Final week Off-Broadway, with a Classy twist! (crossposted from July 10 newsletter)

Hi all,

Only four (4) more shows Off-Broadway! We are heading into the final week of performances of The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends at the Players Theatre in the West Village. 

Final Trouble

This Thursday and Friday, Classy Dame bassist Eric Wharton will be joining us in the pit. This will actually be the first time Eric and I have played a proper musical theatre show together. Come say hi during intermission!

What: The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends, a musical comedy
Where: The Players Theater (115 MacDougal St, New York, NY)
When: Thurs/Fri/Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm, through July 16
Tickets: https://deadboyfriendsmusical.com/

Here are some reviews:

"In a word, it's that rarest of things: an entirely original musical that's practically perfect in every way." - StageBuddy

"All the makings of the next cult hit in the vein of Heathers or Be More Chill." - TV and City

"A clever, campy, and surprisingly feminist spoof of the paranormal romance genre" - Theatre Is Easy

Above: The official poster and playbill cover for The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends. Book and lyrics by Annie Pulsipher, music and lyrics by Alex Petti, directed by Stephen M. Eckert.

Above: The music and sound team for The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends at the Players Theatre. Left to right: Maria Caputo (keys), Nitsan Shai (bass), Alex Petti (MD/guitar/composer-lyricist/sound design), Ryan O'Dea (sound engineer), Emma Kroll (drums). Photo by Sean Salamon.

Classy Dame, electric redux

We have some great photos and videos from our April gig at the Bowery Electric on our IG account: https://www.instagram.com/classydame69/ 

Above: Classy Dame performing at the Bowery Electric on April 19, 2023. Left to right: Maria on keys, Austin on drums, Eric on bass. Photo by Taylor Weinberg @taylordanielberg

Above: Classy Dame performing at the Bowery Electric on April 19, 2023. Left to right: Maria on keys, Austin on drums, special guest Lily Desmond on fiddle, Eric on bass. Photo by Taylor Weinberg @taylordanielberg

Above: Classy Dame performing at the Bowery Electric on April 19, 2023. Left to right: Maria on keys, Austin on drums, Eric on bass. A kaleidoscopic effect gives the photo movement. Photo by Taylor Weinberg @taylordanielberg

BMI Spotlight

Allison Light and I had the honor of presenting a song at the BMI Workshop Spotlight on May 25, 2023. Ben Diamond and Allison performed it beautifully, with Sarah Nelson at the piano. I also had the great pleasure of singing a song by Amber Treadway and Sarah, and the joy of dressing like a vampire to do so.

The invited writers were featured on the BMI website: https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi-lehman-engel-musical-theatre-workshop-presents-workshop-spotlight 

Above: BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop members attend the Workshop Spotlight. Maria is in the back row. Full credits at the BMI website.

Above: Maria performs "Strong Female Protagonist" by Sarah Nelson and Amber Treadway at the BMI Spotlight 2023. Photo by Adam Mathias.

Take care,

Maria

Live on 4/19 and ...Off-Broadway this summer! (Crossposted from April newsletter)

Hello all,

The sun is out and Classy Dame is retaking the Bowery!
 

Classy Dame at the Bowery Electric, 4/19

Our band is headlining a three-act set at the Bowery Electric on Wednesday, April 19. We are debuting two new songs.

The other artists are Lily & the Goddamns (Lily Desmond's band) and Tsebiyah. I am thrilled to be on a bill with these two talented performers, both of whom I've known for over a decade. Check out Tsebiyah's website and Lily's website to get to know them before the show.

Where: The Bowery Electric (327 Bowery, New York, NY)
When: Wed April 19, doors at 6:30 pm, show at 7 pm
Tickets: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/classy-dame-tsebiyah-lily-the-bowery-electric-tickets/13091455
 

above: What we looked like last time we performed at the Bowery Electric! We will be wearing different clothes. (left to right: Maria on keys, Austin on drums, Eric on bass)

Trouble... Off-Broadway this summer

After a successful announcement concert at the Green Room 42, my friends Alex Petti and Annie Pulsipher's show The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends is going Off-Broadway this summer. I will be playing keys for all five weeks of shows at the Players Theater. You can get tickets now to see this hilarious, action-packed musical monster comedy. Please come and say hi to the band after the show!

