I admit it. I cried tears of joy when I heard my words turned into songs. I thought to myself I should had video this experience, but I did not know I would burst out in this much emotion hearing my words put into music for a musical puppet show that will premier in May of this year.
I was awarded a grant for this project from the Center of Cultural Power. I wrote a proposal to this organization to write a puppet play about book banning. Thirty recipients were awarded this Disrupter Grant in California. I believe I am the only one in Kings County to receive this prestige award.
While writing it, it occurred to be that some portions demanded song. Ordinarily, I would just write a straight play, but having taken a musical theater primer offered by the Dramatist Guild last fall, I toyed with some of the lines being written as song. Doing so I opened a whole new world for not only the project, but for myself!
To write words to a song you are called a lyricist. A lyricist needs a composer. Where do you find a composer? I didn’t have to look far. My brother is a musician and has been composing songs for his bands for years. On November 15, 2023, I asked him if he’d be the composer and by January 7, he wrote all the music to my lyrics. By February 4th he made demos for the singers to learn the songs.
The process continues. We are in rehearsal for THE TRIAL OF BOOKUS, a puppet musical show that will premiere and show on May 18, 19 and 25, 26 at the Lil’ Brick Theater, home of Hanford Multicultural Theater Company. You can buy tickets now if you go to the website and scroll down to ‘Events.’ Will I cry tears of joy again? Absolutely on opening night.
