30 Days of NYMF: Heaven In Your Pocket

By Dianne Sposito (Co-Librettist)

This sounds crazy, but it's true: I never seem to fully understand just what I am writing about until well after it's been written.Such is the case with Heaven in Your Pocket, which follows the journey of the fictional singing troupe, The Heavenly Belles.

Though not my original story, it is the brainchild of the late and fabulously talented Composer and Lyricist Mark Houston (Six Women with Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know). Originally titled Changin Lanes, it found its way to my doorstop through its original Co-Librettist and my creative partner Francis J. Cullinan So although I joined the Belles later in their trip, I have come to realize that their journey from small town to big city is both literal and figurative. It was Mark's story and it's my story too. And it is the story of anyone who wants to change lanes in their life, the story of all artists who know that at some point in their lives, they will come to a crossroads and must honor all that is stitched into their very soul and discover just what it takes to go from small town to big city within one's self and in today's world.

Being invited into the New York Musical Theatre Festival is one of those crossroads. Francis and I and Mark?s Estate stepped up to the plate and in doing so, we discovered a whole bunch of talented artists absolutely ready to make the journey with us: our steady Co-Producer, Paul Adams and Emerging Artists Theatre, our amazing ensemble cast starring Rebecca Spencer, Lisa Asher, Pheonix Vaughn, Claire Slemmer, Mark Shock, and Chuck Saculla, our incredible and gifted director, Alan Souza, and terrific Tex Arnold as Music Director.?? So, consider yourself invited to come along with all of us?so you can find out just what it means to have a little "Heaven in Your Pocket". We all hope to see you in "Heaven!"

Heaven in Your Pocket opens on September 16 and plays on September 17, 20, 21, 23 and 28, 2008 at the 45th Street Theatre. Tickets available September 1 at www.nymf.org or by calling: 212-352-3101.