Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

CATHERINE FILLOUX (BOOK)

is an award-winning playwright who has been writing about human rights and social justice for twenty-five years.  Filloux is the librettist for three produced operas, NEW ARRIVALS (Houston Grand Opera, composer John Glover), WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP (Chenla Theatre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, composer Him Sophy) and THE FLOATING BOX (Asia Society, New York City, composer Jason Kao Hwang).  WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP was also broadcast on national television in Cambodia, and THE FLOATING BOX was a Critic’s Choice in Opera News and is released by New World Records.  Catherine is the co-librettist with composer Olga Neuwirth for the opera ORLANDO, which premiered at Vienna State Opera. In development:  Thresh’s L’ORIENT (composer Kamala Sankaram, choreographer Preeti Vasudevan); MARY SHELLEY (composer Gerald Cohen, dramaturg Cori Ellison, Black Tea Music).  Her plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally.  She has been honored with the 2019 Barry Lopez Visiting Writer in Ethics and Community Fellowship; the 2017 Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre; and the 2015 Planet Activist Award. 

JIMMY ROBERTS  (MUSIC & LYRICS)

composed the music for I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, second longest running Off Broadway musical in New York theater history. Written with playwright Joe DiPietro, I LOVE YOU received both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations as Best Musical. It has since played in fifty states, twenty-five countries around the world, and is a major motion picture in Hong Kong. His second Off Broadway musical, THE THING ABOUT MEN, won the 2003 New York Outer Critics Circle award for Best Musical. Jimmy's songs were featured in two other Off Broadway shows: A…MY NAME IS STILL ALICE and PETS! His children's musical, THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, toured the United States for well over a decade. Jimmy is also a sought-after performer. In entertaining programs that combine classical and popular music, he has appeared at Merkin Concert Hall, the Time Warner Center, the 92nd Street Y, Steinway Hall, and the National Arts Club. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with noted pianist, Constance Keene, Jimmy Roberts is also a poet, whose work has appeared often in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary, as well as TROLLEY, the journal of the NYS Writers Institute.

JOHN DAGGETT (BOOK & ADD'L LYRICS)

is a differently-abled actor who has starred Off-Broadway in the critically acclaimed plays LEMKIN’S HOUSE, TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON, and LOVE LEMMINGS.  Other New York credits include: ROME, PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT, AN ARTIST’S LIFE, THE WITCHES TRIPTYCH, and his one-man show FLYING BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS (Theatre Row).  Regional: Guthrie, Merrimack Rep, Jewish Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage, Roxy Theatre, Odyssey Theater, Kavinoky Theatre and H.T.Y.  Numerous roles for Pennsylvania Shakespeare, Orlando Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare and Sherwood Shakespeare.  John served as a member of the Government Relations Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Welcome to the Big Dipper

Tom McGrath is a composer-lyricist from Tipperary, Ireland. His background is in classical and Irish folk music. He has a master’s degree in contemporary composition from Trinity College, Dublin. His musicals have been performed in the Camden Fringe, London and Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin. Tom works part-time as an NHS doctor. He is a member of the Book, Music & Lyrics workshop and Mercury Musical Developments.

Amy Clair Tasker is a theatre maker and musical theatre writer. She works with her own company Pinecone Performance Lab, and with The Cockpit, where she produces the Voila! Europe Theatre Festival and the Theatre Maker artist development programme. Amy has a BA in Drama from the University of California, Irvine. She is a member of the Book, Music & Lyrics workshop, Mercury Musical Developments, and Musical Theatre Network.

The Queen is Mad is a musical tragedy inspired by the true story of “Joanna la Loca.” The elder sister of Catherine of Aragon, Joanna came to inherit the throne of Castile in 1504 – but her father and husband conspired to usurp her power by claiming she was mad and locking her away. Against the brutality and fanaticism of 16th century Spain, the show charts Joanna’s quest for freedom and control of her own life.

With shades of Passion and Wicked, this chamber musical fuses a contemporary classical score with a tale of power, betrayal and rage.

D.C. Anderson is a film/tv and theater actor raised in Elyria, Ohio and based in New York. Film/tv roles include Mariama Diallo's MASTER, Judy Sam Roman's RICH BOY RICH GIRL, Joseph Cedar's NORMAN, Nathan Adloff's MILES, Kevin Arbouet and Judy San Roman's FAIR MARKET VALUE and television's BILLIONS, EXTRAPOLATIONS, THE ENEMY WITHIN, THE BLACKLIST, LADY BLUE and THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA. Theatre credits include Broadway's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and Off Broadways QUEEN OF THE MIST and STORYVILLE. National tours of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MARTIN GUERRE, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY. Regional acting work with the Guthrie, Steppenwolf, Goodspeed, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, Ogunquit Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, Northlight, Skid Road Theater, Conservatory Theater, Apollo Theater and Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theater companies, Penobscot. Developmental projects at Rep Theater of St Louis and Asolo Rep. Projects include FOUNTAIN, THE DISAPPEARING MAN, THE ASTONISHING TIMES OF TIMOTHY CRATCHIT and DUST AND SHADOW.

