The ĭmáGen collaboration between MSU’s Department of Theatre and the Wharton Center Institute for Arts and Creativity presents a staged concert of “One Good Day,” a new musical by Rona Siddiqui and Liz Suggs, at the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre Sept. 22-23.
Each year since 2014, ĭmáGen selects a new musical to be presented under the guidance of a Broadway-caliber director showcasing Broadway stars. These veteran professionals are matched with MSU musical theatre and dance students as well as local high school students as part of the Musical Theatre Immersion Program at MSU.
“I’m not sure of a better collaboration project out there,” said Brad Willcuts, MSU Department of Theatre Assistant Professor and Director of the ĭmáGen program. “Broadway actors, directors, and writers are constantly saying how special and exciting our program is. I think we are the best in the country for what we can provide to the creative team and the students.”
MSU Department of Theatre graduate Ryan Duda credits the ĭmáGen program for pushing him as an actor. “It was the most respected I’ve felt in the rehearsal room,” he said. “The creative team’s communication was clear and effective, and they never missed an opportunity to make a moment educational. This successful balance of creating a professional atmosphere that could coexist with an educational one led me to learn more about myself and my craft than I had ever done in one rehearsal process.”
“I’m not sure of a better collaboration project out there.”
Assistant Professor Brad Willcuts
Lansing Catholic High School student Rachael Dec participated in the ĭmáGen program the last few years and says, “It’s a great learning experience! I really enjoy getting to work with the college students and the equity actors. They inspire me to work harder and strive to do better!“
Ryan Scott Oliver, the composer and writer of last year’s ĭmáGen project, “We Foxes,” says, “ĭmáGen highlights MSU’s connectivity to the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. MSU is beginning to be the best in the country for what it gives new musical writers!”
“Broadway actors, directors, and writers are constantly saying how special and exciting our program is. I think we are the best in the country for what we can provide to the creative team and the students.”
Assistant Professor Brad Willcuts
“One Good Day” is a feel-good show celebrating romantic comedies and finding hope. Taking a cue from beloved ‘90s rom-com movies like “Sleepless in Seattle,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and more, the show follows popular NYC therapist Janey Hanks through 24 hours to test the theory of whether – like in the movies – your whole life can change in a day. It’s a hilarious show that embraces hope and asks whether or not we expect too much or too little out of life and love. But, mostly, it’s a show about the everlasting virtue of hope.
The creative team behind “One Good Day” is almost entirely composed of women, including a female composer, a female writer, and a female director, who will be staying after each performance to conduct an exclusive after-chat about the process of creating the show.
“One Good Day” is the recipient of the ASCAP Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award. It was named “one of the best new musicals of 2014” by the Festival of New American Musicals and was selected for the ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop with Stephen Schwartz in L.A. The musical was also featured at the 2017 Page to Stage Songwriter Showcase in London. It can be spotted next at the 29th Annual National Association for Musical Theatre Festival in New York City at New World Stages.
Tickets are available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com, at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.
Originally posted on MSU Today.
