Fund the continued development of the musical FANNY

Fanny: A Classical-Punk Musical needs some help raising money for its development. Before we get into that, please check out the show blurb:

'Fanny is pissed. Why shouldn’t she be? She’s stuck in her less talented, more famous brother’s shadow, controlled by her conservative parents, and ignored by society. So what does she do about it? She doesn’t cry, she doesn’t complain, she composes. Fanny is a punk musical about the real life of classical composer Fanny Mendelssohn. This show weaves together classical music and original punk songs, highlighting the delicate and complicated angst of a woman in 1800’s Germany. While the show is hilariously touching, above all it ROCKS.'

Book, music, and lyrics by Brian Heveron-Smith, additional lyrics by Jordan Lee Cohen and "emo elder" Sarah Lin Mitchell.

So basically the show is a re-imagining of classical composer Fanny Mendelssohn - sister and muse to Felix Mendelssohn - as a punk singer. I started reading about Fanny during the 2020 lockdowns and I thought her story would make for an interesting show that could incorporate both classical music and rock music.

I put up a one-off workshop performance in February 2024, at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. After that, I rewrote the script, added five new songs, and then put up a two-night workshop on 12/11/24 and 12/12/24, also at The Elysian. In 2025, a cast of singers/musicians from both productions, along with some special guests, are going to record an album of songs from the show to help us pitch to theater companies, producers, and musical theater development grants.

I first need help recouping the costs of rehearsal space, props, costumes, show photographers & videographers, paying my casts a little stipend, and the many other expenses that come along with producing a workshop of a musical. I need to raise about $6,000 to get back the costs of these initial workshops, and I would also like to raise at least another $4,000 beyond that to cover album costs of engineer & studio time, mixing, mastering, and paying singers/musicians.

Fanny's story feels important right now, and I believe that this show tells the story in an interesting, accessible, and fun way. I hope you'll consider donating to help in the continued development of this work. Long live theater!

Thanks so much!