New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Portland, OR-based performers Jenn Grinels and Merideth Kaye Clark have joined forces for a concert, "Rosetta Project," set to take place July 23 and July 24, 2021 at the Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre in Portland.
The show will feature music by Grinels from a currently-in-development folk-rock musical about a young woman who presented herself as a man and joined the Union Army during the Civil War. The pair is also collaborating with the Bridgetown Conservatory for some of the casting, and they have announced an open call for auditions for the show (details below).
The "Rosetta Project" concert will be the very first live performance of the songs from a work-in-progress musical based on the life of 19-year-old
Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. This new musical explores Wakeman's search for self while fighting in the deadliest conflict in American history, the Civil War.
Says Grinels, "I was originally commissioned to write a musical by a New York City-based theatre company which tells the true story of Wakeman's Civil War experience. She wrote letters home to her parents, and the musical is based on these letters and her search for identity. The theatre is no longer in existence, but I am so passionate about sharing the stories of these women. Their experiences were extraordinary and yet they also feel so universal and especially relevant right now. It plays on themes of gender and identity through the lens of the youth who fought during the Civil War. For the musical, I aimed to write songs that could exist outside of a musical theater context, with elements of folk and Americana. And I wanted them to sound like they could have been written today or possibly a hundred years ago."
"I know this music, this story, needs to be told, heard, and shared," says Clark. "Jenn's remarkable songwriting, set in this theatrical context, is undeniable. Last year, we began the conversation about creating a concert version of these songs from the musical. There will be a cast of youth performers, playing Rosetta, her younger brother, and other soldiers and friends. There will be a full band to support the bluegrass, Americana, and folk-rock sound. Jenn and I will also perform in the cast and join the band. I am interested in creating a piece of work with gender and identity at the heart of the narrative."
Clark continues, "For the show in July, we plan to present the songs and give context to how they will fit into the story of the musical as well as the historical context. It is estimated that over 400 women fought in the war, and we are attempting to tell just a small part of that story."
Although the book for the musical is not yet developed, Grinels and Clark will partner with Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre and its founder/Artistic
Director Rick Lewis to give life to the songs and inform future development of the story through the musical. Says Lewis of the opportunity to be involved, "It's exciting to have this amazing project as our first post-pandemic production. The fact that the show is youth-driven is of particular appeal to Bridgetown, so it's the perfect way to launch our re-entry. This production gives our young performers the chance to originate and create a role. They will have the first opportunity to give voice and heart to these characters. It's an actor's dream to create a role in theatre."
With music and lyrics of the songs from the show written by Grinels, "Rosetta Project" will be directed by Clark. One of the songs from the musical, "Goodnight Sun, Hello Moon," was already recorded and included as the first track on the debut Americana/folk album the duo released last year under the name
Siren Songs.
About the auditions:
Auditions are open now for the workshop and concert version of the musical. All interested dynamic musical theatre performers ages 10-23 are encouraged to submit. Although the rehearsals and performances are taking place at Bridgetown, all submissions will be considered, whether or not they are or have previously been a Bridgetown student.
Final breakdowns:
Rosetta: (15-25) Mezzo soprano with a high belt up to an E (ideally). Star female performer capable of carrying the show with pop-rock/bluegrass voice.
Male 1: (15-25, plays 19) Pop-rock/bluegrass Tenor up to a Bb (F3-Bb4)
Male 2: (15-25) Pop-rock/bluegrass Tenor up to a Bb (C3-Bb4)
Boy: (plays 10) Boy Soprano. Voice has not changed yet. (B4 [below middle C] to C#5)
*All roles include tight and complex harmonies.
Experience with harmonies and/or choral singing required.
Initial auditions will take place remotely. Performers who would like to be considered should visit (https://www.jenngrinels.com/rosettaproject) for full details. For the first audition, performers are asked to submit a video of themselves singing a folk-rock song in the style of the show (think Mumford and Sons, Brandi Carlile, Jenn Grinels) or learn one of the songs from the show and sing along with the accompaniment tracks provided on the website. Videos are due by May 30, 2021. Callbacks will either take place via Zoom or in-person, based on state and local restrictions. All rehearsals and performances will be at Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, if allowed by state and local regulations at that time.
