HEAVEN COME HOME To Be Presented As A Staged Reading This Month

"Heaven Come Home," a new musical in development, will be presented as a staged reading on Saturday, August 20 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Weber Fine Arts Building, on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. This reading is a collaboration between UNO Theatre and Megan Ann Rasmussen Productions. The 2 p.m. reading will be followed by a talkback with the show's cast and creative team.

"Heaven Come Home" features a wide array of musical styles such as Broadway, pop, R&B, soul and rap. When grief turns their lives upside down, two families meet at a grief recovery session facilitated by an angelic messenger with an agenda of her own.

"Heaven Come Home" was created by Omaha natives; with a book, music and lyrics by Dani Cleveland and Justin Payne, with additional lyrics and the song "One More Day" by Julie Baker.

When Cleveland and Payne first conceived "Heaven Come Home" in December 2019, neither writer was prepared to create a show that spoke with a community experiencing loss firsthand-especially amidst a global pandemic. Payne was able to see how this musical's theme of grief can resonate, especially during trying times. "The more we worked on it, I realized that grief is one of those universal threads that bind us all together...We can all relate in some way."

This reading will be directed by Denise Chapman with music direction by Hal France, both of whom serve on UNO faculty. The 11 a.m. reading will feature UNO musical theatre students including Kyla Calloway, McKenna Cottone, Allen Griffin, Yasmine Elrefaie and Wayne Hudson, II. The 2 p.m. reading will feature local professional actors including Leanne Carlson, Camille Metoyer Moten, Corben Griffin, Doriette Jordan and Marcel Daly. Both casts will be supported by ensemble members Isabel Gott and Zhomontee Watson.