Student Blog: Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Rock Opera Workshop

Workshopping a new musical is an eye-opening experience. In September, I was a part of Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Rock Opera 2026 Workshop, a musical adaptation of the iconic 1989 film, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I collaborated with students from different schools, worked with Broadway producers and industry professionals, and watched a new work take shape right before my eyes. Best of all, I was able to do so in an educational setting.

How did this workshop come to be? The producers partnered with Emerson Stage to set this new work on students in one week, developing the score, script, and essence of the show. The week culminated with an industry presentation as well as an invite-only performance for friends and family. What better place to workshop a musical than in Boston, with access to talent from Emerson College, Berklee College of Music, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee!

When I saw the audition notice in April, I knew I had to go in for it. Little did I know that I would spend the summer listening to demos and quoting “Party on, dudes!” I was cast as Billy the Kid, a historical figure from the Old West who empowers Bill and Ted to believe in themselves throughout the show. As I prepared to step into the boots of this Old West cowboy, I received an email from the director and screenwriter, Chris Matheson, asking if I could play harmonica for the show. I had never touched a harmonica before in my life! Soon enough, I learned some simple riffs and licks to bring into rehearsal.

I rushed to our first rehearsal on a rainy Sunday morning, filled with nerves and excitement, curious about what this process would be like. We had received the script two days prior, so I came in as prepared as I could, with my lines highlighted and my song memorized.

As I walked up the stairs to Emerson College’s Greene theater, I already heard the band rehearsing. The songs I had been listening to over and over on demos from my inbox were finally coming to life! I entered the space and immediately saw it was a professional environment. Music stands were set up, and placards with our names and roles marked the assigned seating.

We sang through the score, putting my sight-reading skills to work. Finally, it was time to run my song! As we ran through the piece, the score was already evolving. The music director, Nathan Dame, and musical supervisor, Jonathan Brielle worked to tailor the songs to our voices by changing the keys and altering phrasing. It felt as though they were constantly listening for and building on what each of us brought to the table. In the days following this first music rehearsal, we were constantly being given new sheet music. Nathan and Jonathan would cut measures, add background vocals, and switch up voicings almost every day. Whipping out my harmonica, surprising the cast and creatives, was my favorite part of the day!

Throughout the week, we rehearsed from 7:30 to 11 p.m. every evening. Honestly, I couldn’t have been happier. Right after I finished my dance classes at BoCo, I would rush over on the T to Emerson with my friends who were also in the show. We would grab a bite to eat and then go straight to the studio. Rehearsing at Emerson was a nice change in scenery, and I ended up randomly running into so many friends I hadn’t seen in years!

Monday through Wednesday consisted of mostly music rehearsals, with some table reading mixed in. We worked on vocally and physically presenting the style of the show, finding the pop/rock placement and speak-singing to attack phrases with.

The director, Chris Matheson, would pull us aside individually or in small groups to develop his vision for scenes and characters. I loved seeing everyone’s individuality shine. We shared many laughs over the script and bits we created, like Beethoven’s frilly wig, Sigmund Freud’s time travel dance, and many, many air guitars.

On Thursday, we moved back into the Greene Theater for tech. I brought in my cowboy boots, cowboy hat, harmonica, and all the swagger I could muster. I was ready, but tech was a whole other beast. In a Staged Reading, actors perform “on book” with scripts in their hands or on music stands. During cue-to-cue, I played with what pages of my script I was going to have on hand for which scenes, figuring out how to perform effectively with the standing mics. When you weren’t in a scene, you sat in a semicircle towards the sides of the stage. This meant we had to practice staying present and attentive to the actors who were performing in front of us. I quickly learned where to place my water bottle and props, as well as how to position myself so I could keep the music director in my peripheral vision and catch every cue.

During tech, I had more time to get to know the cast! We all sat together during lunch and dinner breaks. Since we all study at different arts schools, I loved hearing about what their schools were like and the variety of projects they were all pursuing this semester.

Saturday soon arrived! At 1 pm, we had the industry presentation, which was a shortened version of the material we had been working on all week. An invite-only performance for family and friends was soon after at 3pm. Luckily, my dad was able to come up from North Carolina to support me and enjoy the show! Afterward, we celebrated with a reception in the lobby, where everyone congratulated one another on the week’s hard work. Of course, there was cake!

Overall, this workshop was an incredibly collaborative process, and I feel lucky to have experienced the development of a musical from the inside out. From learning harmonica riffs, to receiving new sheet music every day, I gained an appreciation for how much experimentation and flexibility goes into developing a new work. I can’t wait to see where this show goes in the future. Party on, dudes!

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