Toren Nakamura Videos

This week's spotlight is on composer/lyricist Drew Fornarola and bookwriter Scott Elmgreen. TIANANMEN is an original rock musical that follows the events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, focusing on the stories of three student demonstrators and the Communist leaders they dare to challenge. The students communicate through music while government leaders communicate through spoken dialogue, and in this way the show uses musical theatre to starkly and viscerally portray the generational and cultural divides that come between both sides. Selections from Tiananmen premiered in a March 2014 concert at 54 Below starring Telly Leung, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Karl Josef Co, and the show continues to be developed under the artistic guidance of director Stafford Arima and with academic support from the Harvard University Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. For more, email: TiananmenMusical@gmail.com.

After a sold-out first edition, Broadway's best writers and performers teamed together again to help raise funds for children with special needs in New York City and around the world. Victor Legra, Anthony Crouchelli & M.O.V.E for Autism presented 'Putting the Pieces Together: Volume 2' featuring the music of Carner and Gregor, Rosser and Sohne, Maglione and Ruiz, Joey Contreras, Justin Anthony Long, Jonathan Lee & Joanna Burns; David Dabbon, and Will Van Dyke. The concert played 54 Below on April 24. Click below to watch all of the performances!