Where have I been?

Where have I been? It's a short answer - and a long story.

On February 25th of this year, my longtime friend and collaborator Bryan Fonseca asked me to attend a read-through of a new play he was producing at the Phoenix Theatre here in Indianapolis. I said sure, always interested in a chance to work w/ Bryan. Through all the dozens of projects we've worked on through the years, he has always inspired some of my best work.

Well, that's where I've been. I've been co-writing a musical, "The Zippers Of Zoomerville", which opens May 7th at the Phoenix.

"Zippers" is the brainchild of the awesomely-talented Jack O'Hara, who many will know from one or more of his many lives: writer, actor, director, (m)ad-man, leader of legendary '70's comedy troupe The Nebulous Players, late night movie host (whose replacement was a funny young weatherman named Letterman.) With it's genesis in various Nebulous skits poking gentle - but serious - fun at a particularly Hoosier May auto-obsession, "Zippers" is a fast-paced and very witty Gilbert & Sullivan-esque 'mockeretta'. Jack's written the book, the lyrics, has a really good basic musical idea for each number, so I'm co-composing the music with him.

Man, it's bloody hard work.

It's a six person cast, with (at latest count) around 25 musical numbers, which includes a couple of reprises, and the whole final "The Race" suite, which may be split into numerous segments. It's going to be a fun show, and the cast is fabulous: the top-shelf Chuck Goad (the ever-present "Scrooge" at IRT, ), Phebe Taylor (I worked with her last year on "End Days", she is splendid), Angela Plank (ditto for "Love/Person" this January), Mikayla Reed, (who I don't know but sings like an angel), Scot Greenwell (who had the "bumpkin rookie driver wunderkind" character John Hoosier Lordyboy, Jr. nailed from the first read-thru), and multi-talented Michael Shelton, who I was very pleased to have interpret mine and David Rheins' song "That Time Of The Year" in the just-passed holiday show "On Thin Ice: A Very Phoenix Xmas 3."

I have finally reached a place with a little breathing room - all the pieces are now written, and I'm going back and detailing them, getting ready to print them all out, and record a full-length demo CD of the complete show so everyone can drive around and practice in their cars, or while cleaning house, etc. I'll keep you posted on what is going to be - I'm sure - a wild and wacky finish to the open...