STAR MACHINE Will Debut at Playhouse Square
Baldwin Wallace University collaborates with Playhouse Square to stage STAR MACHINE, featuring music and lyrics by Gideon and Hank Temple.
Playhouse Square and Baldwin Wallace University's Conservatory of Performing Arts will present the world premiere of Star Machine, an original musical comedy created by a multi-generational writing team. BW alumnus Gideon Temple and his brother, BW senior Hank Temple, composed the music and lyrics, and their parents, authors Hollee and John Temple, wrote the book. The show will debut April 24-26 at Playhouse Square's Helen Theatre following an industry presentation at off-Broadway's New World Stages in New York City earlier in April. Tickets are currently on sale for the Playhouse Square performances and can be purchased by calling 216-241-6000 or online.
This will be the 19th year of the multifaceted partnership between Playhouse Square and -Baldwin Wallace's Music Theatre and Arts Management & Entrepreneurship programs. The collaboration provides the opportunity for collegiate actors, musicians, and arts management students from BW's nationally-recognized programs to work at one of the nation's premier performing arts centers.
The Star Machine creative team unites talent from New York City and Cleveland, bringing increased opportunity for national exposure to both the students and the production. Baldwin Wallace music theatre professor Richard Biever will direct, with Broadway's Daniel Goldstein (Godspell) serving as consulting director. New York-based choreographer Carol Schuberg and music director Gideon Temple round out the creative team. The design team includes sets and projections designed by Ben Needham, costumes by Inda Blatch Geib, lights by Logan Chapman, and sound by Angie Hayes. Charles Smith is production manager with stage management by BW senior Stephanie Montini.
ABOUT STAR MACHINE
Infused with an early 2000s pop energy, Star Machine follows sisters Jaz and Nikki as they compete on a breakout television talent show, navigating their goals, identities, and the cost of chasing stardom and critical acclaim. The heartfelt musical is a reflection on ambition that poses universal questions about the creative life.
The Temple family initially came up with the concept of "Star Machine" in 2018, and a first draft emerged during the 2020 quarantine. The writers were encouraged when the show was named a semi-finalist for the 2021 O'Neill National Musical Theater Conference. The team continued revising, presenting the first developmental workshop at BW in the fall of 2022. Additional workshops continued over the next two years, culminating with a staged concert at Gamble Auditorium in the spring of 2024. Over the last few years, the show began earning national recognition, including a top-six finalist selection for the 2024 American Music Theater Project and a top-ten finalist award for the 2026 Circle in the Square Theatre School Emerging Writers Residency. In the fall of 2025, a song from Star Machine was selected as a finalist for the national Write Out Loud competition, culminating in its performance by Tony nominee Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls) and actress Kuhoo Verma (Heathers) at a 54 Below concert
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