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MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith MusicalBook, Music and Lyrics by Ruth Broyde SharoneWebsite: https://www.interfaiththemusical.com Contact Email: interfaiththemusical@gmail.com |
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A musical for our times: When Maya, a Jewish mother, and Qaletaqa, an Indigenous father, forbid their children to marry, they unleash a huge cultural and intergenerational storm (imagine Fiddler on the Roof meets West Side Story). With lyrics both hilarious and heartrending, MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith Musical asks: How can we honor our traditions and values while simultaneously making room for our ever-expanding religious and cultural diversity? And beyond that lies the question that every parent must one day answer: If our children refuse to follow the path we chose for them, don’t they still deserve our blessing? We are now in the process of contacting university drama departments to workshop the play and refine the script. We are seeking a potential director, producer, and choreographer. Our goal is to secure a workshop production at a university and an on-stage full-theatrical performance by early 2025. Below is a history of the project. 2017 Completion of the first draft of the libretto and the first read-thru. 2018 Ruth presents her interfaith musical project and one of the songs “Let’s Make Room at the Table” at the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada to an audience of 4,000. 2019 The CEO of the Pico Union Project in LA, a public performance space, invites Ruth to showcase eight songs from the musical in May 2019. African-American, Asian, Latino, American and Israeli singers perform for one night to a sold-out audience. Ruth is invited to perform at two other venues but the pandemic intervenes and all performances are canceled. 2021-22 Phil Schroeder, a dramaturg based in Boston, works on the libretto with Ruth 2022 Official release of Vol. #2– with 11 new songs– lyrics and music by Ruth Four professional musical theater consultants provide feedback: * Catherine Jones (The Way of Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing, Playwright of Musical (Calamity Jane); * Elise Dewsbery (Artistic Director of New Musicals Inc.); * Anita Sarner (I Only Have Eyes for You (Musical), Blue Sky (film) and Peggy Sue Got Married (film) * Yuval Ron, Oscar-winning composer Two Indigenous experts provide ongoing advice and feedback for songs and story elements: *Chief Daniel Ramos, of Choctaw, Muskogee, Yamassee and Mayan Nations *Chief Phil Lane, Jr. Hereditary Chief, member of Ihanktonwan, Dakota and Chickasaw Nations 2022 The second read-thru is held, organized by New Musicals Inc. in LA in December 2022 with 20 actors. 2023 Ruth presents the title song “Meet Me There” at the Sacred Music Concert–organized by the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago– for some 7,000 participants.The performance is simultaneously live-streamed around the world. Two songs from the musical are selected to be performed by local actors/singers during Cabaret Night at the Music Writers’ Academy in Ft. Worth Texas in July 2023. (“I’m a Bu-Jew” was performed by Major Attaway, the actor who played the genie in Aladdin on Broadway for four years.) The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) awards Album #2 a special Wilbur“Award of Merit”– the first time an album was “deemed meritorious and worthy of acknowledgement.” In 2024, the title song wins another Wilbur Award of Merit.
RUTH BROYDE SHARONE, composer, lyricist, librettist For Ruth Broyde Sharone, a stranger is only someone we haven’t yet met. Ruth had been working as a documentary filmmaker, journalist, author and interfaith leader for 30 years when, in 2014, she experienced “a cosmic download” of 30 songs. The first words of the first song were: “What if, when you awoke, you were wearing a stranger’s shoes?” Thus began her audacious, unpredictable journey to create MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith Musical, as a mainstream celebration of our religious and cultural diversity. After releasing two albums in 2015 and 2022, as composer and lyricist, Ruth hired a Boston dramaturg to help her write the libretto. She is now ready to workshop the play and then take it to the Big Stage. In 2013, in recognition of her lifetime of bridge-building, Ruth was invited to join the Martin Luther King Advisory Board of Morehouse College. The same year she received a special commendation for her Interfaith Leadership from LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. The International Human Rights Consortium (IHRC) awarded her a Fete d’Excellence gold medal in Geneva in 2000 for her contributions to cultural education. Together with an African-American minister, Ruth pioneered ground-breaking interfaith pilgrimages to the Middle East in the 90s featured on CNN World News in 1994. In 2007 she co-founded and served as Co-Chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World’s Religions for 10 years. Her documentary, “God and Allah Need to Talk,” and her interfaith memoir, Minefields & Miracles–considered a primer in interfaith engagement-– received multiple awards. Ruth also contributed more than 50 articles to the online magazine, The Interfaith Observer, and co-authored the 2018 Amazon best-seller, 21st Century Voices: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make a Difference. Ruth is a mother of two and a mentor to many. KC DAUGIRDAS, Music Director and Arranger for all of the songs: Kc is an award-winning composer, orchestrator, and conductor based in Chicago. Best known as a choral composer, he will be featured at the historic 2024 Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania, performed by over 10,000 singers. Fun fact: When Kc arrived in the USA as a young boy from Lithuania, none of his classmates had ever heard of Lithuania, so they decided he must be “Lutheran.” |
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MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics by Ruth Broyde Sharone
Website: https://www.interfaiththemusical.com
Contact Email: interfaiththemusical@gmail.com
A musical for our times: When Maya, a Jewish mother, and Qaletaqa, an Indigenous father, forbid their children to marry, they unleash a huge cultural and intergenerational storm (imagine Fiddler on the Roof meets West Side Story). With lyrics both hilarious and heartrending, MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith Musical asks: How can we honor our traditions and values while simultaneously making room for our ever-expanding religious and cultural diversity? And beyond that lies the question that every parent must one day answer: If our children refuse to follow the path we chose for them, don’t they still deserve our blessing?