Where: The Players Theater (115 MacDougal St, New York, NY)
When: Thurs/Fri/Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm, June 15 through July 16
Tickets: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1138742 

above: The logo for The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends. The "I" in "boyfriends" is a stake, presumably already used on a vampire, and the "S" in "boyfriends" is a "Cool S".

Piano tuning weather

I hope the weather is nice where you are. I am finishing writing this newsletter in the glorious 72ºF sunshine outside the café I used to frequent when I attended Sarah Lawrence College. This morning I tuned a piano for their Theatre Department.

The warm weather brings more calls for piano tunings, as pianos wake up from their winter dormancy and humidity increases. This is my periodic reminder to you that I love tuning pianos and I would love to tune your piano, or your friend's/grandma's/colleague's/church's piano.


Talk to you soon,

Maria

Shows & Twirls (crossposted from November 2022 newsletter)

Writing my newsletter takes a while and sometimes I forget to cross-post it to the website. I will be posting several catch-up posts and a new one soon. Cheers! —M

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the Delancey

My band Classy Dame is playing a show at the Delancey on Wednesday November 16, 2022! If you're in NYC, drop by for 6:45 pm. We have several new songs in the works, at least one of which we're including in the set. And our band is on first, so you don't have to stay up late this time.

above: an extremely formal poster advertising Classy Dame's Nov 16 show at the Delancey. Left to right: Eric, Austin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson* (on calendar), Maria. *The Rock is welcome but not guaranteed to attend.

Theatre & More

This fall I got to return to CAP 21/Molloy University to music direct another project. I worked with two wonderful choreographers (Ashley Eichbauer Newman and John Guaragna) and 15 junior-year musical theatre BFA students. The "Song and Dance Project" is an opportunity for the junior class to showcase their dancing skills while also singing and acting, culminating in a musical theatre revue-style show. Every time I looked up from the piano, the dancers were doing something amazing. Having been in workshop-land for so long, it was invigorating to get to see musical theatre on its feet, loud and striking. I so enjoyed the collaborative process of crafting a show to the particular triple-threat talents of our cast.

I've also picked up some choir gigs, piano tuning appointments, a number of private instruction slots for piano and voice, and a commission for music to be played during a TTRPG broadcast series.

Summer Updates (crossposted from Summer 2022 newsletter)

Writing my newsletter takes a while and sometimes I forget to cross-post it to the website. I will be posting several catch-up posts and a new one soon. Cheers! —M

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Songwriters Concert

Hi all,

I wanted to let you know about a show I'll be playing on July 20, 2022 with some musical theatre writer friends. It's a Wednesday night concert at the Kraine in Manhattan.

Origin story: This past winter, I participated in another lyric writing masterclass taught by Broadway composer-lyricist William Finn. Some of the other writers from the class are putting a show together and we'd love for you to join us. I personally have nearly fallen out of my chair laughing at one of Sean & Paulie's comedy songs, so I can attest to the quality.

Each writer will perform a few songs & reveal a little about the writing process behind them. It'll be fun and casual, so join us after dinner & enjoy the songs!

above: a poster for “(Don’t Call Us) Emerging: A Songwriters Concert”. Pictured writers are Maria Caputo, Jordan Friend, Sandrinne Edström, Sean McCabe, Paulie Pecorella, and Patrick Thompson.

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Over the summer

I worked on several projects over the summer. I got to play a five-year-old at the New York Library for the Performing Arts (thanks Gini and Gia). I served as music associate and co-music director for readings of two different new musicals (thanks Sequoia, Sheela, and Alex), one of which was in the jungle of the Manhattan Theater District and the other of which was in the cosmopolitan environs of Athens... the woods of Athens, NY, that is.

I also got to edit scores, contribute harmony arrangements, and record demo backing vocals for two other new musicals in development (thanks Miranda).

above: the music team for the 29-hour reading of WORK by Sequoia Sellinger & Parade Stone. Left to right: Ericka Longo (violinist), Maria Caputo (music associate), Sequoia Sellinger (composer), Sheela Ramesh (music director and pianist). Photo by Anela Layugan (IG: @nellypelly.photo)

Cheers,

Maria

Birds and Fences (crossposted from May 2022 newsletter)

Writing my newsletter takes a while and sometimes I forget to cross-post it to the website. I will be posting several catch-up posts and a new one soon. Cheers! —M

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Hello all,

Some music that I have been working on for a long time is finally available!

