The King's Legacy- Industry Reading
Donation protected
The Who:
Referring to me, the writer (and not the insanely talented band near and dear to my heart)!
My name is Michael Radi and I am the composer, lyricist, and librettist of the original musical "The King's Legacy." I am a lover of history with a hardcore musical theatre habit, which has helped result in the creation of this musical!
In addition to writing musical theatre, I am also a performer, musical director, and vocal coach. Now in my sixth year, I teach voice and play for classes at a studio on Long Island, and I absolutely adore my students. I have seen first hand how powerful musical theatre can be in shaping the way young people see and interact with the world, and I want to be a part of that process in every way I can. Additionally, I am currently also collaborating on various other musical theatre projects as well.
Find more information at my website!
The Musical:
"The King's Legacy" is the story of how King Henry VIII's obsession for a son tore his country apart, and how his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, became their unexpected savior.
The musical takes place on the fortieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (London, 1598) when a troupe of performers puts on a show to honor her rule. The musical spans thirty-three years between the two separate, but related, storylines. The main story is of Henry’s attempts to obtain a son. The other plotline deals with Elizabeth as she grows up, learning what it means to be a great monarch from Henry and his later wives.
The musical is performed with 8 adult actors and 1 child actor playing a total of 17 roles. The atmosphere of the presentation should be that of an Elizabethan performance, filled with both direct narration and great whimsy.
I began working on the musical in the fall of 2012, having always been fascinated by the history of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. One man's self-prescribed need to obtain a son and one woman's desire to marry the king changed the world, and yet we can only fill in the rest of the story with guesses and imagination. The story appealed to me, not only because of the grand scale of the world stage these people lived on, but because of the incredible intimacy of these dramatic personal relationships. The story sang to me, and I realized I had to put the notes on paper!
On May 19th, 2013 (the 477th anniversary of Anne Boleyn's death, coincidentally) I gathered a group of my friends together at my apartment to read through the show for the first time, which went quite well for a barely finished musical. Then, that July, the Random Access Theater produced a staged reading in mid-town of the edited first draft, from which I learned a great deal. My fascination at Anne Boleyn's role in the story was perhaps too apparent, for many people were unsure exactly whose story I was telling.
After many major revisions, in March of 2014 the musical was performed as part of the Emerging Artists Theatre Festival. At this point it was clear that the story was definitely Henry's, but the structure of the show still wasn't quite right. I immediately threw out mostly everything and started from, essentially, scratch, keeping only 8 songs from the previous versions of the show and none of the dialogue.
After many more continued revisions, this past April I gathered a group of friends to my apartment once again to do a reading of the new material and, *finally*, the show had found its home! Not only was it crystal clear that the story was Henry's and that the structure of the musical perfectly fit the story I was trying to tell, but I had also found the correct sound for the score. Energetic and fresh with nods to both classical musical theatre and the Elizabethan era, the score was unique and captivating. The musical was ready to continue its life and journey in the professional theatrical world, leading us to...
The Reading:
Takes place:
Sunday, November 20th @ 6:00pm in Mid-Town Manhattan
As mentioned above, "The King's Legacy" has had readings before, so why is this one so important?
The previous readings of this show have been mostly for my benefit as a writer to learn more about the piece by putting it on its feet. It's one thing to read notes and words on a page and an entirely different thing to hear them read and sung aloud; it gives the musical an entirely new dimension and life. These readings provide the writer the chance to hear what works and what does not work for the actors, and also what the audience reacts to in the piece. These steps are absolutely invaluable.
Now, the musical is not 100% finished and frozen by any means, but this reading is not for the purpose of re-writing the material. A 29-Hour Reading for invited industry professionals is a way to get the musical seen and heard by people who may have an interest in helping the show reach its next level of production, or who may want to join in the process for future iterations.
It is my job to fill the stage with incredible talent (and my performers, director, and accompanist are just that) and fill the seats with producers, directors, musical directors, casting directors, associates (and more) who could potentially have a stake in this show's future. This is a large, scary, and important task, and I most certainly need your help to do it!
