Arts & Entertainment
New voices, new works
Signature takes daring chance on two new musicals by local composers
Matt Conner (left) and Adam Gwon, composers of two new musicals on the boards now at Signature. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
‘The Boy Detective Fails’
‘The Hollow’
Through Oct. 16
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington
703-820-9771
In a rather bold move, Signature Theatre, the Arlington-based company that is best known for doing pared down takes on fat Broadway hits, is opening its fall season with not one but two world premiere musicals in full production in rep. And what’s more, the shows, “The Boy Detective Fails” and “The Hollow,” are the new works of talented rising composers Adam Gwon and Matt Conner respectively, and not the latest offerings from a pair of household names.
As part of Signature’s American Musical Voices Project: The Next Generation, Conner and Gwon (both gay) were each commissioned to develop full length musicals. Not long after receiving his commission, New York-based Gwon met with Eric Schaeffer (Signature’s gay artistic director) to discuss project ideas: “I was determined to do ‘The Boy Detective Fails.,’” Gwon says. “When I’d read it several years earlier, I knew instantly that it was something I had to make into a musical.”
Adapted from the same-titled popular novel by Joe Meno (also the musical’s librettist), “The Boy Detective Fails” tells the story of famed kid sleuth Billy Argo who returns to his hometown after 10 years in a mental institution to solve the mystery of his sister’s death. Hardly the stuff of the Nancy Drew series, but still Gwon says he approached his contemporary musical theater score in childlike way, “trying to create a world full of wonder that is at times earnest and heartfelt and then changes to scary.”
Conner’s story is different. He says Schaeffer suggested he develop a chilling musical reinterpretation of Washington Irving’s classic “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”: “My first thought was I better re-read this,” says Conner, 41. “All I could remember was it had a guy without a head, but of course there a lot more including themes of country vs. city and what it likes to be an outsider.”
After selecting Hunter Foster (librettist and Broadway actor) to write the book for “The Hollow,” Conner concentrated on the show’s score, which he describes as having a classical feel.
“It begins very structured and grounded and then soars off into my own ethereal world,” he says.
Conner successfully mined Irving’s text for lyrics, finding both vivid imagery and beautifully expressed phrases. He also uses the townsfolk’s Dutch language to accentuate city boy, English speaker Ichabod Crane’s otherness.
Growing up on a dairy farm in Stephens City, Va., Conner learned to play piano by ear and became involved in his church choir. He attended the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester. After graduating he began doing musical theater in the D.C. area and eventually found an artistic home at Signature.
As a boy in Baltimore, Gwon displayed an affinity for music. At 3, he was climbing up on the bench and plunking out tunes on the family piano. His parents smartly fostered his interest.
“I experienced music and theater on different tracks: drama club and after school classical piano lessons” says Gwon, 31. Eventually it came together in college (NYU’s undergraduate drama program) where he first wrote music for student productions. Inspired by that experience and the work of a freshman year musical theater professor who unexpectedly died mid-semester, Gwon was hooked.
Both composers have known success. Gwon’s musical about young New Yorkers “Ordinary Days” enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run, and Conner’s Edgar Allen Poe musical paean “Nevermore” was popularly produced at Signature five seasons ago. More recently Conner completed a yet-to-be-produced musical adaptation of “Night of the Living Dead” in collaboration with local actor Stephen Gregory Smith (who plays the title role in “The Boy Detective Fails”). Apparently Conner isn’t concerned about becoming the go-to guy for spooky musicals: “I may be a poor composer most of the year, but hopefully every October when Halloween rolls around, I’ll earn a lot of royalties.”
Among possible future projects, Gwon is considering composing a show based on Harvard University’s “Secret Court” of 1920. Spurred by the suicide of a gay undergraduate, the university created a disciplinary tribunal responsible for investigating a wide circle of sexually adventurous gays on campus. Those found guilty were punished with suspension or expulsion.
Conner is also interested in setting the LGBT experience to music with something related to Stonewall.
But for the moment, Conner and Gwon remain focused on succeeding at Signature.
Cupid’s Undie Run, an annual fundraiser for neurofibromatosis (NF) research, was held at Union Stage and at The Wharf DC on Saturday, Feb. 21.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Sweat DC is officially expanding to Shaw, opening a new location at 1818 7th St., N.W., on Saturday, March 28 — and they’re kicking things off with a high-energy, community-first launch event.
To celebrate, Sweat DC is hosting Sweat Fest, a free community workout and social on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. at the historic Howard Theatre. The event features a group fitness class, live DJ, local food and wellness partners, and a mission-driven partnership with the Open Goal Project, which works to expand access to youth soccer for players from marginalized communities.
For more details, visit Sweat DC’s website and reserve a spot on Eventbrite.
Friday, Feb. 20
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon with Yoga will be at noon at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the D.C. Center. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome! We’ll have card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Go Gay DC will host “First Friday LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Queer Talk DC will host “The Black Gay Flea Market” at 1 p.m. at Doubles in Petworth. There will be more than 15 Black queer vendors from all over the DMV in one spot. The event’s organizers have reserved the large back patio for all vendors, and the speak easy for bar service, which will be serving curated cocktails made just for the event (cash bar.) DJ Fay and DJ Jam 2x will be spinning the entire event. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, Feb. 23
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam at [email protected].
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100 percent cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, Feb. 26
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center. To be more fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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