Opening Night America

The upcoming TV series Opening Night America, created by producer Charles Jones II, will showcase four creative teams as they compete for a live stage premiere of their new musicals, under the direction and guidance of celebrity mentors such as Tony- and Emmy-winning performer Kristin Chenoweth. To learn more about the project, visit OpeningNightAmerica.com. Season 1 will feature the following new works.

Coyote, with a score by Tim McCorry and book by Michael Aman, is a musical drama about two separated lovers that tells the story of a foreboding pilgrimage from Mexico to the southern border of the U.S., featuring a predominantly Latinx cast led by the unscrupulous and magical title character, Coyote. Below is a montage from the 2016 FWD Theatre Project in Chicago, featuring Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz.

Legends of Arahma, with a score by Joseph Purdue and libretto by Dries Janssens, is a fantasy adventure that features young explorers from an earthly age gone by, as they battle other-worldly creatures in a mystical environment where good is threatened by a dark and evil force. Below are highlights from a 2019 performance of the concept album.

Once upon a Rhyme (formerly illa!), by Ronvé O’Daniel with co-composer Jevares Myrick and co-book writer J Kyle Manzay, follows a young, black ballet dancer, who despite the objections of his parents, dreams of becoming a hip-hop star. Below is a 2016 profile of the show and its creators.

The King’s Critique, with a libretto by Eric Holmes and score by Nat Zegree, is a musical comedy with an all-female cast that takes a reverse Shakespearean approach with a twist on the “Emperor’s New Clothes.” Below are Kennedy Caughell and Ryan Vona singing “I Am” in the show’s 2018 MT Shorts concert premiere at New York’s Cutting Room.

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