The Funding:
"So what exactly do you need my money for?" - You
Great question! Let me break it down for you:
Studio Space - Unfortunately, as we know, space in this city is not cheap. 12 hours of rehearsal space and 4 hours of studio space on the day of the reading are certainly a sizable and necessary expense!
Talent - Performers, pianists, and directors are all wonderful people who really only want to be artistically fulfilled, right? Yes! But they must also be compensated for their incredibly valuable time and energy as well!!!
Printing - 10 full scripts and 10 full scores = too many pages for my little old printer to print...so to professional printing we go!
Travel - A few of the people in that talent group I mentioned earlier have to travel from places farther away than the five boros. I am lucky that they are willing to give that time, and I think it only fair for me to give to their travel!
Invitations - Not only does access to the contact information for theatre professionals often present a cost, but printing and mailing invitations adds up quickly as well!
Things I Haven't Thought Of Yet - And there always are at least a few!
The Thanks:
I cannot properly express exactly how thankful I am (and will be) for your time and support. I'm already thankful you made it this far on the campaign page!
This project has been like my child for the past four years: I have helped it grow and evolve, I have made many mistakes, and at the end of the day I am incredibly proud. Any and all support you can give to help me bring "The King's Legacy" into the next stage of its theatrical life is a vote of confidence in me, my career, and the future of this show. That level of support is absolutely invaluable.
"Enough of the sap and gratitude, what else can I get in return?"
Okay, okay! Yes, of course there is more than just my gratitude!
Here are some additional perks to donating to our reading campaign:
$5 or more - Not only my gratitude, but the gratitude of everyone involved in the reading! (I'll make certain!)
$15 or more - Your name will be printed with thanks in our program!
$25 or more - In addition to the above, you will also get a guaranteed invitation to the reading on November 20th! (*limited availability*)
$50 or more - In addition to the above, you will also be emailed three demo recordings of songs from the musical!
$100 or more - In addition to the above, you will also be gifted a program from the reading signed by the cast and creative team!
Referring to me, the writer (and not the insanely talented band near and dear to my heart)!
My name is Michael Radi and I am the composer, lyricist, and librettist of the original musical "The King's Legacy." I am a lover of history with a hardcore musical theatre habit, which has helped result in the creation of this musical!
In addition to writing musical theatre, I am also a performer, musical director, and vocal coach. Now in my sixth year, I teach voice and play for classes at a studio on Long Island, and I absolutely adore my students. I have seen first hand how powerful musical theatre can be in shaping the way young people see and interact with the world, and I want to be a part of that process in every way I can. Additionally, I am currently also collaborating on various other musical theatre projects as well.
Find more information at my website!
The Musical:
"The King's Legacy" is the story of how King Henry VIII's obsession for a son tore his country apart, and how his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, became their unexpected savior.
The musical takes place on the fortieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (London, 1598) when a troupe of performers puts on a show to honor her rule. The musical spans thirty-three years between the two separate, but related, storylines. The main story is of Henry’s attempts to obtain a son. The other plotline deals with Elizabeth as she grows up, learning what it means to be a great monarch from Henry and his later wives.
The musical is performed with 8 adult actors and 1 child actor playing a total of 17 roles. The atmosphere of the presentation should be that of an Elizabethan performance, filled with both direct narration and great whimsy.
I began working on the musical in the fall of 2012, having always been fascinated by the history of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. One man's self-prescribed need to obtain a son and one woman's desire to marry the king changed the world, and yet we can only fill in the rest of the story with guesses and imagination. The story appealed to me, not only because of the grand scale of the world stage these people lived on, but because of the incredible intimacy of these dramatic personal relationships. The story sang to me, and I realized I had to put the notes on paper!
On May 19th, 2013 (the 477th anniversary of Anne Boleyn's death, coincidentally) I gathered a group of my friends together at my apartment to read through the show for the first time, which went quite well for a barely finished musical. Then, that July, the Random Access Theater produced a staged reading in mid-town of the edited first draft, from which I learned a great deal. My fascination at Anne Boleyn's role in the story was perhaps too apparent, for many people were unsure exactly whose story I was telling.
