SSA Follow-up

So it’s been busy here at Signature as you can tell since I haven’t made a post in about two weeks. On August 11, we presented a reading of one of our many new musicals in development, SSA (ASS BACKWARDS). It was wonderful hearing the piece out loud for the first time in front of an audience. The musical’s been in development at Signature for a while now. Nick Blaemire and James Gardiner, the writers, were participants in our summer musical theater intensive, Overtures, two years ago. During a master class with Richard Maltby, Nick asked if he could play a song from a new musical he’d been working on. His music had such a unique and fresh sound that I asked the boys to send me a copy of the script and music and we’ve been working on it ever since. This is the first musical Nick and James have ever written, and they bring so much passion and heart to their work.


The reading at Signature was invaluable. Now we know how to proceed with the piece and the writers have a better sense of what needs to happen next. Readings allow us to see what works and doesn’t in the storytelling. There are no design elements to distract, only the words and the music to focus on. An added benefit to the process was being able to take the show to NYC for a one-night-only concert reading. The late night concert was produced by Jamie McGonnigal at Joe’s Pub, the Public Theatre’s intimate cabaret space. The concert featured a fabulous band and over 200 people showed up to catch a glimpse. It was great to feature some of Signature’s work up in New York, but it was even more exciting to see the audience response that this new musical produced. Hearing the piece with a band made the Joe’s Pub concert an unforgettable evening. The cast featured [pictured L to R] Nick Blaemire, Jason Michael Snow (a recent graduate of Boston Conservatory), Ryan Watkinson (in the final company of MOVIN’ OUT on Broadway), and Danny Binstock (a recent graduate of the University of Michigan). Jesse Vargas (BARE: THE POP OPERA; BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY and DREAMGIRLS at Prince Music Theater), took time out of his busy schedule to music direct.

— ES