BEAUTIFUL DREAMER – THE STEPHEN FOSTER MUSICAL Premieres Tonight at The PiTCH
The rich, musical legacy of Stephen Foster is brought to moving life in Beautiful Dreamer, which will receive its first, scaled-down, public presentation as part of The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival's new musical development series, The PiTCH, tonight, August 8-10, in Auburn, New York.
Beautiful Dreamer's songs were composed by Foster (1826-64) and feature such standards as Camptown Races, My Old Kentucky Home, Swanee River, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and the title song. The concept and book are by David Lewis Newman, who has had an extensive entertainment industry career as a TV and film writer/producer/director and assistant director.
The musical follows Foster's life from the late 1840's (when he had his first big hit, Oh! Susanna) to his penniless death in 1864. A story of love and demons, Beautiful Dreamer is set in the earliest days of American show business, when "professional songwriter" was an oxymoron, and the primary outlets for Stephen Foster's songs were blackface minstrel shows and sheet music publishers.
Key characters include Jane McDowell, Foster's wife and muse, and Joe Collins, a runaway slave with unbelievable dancing skills. Set in a tumultuous historical period, Beautiful Dreamer encompasses inescapable racial, social and political themes that resonate today.
Newman's inspiration for writing Beautiful Dreamer wasn't to simply tell the tale of Foster's life. "Through dramatic context, my goal was to cast Foster's familiar songs in a whole new light, revealing their surprising beauty and depth. I'm also thrilled to employ some astonishing songs from Foster's catalogue people will be much less familiar with."
One of Newman's biggest challenges in adapting the show for The PiTCH was to condense a full two-act musical with a large cast and ensemble down to an hour-long performance with all parts covered by just three performers, including an accompanist.
"When Ed Sayles (the Festival's director) offered me the opportunity to participate, I jumped at it," says Newman. "I can't wait to expose audiences to Foster's incredible songs and see how the show plays. I'm also excited to hear the audience feedback following the performances, which is all part of The PiTCH experience."
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