The Collegiate and Professional Processes of Putting Together "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Using recent and forthcoming productions of a new musical, I will research how national workshops/premieres are archived and advertised comparatively in local university and professional venues. The Count of Monte Cristo by Broadway duo—composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Jack Murphy—was workshopped in New York City in 2008 and received a world premiere in Switzerland; it also performed in South Korea in 2010. In October 2013, Wildhorn conducted a master class with Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) musical theatre students. Impressed with their talent, he selected BYU to produce the U.S. premiere of Monte Cristo in January 2015.[1] Wildhorn’s intentions were twofold: introduce his musical to America and prepare pupils for professional theatre. Thus the entire cast, crew, and a significant amount of the production team were BYU students. Throughout rehearsals, scenes and songs were edited with the creators’ consent. I assisted the dramaturg as she designed blog posts,[2] lobby displays, program study guides, and hosted post-show discussions. Thus I will utilize dramaturgy, criticism, marketing, and interviews to examine how this musical and its workshop process were archived and advertised by the university. I will then compare BYU’s process with Pioneer Theatre Company, a local professional theater that will perform Monte Cristo from May 6-21, 2016.[3] PTC is housed at the University of Utah (BYU’s rival) and advertises their upcoming production as “The U.S. premiere of a new musical,”[4] never mentioning the BYU performances. Perhaps venue and intentions affect process, archival methods, and even credibility.
* Link to the YouTube video featured on the footnote #1 website:
Monte Cristo' musical to make U.S. debut at BYU, all-student cast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCzdhz5mX9g
[1] http://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/musical-version-of-count-of-monte-cristo-premieres-at-byu/article_e418e8bf-e501-529b-ae9b-180f9919dcd2.html
[2] http://4thwalldramaturgy.byu.edu/category/the-count-of-monte-cristo
[3] http://www.pioneertheatre.org/2015-2016-season/
[4] http://www.pioneertheatre.org/press-room/press-releases/2014-2015/ptc-secures-rights-count-monte-cristo-musical/