UNCONDITIONAL: A Musical Memoir Returns for One Night Only

Findawayhome Ink & Los Angeles LGBT Center will co-present for a special one night only encore performance of UNCONDITIONAL, A Musical Memoir at the LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre in Hollywood on February 28 at 7:30 p.m. In the wake of one of life's most profound challenges, Margot Rose's UNCONDITIONAL forges a path to resilience with a commitment to go on in a world of unpredictability. This live-band musical with an original score tells the true story of two women in 1995 - a gay couple already in their mid-forties, go to extraordinary lengths to have kids. After four years of fertility shots, artificial insemination and finally IVF, they succeed, with twins. Nineteen years later, after a tragic loss, the family is thrown into a spiral that forces them to grapple with the question – how do we stay a family? How do we go on?

 

The narrator is Marm, one of the two mothers. From the ultrasound where her daughter appears to be waving, to the moment in a critical care unit when Marm holds the hand of the beautiful teenager who could not possibly be her daughter, the narrative unfolds.

UNCONDITIONAL is a story of dedication and loss, connection, community and a backyard. 

Starring acclaimed actor/storyteller Margot Rose (Playwright, Performer, Book, Lyrics, Co-composer) plays Marm; received her BFA from NC School of the Arts and attended the Yale Drama School. She began her stage career Off-Broadway as Alice in the original company of I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road at Joe Papp's Public Theatre before moving to Los Angeles with the show. Working as an actor, songwriter and storyteller, she has appeared in TV series and films including 48 Hours, A Civil Action, Bosch, Mistresses, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Mentalist, Law & Order LA, Plainsong, Desperate Housewives and many more. For over a decade, Margot produced and hosted Sidedoor Salon, a multi-discipline performance group. She has been an invited storyteller for Listen to Your Mother, Shine, JAM Creative and Beyond Baroque, among others. Margot performed her solo musical, Springloaded, as part of the 2017 Los Angeles Fringe Festival. In January 2024, The Fountain Theatre produced a three-performance workshop of UNCONDITIONAL.

The first full production of UNCONDITIONAL premiered at the Los Angeles Skylight Theatre on February 15, 2025.

-       Book & Lyrics by Margot Rose

-       Music by Margot Rose and Aaron Benham

-       Musical Direction & Arrangements by Aaron Benham

-       Direction and Dramaturgy by Anne Kenny.

-       Co- Produced by Helen Ashford

-       Production Design by Julie Nyznik

-       Lighting Design by Alison Brumer

-       Sound and Lead Tech by Matthew Richter

-       Percussionist Justin Lottie

-       Violinist Nikki Garcia

-       Bassist James Fall

 

Melina Young (Girl)  is an actor, writer, and musician from Los Angeles, CA. She trained at Bard College, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She brings her lifelong study of classical piano and voice to her work in theatre and is currently working on her debut EP. Favorite theatre credits include Whitney White's Three Sisters (Fisher PAC), Just Like Now (Williamstown), Macbeth (LAMDA), My Mom, My Dad, & the TV News (Embarrassing Productions), UNCONDITIONAL: A Musical Memoir (1st workshop, Fountain Theatre). She's honored to be a small part of telling Margot's story. She wants to thank absolutely everyone she loves and her Ma' for singing her Circle Game to sleep.

 

Anne Kenny (Director) has worked as a dramaturg to develop UNCONDITIONAL for the stage since its inception. Recently, Anne directed and produced the show, Found Suitable at the Skylight Theatre. As a development producer/executive, she worked with over 40 artists and thought leaders to bring their stories to life on stage and screen.

 

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