From Penn State Musical Theatre’s New Musicals Initiative: In-Gauged at 54 Below

Join us for a concert evening featuring highlights from the new musical IN-GAUGED, by Christian Thompson and Maria Wirries. The show was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre and features the talented seniors in the Class of 2023! John Simpkins directs the evening.

Penn State is the proud home of one of the preeminent training programs in musical theatre. Led by Head of Musical Theatre John Simpkins, it is also home to a New Musicals Initiative where each year writers are commissioned. The writers visit Penn State to meet a group of third-year students, share work, and discuss timely issues facing young people. The writers return the following year and workshop/ develop the show with a Penn State creative team and the students who are now in their fourth year. Opportunities exist to continue into production at Penn State and professionally.

Previous commissions include Love in Hate Nation (Joe Iconis), The Last Day (Mike Reid/Sarah Schlesinger), The Lucky Boy (Kirsten Childs), Dust and Embers (Sam Salmond), Nostalgia Night (Sofya Levitsky-Weitz/Matthew McCollum), Make It All Better (Gilbert Bailey), and Me and My Friends Killing Nazis (Alexander Sage Oyen, Lauren Marcus, James Presson).

Please note that all artists and acts are subject to change at any time.