His first theatrical performance was as Gideon's young son, Jether, in GIDEON by Paddy Chayefsky at the Black River Playhouse. High school theater followed: 'Sancho' in MAN OF LA MANCHA, 'Tevye' in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Then came college at Baldwin Wallace College (now Baldwin Wallace University) : 'John' in THE LION IN WINTER, 'Tom' in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, 'Curly' in OKLAHOMA, 'El Gallo' in THE FANTASTICKS, 'Pavlo' in THE BASIC TRAINING OF PAVLO HUMMEL. Graduate School: 'Frank Strang' in EQUUS, 'Proteus' in TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

D.C. has 13 full length albums of original songs and covers available for listening and purchase on internet music services including FOOL MOON, TIME WAS, YOU WERE THERE, THE BOX UNDER THE BED, ALL IS CALM ALL IS BRIGHT, I AM STILL, BALLAD, OUR STORY, BLUE SUMMER DAY, CLOSE COMPANIONS, COLLECTED, SARASOTA and HOUSE CONCERT (2022). In 2023 he will release I ONCE WAS CLAY. He was also the man behind the very first Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit Christmas recording - 1993's CABARET NOEL. His next benefit recording project was for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2010 - it's called 'IN MY ROOM'. Click for CD info, including tracks, artists' bios, etc.

Listen on Spotify, Apple and YouTube

Marcus studied Acting and Stage Combat at East 15. He supported his studies as a professional composer and lyricist – writing over 140 songs, a chart single (Belgium), 15 short films and 30 videogames. Working with Nathan Rees (writer), Marcus produced, edited and starred in The Other Way (2019) an award-winning short film which was part of the 168 Film Festival. Video games include Stellaxy, Randy and Manilla and Ghosts in Meatspace.

Theatre credits include as fight director on Skin In The Game (London, 2019) and as actor/musician in Sanditon: 200 Years Later (The Other Palace, London 2019) where he met and worked with Vicky Clubb. They realised that they shared a passion for musical theatre and Viking culture and the idea for combining the two was the start of the idea for a new musical.

Nathan graduated from East 15’s Acting and Stage Combat course in 2019. While there, Nathan created his first show Vic-Tory-Us. As a writer, he won an award at the 168 Film Festival for The Other Way, a short film (Fire and Iron Productions). He is now resident writer for Fire and Iron Productions working on short films and features.

Theatre credits include Buttons in Cinderella (Gary Starr Creative), Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (KeepIt100), Kostya Levin in Anna Karenina (East 15), William Shakespeare in Whack-A-Head (East 15).

As fight directors, Nathan and Marcus workshopped the idea of the sound of live sword fighting becoming part of the percussive elements of the score.To facilitate communicating this to directors and performers they have developed ‘Swordography’ a new form of choreographic notation.

Nathan has been passionate about musical theatre since he was very young, and he is continuing to advance his musical theatre skill set; he was accepted on the BML Librettist Workshop programme for this year. With combined passions for musical theatre, Vikings and thrilling stage combat, Nathan, Vicky and Marcus started working together and early workshops confirmed that there was a future in bringing to live theatre a musical rooted in Viking mythology and culture.

It is 900AD and two Viking sisters are fighting for control of their late Father’s kingdom. Set against the gathering storm clouds of imminent invasion, Blodlina tells the story of a tiny community bravely fighting, against all odds, for its very existence. Amidst broken hearts and shattered swords, romance and rebellion, the story unfolds under the watchful eye of two mischievous, interfering teenage Norse gods, Loki and Thor.

Blodlina captivated audiences with its thrilling sword fights and a musical score ranging from haunting folk to heavy metal. It seamlessly blends modern themes into a story inspired by Norse mythology, creating a gripping new family musical experience.

Kjersti Long

Little Piece of You An Atypical Musical

Olivia Daniels is a Canadian performer, director and producer.

She holds a BFA in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where they studied at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and The New Studio on Broadway. Olivia also holds a minor in Philosophy.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they co-founded Artists in Residence, a theatrical platform supporting artists' mental health by providing opportunities for connection and social engagement. 

Driven by a love of collaboration and community building, they worked to create spaces where artists feel supported, seen, and respected for their individuality. With every new project, striving to embody a spirit of openness, discovery, and joy! 

In a high school music room in North Vancouver, twelve teenage girls assemble to practice and perfect their parts, desperate to please Bruce, the choir director.
As with any group of girls -
As with any choir -
They are constantly listening to each other
Tuning and re-tuning
Adjusting to each other’s movements, sounds, and rhythms
Finding dissonance and harmony.
I Was Unbecoming Then is an intimate new musical mixing hormones and harmonies.