Chasing Rainbows

I had the opportunity to work on a new musical called Chasing Rainbows at Goodspeed Opera House this past fall.  Find out more!

Chasing Rainbows is the story of a young Judy Garland's journey to her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  You meet her and her family as they struggle to make ends meet and turn Francis Gumm (Judy Garland) into a star.  The show also features Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Clark Gable and many more.  It is a story about family and love and the promise that if you believe in yourself you too can fly over the rainbow.  

I had a great time working on this show.  The cast and creative team were absolutely incredible and made the process of trial and error so much fun.  Goodspeed is known for its emphasis on new works and Chasing Rainbows was no exception.  They were excited to explore the current state of the piece and only take it forward.  Rehearsals consisted of everyone in the room throwing out ideas and trying new things.  If a scene or moment didn't work everyone was involved.  The producer, director, choreographer, book writer, actors, technical designers and more would be consulted when a new idea was in the air.  Everyone was so invested in figuring out how to make each moment work and how their speciality could be of assistance.  

As a writer myself, I really enjoyed the process.  Getting to watch professionals make mistakes and change their work day in and day out was a massive learning experience.  I enjoyed throwing in my ideas as well as an actor and getting to genuinely create parts of the show.  Normally when you work on a show it is set in stone.  The words are the words, the songs and the songs and the steps are the steps.  Working on Chasing Rainbows was something completely different.  If anyone felt as though something was off, we would simply change it.  Everyone searched for the best solution and whoever found it won.  

I will never forget my time in the rehearsal space at Chasing Rainbows.  The opportunity to work with amazing people and create something new everyday was an unforgettable experience.  I look forward to watching the show grow in the future.  I know they have big plans for it and I hope to see them succeed!

Pictures from Chasing Rainbows

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Other links:
Goodspeed
Playbill
Broadway World