VIDEO: THE LOUDER WE GET Releases New Music Video In Celebration of the Graduating Class Of 2020

In celebration of Pride Month, the company of The Louder We Get encourages fans of the new "This Dance Is For You" video to donate to PFLAG Canada, founded by parents who wished to help themselves and their family members understand and accept their LGBTQ2S children; and The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which protects and defends the human rights of black transgender people.

The Louder We Get is an original musical from Canadian writers, Kent Staines, Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal, which follows the real-life events of Marc Hall, who fought for his right to take his boyfriend to his high school prom. His story motivates and inspires people to embrace equality and stand up for who they are. The Louder We Get is about speaking up for what you believe, standing up for someone you care about, and making change.

The musical recently enjoyed a critical and popular success in a first-class production at Theatre Calgary (theatrecalgary.com) where it debuted in January of this year and was the top-selling show of its 2019/20 season.

"The Louder We Get is an exciting new musical about Canadian Marc Hall, an unlikely hero who stood up to power, spoke the truth, and changed the world," says Lonny Price, director of The Louder We Get. "His tale calls forth the hero in us all to step up and make a difference. With an exciting original score by Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal, and a funny, moving book by Kent Staines, along with a thrilling career defining performance by Evan Kinnane, The Louder We Get reminds us when young people make their voices heard, (Greta Thurnberg), they change the world!"

"COVID-19 hit just a few weeks after we wrapped up our successful Theatre Calgary production," comments producer Mary Young Leckie, Solo Productions. "Fans were reaching out to us on social media asking if a song from the musical would be released. I was inspired by the smart ways the arts community was connecting with and uplifting audiences during our global lockdown. With prom season and Pride Month underway The Louder We Get team wants to share some of our wonderful joyful music and dance with the world."

Theatre Calgary Artistic Director Stafford Arima adds, "Marc Hall's story is one of bravery and persistence, and the capacity young people have to speak to truth, to power and effect change. The show is hugely inspiring and fun. The graduating class of 2020 is entering into a great deal of uncertainty - we want to celebrate them and acknowledge them. So, this dance is for them!"

The creative team on the video included Rebecca Howell (choreographer), Joshua Zecher-Ross (music director), Justin Goldner (arrangements), Oskar Haggdahl (drummer), and film and television editor Diane Brunjes (The Clark Sisters, Sony Pictures).

"This Dance Is For You" begins with an introduction from Marc Hall himself and lead actor Evan Kinnane (Moulin Rouge! Broadway), who played Hall in the Calgary production. The video features the cast of the Theatre Calgary production including Lee MacDougall (Come From Away, Broadway) Thom Allison (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Broadway), Rielle Braid, Kevin Corey, Naomi Costain, Deann DeGruijter, Alexa Elser, Fionn Laird, Ryan Maschke, Katie McMillan, Glen Mills, Joel Schaefer, and Scott Olynek. Making their Theatre Calgary debuts were Devin Cecchetto, Nick Dolan, Alexandra Gratton, Kira Guloien, Sara Hinding, Isidora Kecman, Jamie Mayers, Kolton Stewart, and Roel Suasin.

The Louder We Get had its World Premiere under the title Prom Queen at the Segal Centre in Montreal in 2016 before it became talk of the 2017 NAMT Festival and The Other Place in the UK. Subsequently, Lonny Price (Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close; Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill starring Audra McDonald), the Emmy-winning, Tony-nominated director was brought on to direct the production under the auspices of Theatre Calgary Artistic Director Stafford Arima and producer Mary Young Leckie of Solo Productions.

The international creative team was rounded out by Musical Director Joshua Zecher-Ross (Be More Chill, Broadway; Mary & Max - A New Musical, Theatre Calgary), Orchestrator Justin Goldner (funkybutter.com), Choreographer Rebecca Howell (Moulin Rouge! The Musical - Assoc. Choreographer, Broadway; The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4: The Musical, West End), Set designer James Noone (Sunset Boulevard - revival, Lady Day at Emerson's)