10th NEW WORKS SHOWCASE Presented by MusiCoLab Features Original Works of Seven Local Musical Theater Writing Teams

MusiCoLab will present the tenth edition of their New Works Showcase, featuring the original works of seven musical theater writing teams in Philadelphia. The showcase will be presented at the Drake Proscenium Theater on Monday, November 20 at 7 PM. 

Ten minutes of excerpts from each work will be presented by an ensemble of versatile local musical theater performers, accompanied by music director Linda Henderson.

Audience members will have the opportunity to meet the artists at a post-performance reception. 

“We received a number of terrific submissions for the tenth edition of MusiCoLab's New Works Showcase, with a wide range of styles and subject matter,” said MusiCoLab Executive Director Charles Gilbert. “It proves there's a vibrant scene for musical theater writers here in Philadelphia. We invite all musical theater lovers to come out to experience and support this fantastic new work.”

For its tenth New Works Showcase, the following works have been selected: 

Far From the Tree - Book by Justin Warner, Lyrics by Kristin Maloney, Music by Robert Maggio. Based on the award-winning non-fiction book by Andrew Solomon, Far From The Tree weaves several stories of parents raising profoundly different children with Solomon's own atypical journey toward parenthood.  

Becoming Vegan - Music, Lyrics and Book by Sarah Clemency. Two women, one a vegan and the other a meat eater, find each other and fall hard. There is just one problem: the meat eater has been lying about her carnivorous ways. Will she give up bacon to be with the woman she loves? Sarah Clemency is a native of Gloucester City, NJ. 

Monster - Music, Lyrics and Book by Michael Roche. When a mysterious drifter appears in a small town, his arrival awakens hopes, fears and memories among the town's residents. Roche is a native of Wayne, PA. 

New York Letters - Lyrics and Book by Mare Rozzelle, Music by Glenn Prangnell. John Lennon's years in New York City and his most important relationships are depicted in songs inspired by imagined correspondence he sends and receives as he navigates his new surroundings. Mare Rozzelle is a native of Haddon Township, NJ. 

Off on a Holiday - Music and Lyrics by Stas Mavrides and John Fretz, Book by Michael Danese. Off on a Holiday is a zany musical story of romance, high-tech espionage, and environmental significance with a “yacht rock” score! Michael Danese and John Fretz are from the Lehigh Valley/Allentown area. 

Through a Screen - Music, Lyrics and Book by Michael Bihovsky. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, two gamers meet online and begin a relationship in which their screens are their only lifeline - but also their greatest barrier. Bihovsky is a native of Wynnewood and lives in Bryn Mawr, PA. 

You People - Music, Lyrics and Book by Katie Horner. In an eco-dystopia fifty years in the future, Maggie and Ayana, two long-time friends and “roommates,” lead a group brave enough to commit treason to mitigate the worst effects of the energy shortage.  

MusiCoLab is a non-profit organization that supports musical theater and artists who write musicals in the Greater Philadelphia area. Since 2018, MusiCoLab has produced nine showcases featuring over 100 songs by 50 regional composers and lyricists. MusiCoLab also has sponsored developmental workshops of new musicals and hosts a monthly meetup for musical theater creators.

Tickets for the November 20 MusiCoLab showcase are $15 and are available now at musicolab.ticketleap.com/nws10/ or at the door. Learn more about MusiCoLab online at musicolab.org.

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