Free Movie ALL FOR THE BEST Shows How Live Musical Theatre Survives Pandemic

In his non-profit film, All for the Best: How to Make a Musical During a Global Pandemic, independent filmmaker Jesse Kretsinger tells the story of how Little Falls Summer Musical rehearsed and performed the summer 2020 production of Godspell - outdoors and socially distanced. A Discourier Media and Little Falls Summer Musical production, All for the Best will be released for free viewing on YouTube on Sat., Jan. 30, 2021, with a special live-streamed premiere and Q&A session on Fri., Jan. 29 at 7:00 p.m.

When pandemic restrictions began in March, LF Summer Musical founders Lucas Burr and his father Michael Burr watched area theater organizations cancel or postpone their production schedules, throwing into question the future of in-person live performances. But rather than canceling the production, the company's creative team wanted to test their flexibility. "We believed we could follow all the rules and still put on a good quality show," said Lucas, the show's co-director and music director.

With Godspell, the creative team found ways for characters to interact from afar, invented intense choreography that could be executed while socially distant, and engineered a portable set and orchestra stage that could be assembled on the lawn at The Long Drive-In Theater in Long Prairie. This created an in-person experience that maintained safety for everyone involved. However, the rigorous process also created a series of difficulties that proved to be an existential challenge for the production. The film depicts the full range of emotions the production team experienced as the needs of public health clashed with the creative process

The film features interviews from throughout the course of the production, conducted by Kretsinger with Lucas and Michael, as well as co-director Michael Kalpakoff, assistant director Christian Thoms-Warzecha, and cast members Ryan Stangl, Madeline Wright, Nate Moga, Emma Ahlin, Angela Wright, Luke Rentschler, and Mia Hoffman. Kretsinger also was a member of the cast, putting him in the middle of the story while he was documenting it. The videography process also was a cooperative effort, with the cast, crew, and their families providing additional footage and photos from rehearsals and performances.

All for the Best: How to Make a Musical During a Global Pandemic will be released for free and without advertisements on Sat., Jan. 30, 2021 at the Discourier YouTube channel, which can be found at tinyurl.com/aftbmovie. Prior to the film's public release, it will be streamed live in a special advance premiere and watch party on the Discourier YouTube channel Fri., Jan. 29 at 7:00 p.m., with a Q&A session featuring Godspell's cast and crew members. Updates on the film can be found at facebook.com/lfsummermusical.