A new musical written in part by a San Diego native and SDSU grad will receive a reading this fall at the prestigious New York Musical Festival.
"Underground," a new musical with book by John Viscardi and music and lyrics by local composer Thomas Hodges, has been selected for a reading at the festival, it was announced last week.
"I am honored to be a part of the New York Musical Festival two years in a row especially after having such an incredible experience last year," Hodges said in a statement. "'Underground: An Urban Tale' is a musical about the light that dreams create and the courage to follow those lights."
Readings are one of the first stages when developing musicals and plays. Readings often take place with no scenic, costume or staging elements. Actors read from scripts.
"Underground" follows a teenage girl and her brother as they travel through the New York subway system in search of a story for her documentary.
"It is a romantic story of love and forgiveness, of sacrifice and pain, and ultimately redemption, as seen through the eyes of our young dreamers," the description of the musical reads on the NYMF website.
It's the second musical selected for the well-known festival for the New York-based composer, who won the 2006 California Young Playwrights Contest.
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Last year, Hodges wrote a musical with his former teacher at SDSU, Patricia Loughrey, about the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The musical, "Sonata 1962," won several awards at the festival.
The NYMF has premiered many well-known shows, including "Next to Normal." "Altar Boyz" and "[title of show]."
To learn more about "Underground," click here. If you would like to help the musical fundraise for the festival, you can donate at this link here.
