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I loved Zombie! The Musical, and I was sad it didn't have a cast recording. So I was excited to go to (1) a behind-the-scenes event (2) that was also a fundraiser for the cast recording! This happened back in April, so these are my very belated notes.
Into Her Brains: How Zombie! The Musical Came To Life took place at the Hayes Theatre. There was a Q&A with the writer, Laura Murphy; performances of songs, by various cast members and Laura Murphy herself; and auction of one of the props, by the artistic directors of the theatre, Richard Carroll and Victoria Falconer.
It was a great vibe. Everyone who was there loved the musical, or had wanted to see it, and was excited to experience a taste of it and to make the cast recording happen. And it was great to hear Laura Murphy talk about her inspiration and process, and to hear her perform the songs with her own style and delivery.
Laura Murphy
* These zombies are psychological - they target your weaknesses and anxieties.
* The songs were inspired by different musical styles - eg George's was pub rock, Sam's was Britney and Christina.
* "Heroes and Monsters" was the last song written, and the most contemporary in sound (while the others were contemporary to the '90s).
* "The Big Opening" was the first song written - it runs for 5 minutes, and was written in 20 minutes.
* Laura Murphy did four musicals in four years. One was cancelled due to COVID, she worked on The Lovers and The Dismissal, and she wrote Zombie! The Musical.
The auction
The auction was of the zombie baby prop, signed by the cast members. I thought the doll was creepy and slightly gruesome, but there many enthusiastic bidders. I think even the directors were stunned at how heated the bidding was, and started throwing in bonus rewards like tickets to upcoming productions and free drinks with the directors during the shows.
One bidder asked if a CD of the cast recording would be included. (This would have been what I wanted to know, since the cast recording was the whole reason for this in the first place.) One of the directors said, "We're just doing a digital release, but if you win, I will personally press a CD for you. If I can find a machine for it." (I was disappointed because I really wanted a physical release. But that seems to be the trend these days.)
Notes from the Q&A
* Australian musicals - do they have a particular sound to them? Some possibilities: (1) Vocals (2) Synth and instruments (3) Irreverent.
* Structure - the most important thing in a musical.
* Theme of this musical - how fragile society is, and will this community hold onto its values?
Into Her Brains: How Zombie! The Musical Came To Life took place at the Hayes Theatre. There was a Q&A with the writer, Laura Murphy; performances of songs, by various cast members and Laura Murphy herself; and auction of one of the props, by the artistic directors of the theatre, Richard Carroll and Victoria Falconer.
It was a great vibe. Everyone who was there loved the musical, or had wanted to see it, and was excited to experience a taste of it and to make the cast recording happen. And it was great to hear Laura Murphy talk about her inspiration and process, and to hear her perform the songs with her own style and delivery.
Laura Murphy
* These zombies are psychological - they target your weaknesses and anxieties.
* The songs were inspired by different musical styles - eg George's was pub rock, Sam's was Britney and Christina.
* "Heroes and Monsters" was the last song written, and the most contemporary in sound (while the others were contemporary to the '90s).
* "The Big Opening" was the first song written - it runs for 5 minutes, and was written in 20 minutes.
* Laura Murphy did four musicals in four years. One was cancelled due to COVID, she worked on The Lovers and The Dismissal, and she wrote Zombie! The Musical.
The auction
The auction was of the zombie baby prop, signed by the cast members. I thought the doll was creepy and slightly gruesome, but there many enthusiastic bidders. I think even the directors were stunned at how heated the bidding was, and started throwing in bonus rewards like tickets to upcoming productions and free drinks with the directors during the shows.
One bidder asked if a CD of the cast recording would be included. (This would have been what I wanted to know, since the cast recording was the whole reason for this in the first place.) One of the directors said, "We're just doing a digital release, but if you win, I will personally press a CD for you. If I can find a machine for it." (I was disappointed because I really wanted a physical release. But that seems to be the trend these days.)
Notes from the Q&A
* Australian musicals - do they have a particular sound to them? Some possibilities: (1) Vocals (2) Synth and instruments (3) Irreverent.
* Structure - the most important thing in a musical.
* Theme of this musical - how fragile society is, and will this community hold onto its values?
