Saturday marks the final day for the New Works Project, and it's a production that's near and dear to my heart.
A couple of weeks ago Clint McElroy, who's one of my oldest friends, gave me a call and asked if I would be willing to be part of a reading of his musical, Collis P! (which is, of course, based on the amazing life of the founder of our town, Collis P. Huntington).
Clint's been working on this for a number of years, fine-tuning the script and the songs. I was actually part of the first reading almost a decade ago.
Of course, I told him I'd be happy to help out. It wasn't until I arrived at the first rehearsal a couple of weeks ago that I realized I would be expected to sing, too - not exactly my strong suit. But what the heck, I was getting to work with friends like Mark Hayes, Mike Murdock, Mary and Tommy Smirl, Laura Donahoe, Owen Reynolds and Jack Cirillo (just to name a few) - it's been a lot of fun!
The performance Saturday night is only about an hour of the full show, but you'll get a good sense of what a terrific story it tells - about Collis' childhood, his rise to prominence, his unlikely adventures building a railroad empire and the entertaining folks he meets when he visits West Virginia.
The songs are terrific - rousing, funny, touching - it's great work all the way around! After the show the audience gets to talk to Clint and offer suggestions and comments about the show. (My sense is that it won't be long before you see a full-fledged production of the show on stage in Huntington - and you can brag that you saw it in previews!)
The show starts at 7 p.m. at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, and admission is free (although donations are gratefully accepted).
It's highly recommended!
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