Inspired by a true story, North Pond, a new chamber musical, follows Joshua Knight, a hermit and thief who survived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, and Chelsea Marlowe, a budding reporter who tries to use his story as her big break. The story is told through an interview at a jail visiting room interjected with memories and flashbacks from Joshua’s time in his forest camp, in the jail, and in court, both alone and pitted against members of society. Digging deeper into her article, Chelsea struggles to understand Joshua, eventually realizing that the story is not what she expected.
The musical explores themes of privacy, connectivity, journalistic integrity, and nature, raising important questions about human communication and identity in an age of media saturation.
Cast and Crew
Starring baritone Michael Hewitt and soprano Chelsea Helm.
Music and Lyrics by Ben Morris (award-winning classical composer, Rice University)
Book and Lyrics by Will Inman (Bad Days – Kennedy Center staged reading, Lesbian Exhibit – Tulsa Fringe Festival)
Book by Julianne McAdams (New York State Summer Writer’s Institute, 2017)
Directed by Darian Silvers (Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors – Adirondacks, Summer 2017)
North Pond will receive a fully-staged reading on April 4th & 5th, 7:30 pm at Matchbox 2 @ MATCH Theater in Houston, TX, and is sponsored by Rice University and MUSIQA.
There will also be a free-to-attend staged reading on April 15th, 7:30PM at Rice University. Hirsch Orchestral Rehearsal Hall in Alice Pratt Brown Hall.
Learn more and Listen: http://www.northpondmusical.com