We are now in the process of contacting university drama departments to workshop the play and refine the script. We are seeking a potential director, producer, and choreographer. Our goal is to secure a workshop production at a university and an on-stage full-theatrical performance by early 2025. Below is a history of the project.
2017 Completion of the first draft of the libretto and the first read-thru.
2018 Ruth presents her interfaith musical project and one of the songs “Let’s Make Room at the Table” at the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada to an audience of 4,000.
2019 The CEO of the Pico Union Project in LA, a public performance space, invites Ruth to showcase eight songs from the musical in May 2019. African-American, Asian, Latino, American and Israeli singers perform for one night to a sold-out audience. Ruth is invited to perform at two other venues but the pandemic intervenes and all performances are canceled.
2021-22 Phil Schroeder, a dramaturg based in Boston, works on the libretto with Ruth
2022 Official release of Vol. #2– with 11 new songs– lyrics and music by Ruth
Four professional musical theater consultants provide feedback:
* Catherine Jones (The Way of Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing, Playwright of Musical (Calamity Jane);
* Elise Dewsbery (Artistic Director of New Musicals Inc.);
* Anita Sarner (I Only Have Eyes for You (Musical), Blue Sky (film) and Peggy Sue Got Married (film)
* Yuval Ron, Oscar-winning composer
Two Indigenous experts provide ongoing advice and feedback for songs and story elements:
*Chief Daniel Ramos, of Choctaw, Muskogee, Yamassee and Mayan Nations
*Chief Phil Lane, Jr. Hereditary Chief, member of Ihanktonwan, Dakota and Chickasaw Nations
2022 The second read-thru is held, organized by New Musicals Inc. in LA in December 2022 with 20 actors.
2023 Ruth presents the title song “Meet Me There” at the Sacred Music Concert–organized by the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago– for some 7,000 participants.The performance is simultaneously live-streamed around the world.
Two songs from the musical are selected to be performed by local actors/singers during Cabaret Night at the Music Writers’ Academy in Ft. Worth Texas in July 2023. (“I’m a Bu-Jew” was performed by Major Attaway, the actor who played the genie in Aladdin on Broadway for four years.)
The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) awards Album #2 a special Wilbur“Award of Merit”– the first time an album was “deemed meritorious and worthy of acknowledgement.” In 2024, the title song wins another Wilbur Award of Merit.
RUTH BROYDE SHARONE, composer, lyricist, librettist
For Ruth Broyde Sharone, a stranger is only someone we haven’t yet met. Ruth had been working as a documentary filmmaker, journalist, author and interfaith leader for 30 years when, in 2014, she experienced “a cosmic download” of 30 songs. The first words of the first song were: “What if, when you awoke, you were wearing a stranger’s shoes?”
Thus began her audacious, unpredictable journey to create MEET ME THERE, The Interfaith Musical, as a mainstream celebration of our religious and cultural diversity. After releasing two albums in 2015 and 2022, as composer and lyricist, Ruth hired a Boston dramaturg to help her write the libretto. She is now ready to workshop the play and then take it to the Big Stage.
In 2013, in recognition of her lifetime of bridge-building, Ruth was invited to join the Martin Luther King Advisory Board of Morehouse College. The same year she received a special commendation for her Interfaith Leadership from LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. The International Human Rights Consortium (IHRC) awarded her a Fete d’Excellence gold medal in Geneva in 2000 for her contributions to cultural education.
Together with an African-American minister, Ruth pioneered ground-breaking interfaith pilgrimages to the Middle East in the 90s featured on CNN World News in 1994. In 2007 she co-founded and served as Co-Chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World’s Religions for 10 years.
Her documentary, “God and Allah Need to Talk,” and her interfaith memoir, Minefields & Miracles–considered a primer in interfaith engagement-– received multiple awards. Ruth also contributed more than 50 articles to the online magazine, The Interfaith Observer, and co-authored the 2018 Amazon best-seller, 21st Century Voices: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make a Difference.
Ruth is a mother of two and a mentor to many.
KC DAUGIRDAS, Music Director and Arranger for all of the songs:
Kc is an award-winning composer, orchestrator, and conductor based in Chicago. Best known as a choral composer, he will be featured at the historic 2024 Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania, performed by over 10,000 singers. Fun fact: When Kc arrived in the USA as a young boy from Lithuania, none of his classmates had ever heard of Lithuania, so they decided he must be “Lutheran.”