At The Barre

Book & Lyrics by SMJ / Music & Lyrics by Natalie Myrick / Music by Sarah Flaim

Catherine, the talented and queer principal dancer at the American Theatre of Ballet, and Shawn, a talented and non-binary mime in Times Square, are thrust into each other's lives after an insane audition. They must battle their minds, their bodies, their grief, and a chaotic world of harmonies to find their inner beauty and make a connection in a cluttered and overly talkative world.

Read the current draft here.

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

At The Barre is based on a series of vignettes collectively entitled Very Strong Liking that began in 2013 at Otterbein University Dance Workshops as well as presentations in the Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance's Festival and The Launch.

Very Strong Liking was developed into a 40-minute mime play that was presented on August 5, 2017, in the Chain Theater as a part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. The production featured Olivia Crawford, SMJ, Henri Sudy, Daniel Kunkel, with Madalyn Baker, Douglas Reitsma, and Jessica Toltzis rounding out the ensemble. 

During the February 2018 residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT, SMJ with collaborators Alli Acuff, Anne-Marie Pietersma, and Alex Becker, held the first table-read of the script, recorded beginning demos for the songs “Blown,” “Pause #3,” & “Radio Silence,” as well as block the end of Act One and the beginning of Act Two for a potential staged reading. Colby Rison, Chandler Smith, Zahan Mehta, & Leya Van Doren served as additional readers.

As a resident artist at the Access Theater in New York City, NY from March 1 - August 31, 2018, At The Barre was read through monthly table readings with collaborators from the New York City area. Readers included Emmy Albritton, Madalyn Baker, Kaylee Barrett, Alex Becker, Megan Bowen, Sarah DiFiore, Madison Eberhardt, Ben Folts, Olivia Kasten, Emi Lirman, Marth Brown, Gianna Meaglia, Ana Mirabal, Jasen Miyamoto, Evan Moore-Coll, EmJ Nelson, Carrigan O'Brian, Jennifer Pernia, Violeta Picayo, Anne-Marie Pietersma, Douglas Reitsma, Payton Smith, David Socolar, Aliza Sotsky, Joyah Love Spangler, Monique St. Cyr, Natalie Szczerba, Emily Michelle Walton, Harley Winzenried, and J.T. Wood.

The first public reading of At The Barre took place during the Scratch Night Series at Theater for the New City on May 21, 2018, in the Cino Theater.  The reading was directed by Allison Acuff. The reading featured Emi Lirman, Joyah Love Spangler, EmJ Nelson, Caylie Rose Newcom, Madison Eberhardt, Amina Theis, Sally Clark, Morgana Mauney, Kaelyn Brandt, Olivia Kasten, Natalie Szczerba, Jasen Miyamoto, Marth Brown, Jennifer Pernia, Ben Folts, & Evan Moore-Coll.

At The Barre was in residence at the Dragon’s Egg Studio in Ledyard, CT in August 2018, developing brand-new demos and a new draft of the show. It also featured a reading including Ludmila Brito, Jenna Doherty, Lydia Faith, Talia Frank-Stempel, Olivia Kasten, Jasen Miyamoto, Colby Rison, Dani Schlenker, & Lilly Sheridan.

At The Barre was selected as a part of the inaugural The Sappho Project’s W*rk Lab. The development residency lasted from October 2020 - April 2021. The residency culminated in an online Equity Workshop from May 8-11, 2021. The workshop was directed by Gina Young, music directed by Alex “Goldie” Golden, choreographed by Frenchie Mancuso, and stage managed by Keyanna Alexander. The cast featured Marina Pires, Joyah Love Spangler, Kelsey Anne Brown, JT Wood, Kathryn Lee, Henri Sudy, Anne-Marie Pietersma, Alison Ormsby, Shai Wolf, and Veronica Sofia Burt.

“Ghosts” from At The Barre was featured in the WRITE OUT LOUD: FROM CONTEST TO CONCERT VOLUME 3 showcase in April 2022 at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The concert was produced by Taylor Louderman, Benjamin Rauhala, Hannah Kloepfer, Sarah Glugatch, and Josh Collopy. The song was performed by Marina Pires and Heath Saunders.

A 15-minute selection from At The Barre was presented on March 13, 2023, at Teatro LATEA as a part of the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab’s 4xLatiné Series. The excerpt will be directed by Maria Cristina Posada Slye and music directed by Angela Ortiz. The cast featured Eros Alen, Emilia Ibarra, Michael Schimmele, Kathy VanDereedt, Rebecca Murillo, and Ryan Reyes.

The first live concert of At The Barre was held on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at The Green Room 42. The sold out concert featured Jordan Donica, Holly Gould, Heath Saunders, Marina Pires, Natalie Myrick, Michael Schimmele, Chloé Lexia Worthington, Emilia Ibarra, and Eros Alen with musical direction by Alex Goldie Golden. The band consisted of Goldie (piano), Zac Larson (guitar), and Kyle Brenn (drums). Kayla Zanakis served as Social Media Manager/Designer.

Songs from At The Barre were featured in a fundraiser cabaret for The Fled Collective at Bird in Hand (NYC) on May 1, 2023. The songs “Echo,” “Grand,” and “Armor” were performed by Kuhoo Verma, Rita Castagna, Natalie Myrick, & Keith Weiss.

SMJ, alongside dramaturg Juju Nieto, was in residence with New York Stage and Film & Latiné Musical Theatre Lab from July 25 - August 2, 2023, to develop the book.

The song “I Won’t Say” premiered at Ring of Keys’ Queering the Canon Gala at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater on Monday, January 29, 2024. The song was performed by Gwynne Wood & Emily Trumble. The concert was directed by Mack Brown.

At The Barre was selected by Open Jar Studios for their Winter 2024 Broadway Inclusion Project residency. Through the 30 free hours of rehearsal studio space, choreographer Maria Cristina Posada Slye developed choreography for five songs. An open presentation of the choreography was held at Open Jar Studios on February 26, 2024. The presentation featured Michael Schimmele, Kathy VanDereedt, Rebecca Murillo, and Jorge Guerra.

4xLatiné Presentation with the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, March 2023

Queering the Canon, January 2024 & Write Out Loud Concert at 54 Below, April 2022

Movement Workshop, August 2017