After many major revisions, in March of 2014 the musical was performed as part of the Emerging Artists Theatre Festival. At this point it was clear that the story was definitely Henry's, but the structure of the show still wasn't quite right. I immediately threw out mostly everything and started from, essentially, scratch, keeping only 8 songs from the previous versions of the show and none of the dialogue.
After many more continued revisions, this past April I gathered a group of friends to my apartment once again to do a reading of the new material and, *finally*, the show had found its home! Not only was it crystal clear that the story was Henry's and that the structure of the musical perfectly fit the story I was trying to tell, but I had also found the correct sound for the score. Energetic and fresh with nods to both classical musical theatre and the Elizabethan era, the score was unique and captivating. The musical was ready to continue its life and journey in the professional theatrical world, leading us to...
The Reading:
Takes place:
Sunday, November 20th @ 6:00pm in Mid-Town Manhattan
As mentioned above, "The King's Legacy" has had readings before, so why is this one so important?
The previous readings of this show have been mostly for my benefit as a writer to learn more about the piece by putting it on its feet. It's one thing to read notes and words on a page and an entirely different thing to hear them read and sung aloud; it gives the musical an entirely new dimension and life. These readings provide the writer the chance to hear what works and what does not work for the actors, and also what the audience reacts to in the piece. These steps are absolutely invaluable.
Now, the musical is not 100% finished and frozen by any means, but this reading is not for the purpose of re-writing the material. A 29-Hour Reading for invited industry professionals is a way to get the musical seen and heard by people who may have an interest in helping the show reach its next level of production, or who may want to join in the process for future iterations.
It is my job to fill the stage with incredible talent (and my performers, director, and accompanist are just that) and fill the seats with producers, directors, musical directors, casting directors, associates (and more) who could potentially have a stake in this show's future. This is a large, scary, and important task, and I most certainly need your help to do it!
The Funding:
"So what exactly do you need my money for?" - You
Great question! Let me break it down for you:
Studio Space - Unfortunately, as we know, space in this city is not cheap. 12 hours of rehearsal space and 4 hours of studio space on the day of the reading are certainly a sizable and necessary expense!
Talent - Performers, pianists, and directors are all wonderful people who really only want to be artistically fulfilled, right? Yes! But they must also be compensated for their incredibly valuable time and energy as well!!!
Printing - 10 full scripts and 10 full scores = too many pages for my little old printer to print...so to professional printing we go!
Travel - A few of the people in that talent group I mentioned earlier have to travel from places farther away than the five boros. I am lucky that they are willing to give that time, and I think it only fair for me to give to their travel!
Invitations - Not only does access to the contact information for theatre professionals often present a cost, but printing and mailing invitations adds up quickly as well!
Things I Haven't Thought Of Yet - And there always are at least a few!
The Thanks:
I cannot properly express exactly how thankful I am (and will be) for your time and support. I'm already thankful you made it this far on the campaign page!
This project has been like my child for the past four years: I have helped it grow and evolve, I have made many mistakes, and at the end of the day I am incredibly proud. Any and all support you can give to help me bring "The King's Legacy" into the next stage of its theatrical life is a vote of confidence in me, my career, and the future of this show. That level of support is absolutely invaluable.
"Enough of the sap and gratitude, what else can I get in return?"
Okay, okay! Yes, of course there is more than just my gratitude!
Here are some additional perks to donating to our reading campaign:
$5 or more - Not only my gratitude, but the gratitude of everyone involved in the reading! (I'll make certain!)
$15 or more - Your name will be printed with thanks in our program!
$25 or more - In addition to the above, you will also get a guaranteed invitation to the reading on November 20th! (*limited availability*)
$50 or more - In addition to the above, you will also be emailed three demo recordings of songs from the musical!
$100 or more - In addition to the above, you will also be gifted a program from the reading signed by the cast and creative team!
Organizer
Michael Radi
Organizer
Woodside, NY