margo, a character who has been stuck in the purgatory of “The InBetween” for centuries. They pass the time working in their garden and watching the butterflies, dreaming of one day being able to leave.

The single is performed by Andreoli and Kidwell, with additional arrangements and production by Sahil Ansari. Instrumentalists on the track include Maria Isabella Andreoli, Felix Herbst, Cole Kidwell, Michael Lepore, Christof Krumenacker and Grant Braider.

Andreoli and Kidwell are winners of the ASCAP Lucille and Jack Yellen Award and alumni of the Musical Theatre Factory Makers Cohort III. They are also the authors of the new sci-fi musical Come See Your Future. “To Be A Butterfly” will be available on streaming platforms October 1. TO PRE-SAVE CLICK: HERE.