The short version:
1. Listen (or watch with captions) to "The Crane Wife", a 20-minute musical: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vow6fft5cpg 
2. Watch a live performance of "The House Next Door", a short musical theatre song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTLSYFBIpik 
3. Get tickets for the June 9 good thoughts concert: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-upsides-ep-release-good-thoughts-anna-sun-tickets-313925990087

Out Now

The Crane Wife: 

Our audio-play version of "The Crane Wife: a musical" starring Sienna Aczon, Jenny Kim-Godfrey, and Paul Chwe MinChul An is now available online. Libretto by Keurim Hur, lyrics by A. J. Freeman, and music by me, Maria Caputo.

Library blog article is here — Writeup is by Doug Reside, the curator for the Theatre Collection at the New York Library for the Performing Arts. Doug also serves as the facilitator for the Across A Crowded Room writing program (AACR), which culminates in a festival of 20-minute musicals. Usually these short musicals would be presented in person at the library at Lincoln Center; due to health and safety measures, the 2021 AACR projects were published online instead.

above: the credits/abbreviated program for "The Crane Wife: A Musical". A drawing of a crane stands beside the following credits: Book by Keurim Hur, lyrics by A. J. Freeman, music by Maria Caputo. Featuring: Sienna Aczon as the Crane Wife, Jenny Kim-Godfrey as the Sister, Paul Chwe MinChul An as the Man. Special thanks to Andi Lee Carter and Lily Desmond.

During the summer of 2021, fellow writer Alison Freeman reached out to me about collaborating on an AACR project with her and Keurim Hur: I would write music for Alison's lyrics, with a libretto by Keurim. The three of us were interested in fairytales and folktales about women and transformation. Keurim suggested we adapt the Japanese folktale known in English as "The Crane Wife", which she told to us from memory.

We chose to focus on the title character's point of view and her reasons for making her surprising choices. Why do people make sacrifices for the ones they love? What does it mean if a sacrifice is also a secret? Can we love someone without knowing their true nature?

We got to present our story concept and two songs over the course of a few weeks in masterclass sessions with notable dramatists David Henry Hwang, Heather Christian, and Amanda Green. What a thrill!

Our writing team is hoping to get together to do a rewrite this summer, perhaps to expand the show slightly and/or to add a companion piece. Let me know what you think of the show.

To watch: Click this direct link to hear our "Crane Wife" recording on YouTube ; you can choose to either watch with open captions, or just listen to the audio.

Highlight from the William Finn students concert: 

A month ago I got to set this startling lyric by E. M. Lewis as part of a lyric writing masterclass taught by Broadway composer-lyricist William Finn.

Ellen wrote these words for a prompt by Bill which reads in part: "Write a lyric about a difficult family. The father, the mother, too, and the children are unbelievably bad." (Accordingly, this song tackles some heavy topics and contains swear words.) I enjoyed the challenge of corralling nearly three pages of lyrics into a solo song. 

For this concert, I sang the song with piano accompaniment performed by my friend Dan Wilson. Ellen and I think that in a show setting, though, this would be a song for a teenager.

above: a still from the video of my performance of "The House Next Door". It's me at a microphone wearing a blue jumpsuit and an expression of surprise.

This video was filmed & edited by FAMOUS IN NY. It was recorded at our class's concert at the Music Hall, a free, creative space for writers provided by the Dramatists Guild Foundation. The concert was produced by Pearl Rhein and Lauren Taslitz.

Take a peek over the fence with me if you like, to "The House Next Door". (YouTube video link here)

Upcoming

Tickets for June 9: 

I'll be sitting in (on keys and vocals) with my friend Alex Petti and his band good thoughts for their June 9 show at the Chelsea Music Hall (407 West 15th Street, New York, NY 10011)

Doors are at 6:30 pm. We will be on at 9:30 pm. The band Anna Sun will open the show, with The Upsides headlining.

Follow @goodthoughtsnyc on Instagram

That's all for now, I think! Take care of yourselves, check your smoke detectors, and enjoy the sunshine.

Cheers,

Maria