Samford Arts Set to Premiere TWO ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS

by Ashley Smith

The School of the Arts has commissioned two original works for the 2023-24 performance season. In the fall, Samford Opera will debut Dragon’s Breath, a family opera created by the team of composer Evan Mack and librettist Joshua McGuire. In the spring, musical theatre students will premiere a new work, Tomorrow, the Island Dies by Ryan Scott Oliver.

Dragon’s Breath is the second collaboration between Samford Opera and Joshua McGuire and Evan Mack. In 2016, Kristin Kenning, director of the Samford Opera program worked with McGuire and Mack to produce The Ghosts of Gatsby. The creative team has been working with opera students and the Samford Orchestra throughout this past year to fine tune the new opera which will be presented in Harrison Theatre, Nov. 16-19.

“Having worked with Kristin, Samford and its students before, it allows us to be freer to take more risks and dig in with the students,” said McGuire. “We are excited about creating the experience and setting the stage for a personal connection with the audience.”

Written for parents and children, the opera tells the story of Alan, an 11-year-old boy who is struggling with his feelings. During an argument with his parents, Alan slips into an internal realm where he confronts a dragon (his own anger) and learns how to manage his emotions. It is written for four singers and chamber orchestra.

Auditions will be held for the new musical, Tomorrow, the Island Dies, in the fall. Students will then workshop the play with the creator during the rehearsal process. Chelsea Nicholson, director of the musical theatre program, first connected with Oliver as a college student when she ordered his sheet music. After following his successful career, she reached out to him about collaborating on a musical, knowing that they shared a lot of common interests. “When I reached out to him in 2021 about writing a new musical for our department he responded with resounding positivity. His work has been produced on the West End and Off Broadway, and this is an incredible opportunity for us,” Nicholson said. “The 90-minute musical will be in Scott’s incredibly unique, complex folk/pop/Sondheim-ish writing style.”

The musical will premiere in Harrison Theatre, April 11-14, 2024, and tells the story of island residents trying to salvage their community after a series of devastating hurricanes.

Nicholson is excited about this opportunity for her students. “Embarking on a new work is an incredibly important educational experience for students. We will be creating these characters for the very first time and building the first production design for the show,” she said. “I am most excited for our students to have a voice in the musical theatre canon. Ryan plans to continue carrying this piece beyond our production, so this production will be a crucial step in seeing what elements need to be further developed. Samford Theatre and Dance will forever be attached to this piece as the original production and commissioning body,” Nicholson said.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Jon Meacham spoke at Samford on March 22.

Kenning shares this enthusiasm for her students to be part of the creative process for Dragon’s Breath. “The opportunity to sing new music is everything. Being able to have the librettist and composer in the room is an exceptional opportunity for our students,” she said. ◗