HERE AND THEIR World Premiere Opens During Pride Month At 12th Avenue Arts

The world premiere of nonbinary musical HERE AND THEIR, with book by local artist Jasmine Joshua, music/lyrics by Heather Ragusa, and story by Jasmine Joshua and Alexei Cifrese, will run on Capitol Hill throughout Pride Month. HERE AND THEIR runs at 12th Avenue Arts June 13-28, 2025. Tickets now on sale.

A show for trans people and the people who love them, this joyful, funny rock musical centers intergenerational queerness and celebrates what it's like coming out "late" in life.

Directed by Jasmine Joshua (Mystery of Irma Vep at Intiman, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd at Book-It, Cabaret at Reboot Theatre Company) with music direction by Jordyn Day Palmer (Spelling Bee, Pippin, and Anything Goes at UW) and choreography by Elizabeth Richmond Posluns (Cabaret at Reboot Theatre Company, Spongebob at Bainbridge Performing Arts, Elf at Driftwood Players).

The story centers around Samantha O'Malley, 100% female human woman, who lives happily in Butte, Montana. Engaged to David and running the family restaurant, everything in Sam's life seems perfect until a carefully guarded family secret is unearthed. Not only does Sam have an estranged aunt no one has ever mentioned, but it turns out she's lesbian punk rock icon Vikki Vektor. While online stalking, er, researching, Sam stumbles across the term "nonbinary" and digs deeper into a world that is both completely unknown and innately familiar. Relieved and panicked, Sam must figure out a way to live their life authentically... and maybe that starts with finding Vikki.

HERE AND THEIR was originally developed as a part of The 5th Avenue Theatre's First Draft Program. With support from NAMT grants, HERE AND THEIR was also workshopped at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The writers continued to develop the show at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Goodspeed Musicals' Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove. HERE AND THEIR was a finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and a finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant.

The HERE AND THEIR cast includes Sebastian Borges, Annalisa Brinchmann, Rylynn Davis, Ellen Dessler Smith, Shana Emile, Queenelle Gazmen, Megan Huynh, Juniper Johns, Sydney Kaser, James Lee, Meg McLynn, Stefanie Mei Fang Van Rafelghem, Chloe Payne, Perseus Wait, Marnie Wingett, and Selena Whitaker-Paquiet.

The Production Team of HERE AND THEIR includes costume design by Krista Lofgren, set and prop design by Robin Macartney, sound design by Josh Valdez, and lighting design by Jacob Viramontes. Aimee Hong will conduct the band made up of Kendall Crane, Olivia Hamilton, Jason Gray, Tai Taitano, and Cam Schneider.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Jasmine Joshua (book/story) is a Seattle writer, producer, actor, and director. Jasmine graduated magna cum laude from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Creative Writing. They also studied with the Larry Moss Studio and the Groundlings. Directing credits: Book-It (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd); Intiman (The Mystery of Irma Vep); Reboot Theatre (Private Lives, Cabaret, Anyone Can Whistle); Cafe Nordo (Down the Rabbit Hole, Christmas Killing at Corgi Cliffs); Annex (Gold); assistant director at 5th Avenue Theatre (Bliss); associate director at Village Theatre (Sherwood). On stage: 5th Avenue Theatre, Village, Seattle Shakes, Seattle Public Theatre, Book-it, Intiman, Reboot, Seattle Musical Theatre. Jasmine wrote and performed a solo track in the world premiere musical AND SO THAT HAPPENED for the 5th Avenue Theatre. Jasmine's solo show BREADCRUMBS premiered at Seattle's ACT Theatre's Solo Fest and was also included in Ars Nova's ANTFest. Jasmine is the founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning theatre company Reboot Theatre Company, recently celebrating its ten year anniversary season.

Heather Ragusa (music/lyrics) has worked as songwriter and recording artist for twenty years, including fronting Heather Rae and Tumbleweed and opening multiple times for punk legend Exene Cervenka. Heather has collaborated and performed with members of Social Distortion, Steppenwolf, The Abiders, The Pullmen, Lily Water, The Side Show Preachers, The Rug Cutters, Whiskey Chimp, performing at Carnegie Hall, venues throughout Southern California, and even placed second at the Cowboy Palace's Amateur Performer Night behind Wanda the Dairy Cow Yodeler. Heather is currently recording her new album, Split.