THE RED TREE is a new musical by Greta Gertler Gold (music) and Hilary Bell (book & lyrics)*. We are so thrilled to have been commissioned by the National Theatre of Parramatta to create this show. It runs from October 20-28. Tickets for the show and more info are now available here.
We hope, with your support, to record the Official Cast Album soon after the run finishes. The score fuses pop, classical and traditional musical theatre elements with sound design and digital recording technology.
The musical is inspired by Shaun Tan's beloved picture book of the same name. While Tan's book is a non-narrative series of images, our show follows a young girl, Ava, over a day on which she refuses to get out of bed. But in hiding from the world, her imagination thrusts her into landscapes and situations far more bizarre than those she's avoiding.
We've been good friends for nearly 20 years, and are revelling in working together on this, our first collaboration of many, we hope. With a Brooklyn-based composer and a Sydney-based lyricist, we have relied on Skype and email until now, with Greta in Australia, when we get be in a room with a piano and do it the old-fashioned way.
* Please visit the Profile page here to read more about Hilary and Greta.
With your generosity, we'll be mailing you a CD of this new Australian musical in time for Christmas.
Watch this space for new videos, song demos, pix, and more as the month progresses! And to kick off, here's an appetiser...
Recording Project Personnel:
Hilary Bell - Lyrics & Book
Greta Gertler Gold - Composer, Musical Director, Producer, Pianist, Vocals
Nicola Bowman ('Ava') - actor & lead vocals
Ben Fink - Guitar, Vocals
Bonnie Stewart - Drums, percussion, vocals.
Phil Punch - Audio engineer. Electric Avenue Studios, Sydney.
Adam D Gold - Arrangements, Sound Design, Producer, Mixing, Additional Engineering.
** Special thanks to Ivy Johnston, for our red tree design (above).
Risks and challenges
We are confident that it is a realistic financial goal. We plan to record the entire album in one day, directly after the final performance. The musicians will be in top form after having played two shows most days for a fortnight, and we anticipate the whole thing will go smoothly.
We are budgeting to pay all the artists involved, as well as cover studio time and post-production. Our budget also includes the costs incurred by artwork and distribution of rewards.
We feel very strongly about the importance of making a cast recording of a new Australian musical. Original, local musicals are few and far between, and recordings of them even rarer. As well as recording the album for posterity, it will be a vital tool in exciting interest, both in Australia and internationally, in an ongoing life for THE RED TREE.
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Funding period
- (31 days)