30 Days of NYMF on BroadwayWorld Day 18: Fairies: A Musical Dream Come True

In 2003, after finishing work as Associate Additional Casting Director on Master and Commander, aspiring director and writer Tom Gustafson wanted to make his own movie. After a winter afternoon in a Chicago coffee shop, he emerged with a sixteen-page short musical screenplay called Fairies. The script quickly gained the attention of industry friends and colleagues and two months later he was on location for his first day of shooting at a majestic Chicago Public School.

The short film, Fairies, follows a bullied gay high school student and his quest for equality, which he gains in an unexpected way. The short film went on to win awards and screen in over 75 international film festivals including, in NYC, Tribeca, Newfest and in the inaugural edition of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Following its success, Tom and his partner and co-producer, Cory Krueckeberg, started work on developing the story into a feature length musical screenplay. Throughout the past year of writing and re-writing, they have again attracted the attention of many people in the industry with the script. It has been well received by agents, film and television executives, "name" actors and film festival directors, and they hope that within the next year it will make it to the big screen.

As part of that journey to the big screen, they asked NYMF if they were interested in presenting the screenplay, on stage, as part of the 2005 festival and NYMF accepted that unique proposition with open arms.

Tom and Cory enlisted the help of Rye Mullis from Dave Clemmons Casting and along with their own independent auditions they have put together an extremely exciting and talented cast.

They consider themselves lucky to have Wendy Robie (Nadine from Twin Peaks) reprising the role of Ms. Tebbit that she helped create in the short film. Wendy became one of the key ingredients in the production of the short and an integral part of the development and expansion of the character in the feature script. It is the kind of relationship that writers/directors crave with actors.

They are also thrilled to have Judy McLane, currently starring in Mamma Mia, and two-time Emmy nominee, Jill Larson from All My Children on board for the reading.

The rest of the diverse cast includes Peter Reardon (Urinetown), Mike Cannon (All Shook Up), Robb Sapp (Wicked), Karen DiConecetto (UK pop group Daphne and Celeste), Steve Morgan (Good Vibrations), Edward Prostak (Oliver), Darryl Winslow (Avenue Q), Luz Lor (Miss Saigon), Becky Barta (Les Mis), Tina Stafford, Tedman Rapp, Justin Stoney. New-comer Jeffery Dinan (currently a student at Boston Conservatory) will play the central character, Timothy.

One hurdle that the writers have encountered with the development of Fairies is a common train of thought that is unfortunate. People on the "liberal" coasts tend to have the opinion that "we are ready to move on from stories about bullied gay kids."

Unfortunately, across this country, kids are still being physically, emotionally, and mentally bullied on a daily basis because of their sexuality or perceived sexuality. A quick glance at headlines in newspapers across the country and you will read about a gay high school student in Colorado who was lassoed and tied to the back of a truck while the principal chuckled nearby, an Alabama student robbed, beaten and strangled to death in his home because of his sexuality and a lesbian student in Florida removed from her schools yearbook because she was wearing a tuxedo in the photograph. Because of this, Tom and Cory think that the story of Fairies is absolutely important to tell.

"People like to think that social and political winds are changing. In reality, they have been changing slowly but surely for decades and we think that Fairies needs to be a part of that continuing change," says Cory.

Since they only have two performances in a 99 seat theatre, only 198 people will get to see this performance of Fairies. It is a unique opportunity – seeing a reading, by a stellar cast, of a musical screenplay before it makes it to the big screen. They hope that the 198 people that get to see it love the script and the performances and the vision as much as they do and will be the first 198 people in line to see it when it makes it to their local cinema.

Synopsis of Fairies:

Struggling with his homophobic community, Timothy's spirit soars when his eccentric teacher casts him in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Upon discovering the love-potion within Midsummer, Timothy puckishly begins to turn his closed-minded town gay. Within the chaos, Timothy commands the love he desires and deserves, but, after reluctantly returning the free will he has stolen, he is surprised with what remains.

Praise for the short film and feature screenplay:

"Gustafson and Krueckeberg have created a script that bridges all generations with Fairies. Those who have 'been there' can look back and know that life gets better and those in the teen years can see that there is hope. It is truly a universal coming of age story that is for more than just the LGBT audience. Anyone who has ever tried to escape reality probably wishes they had Fairies' Baz Luhrmann-esque fantasy world."

Jon Sechrist – LOGO, Director of original programming

"A fun and fantastical short film has been expanded -- with imagination and intelligence -- into a richer and deeper feature film script. I look forward to its first reading with great anticipation, and can't wait to see the movie."

Robert Hawk - Producer (The Slaughter Rule, Chasing Amy & Trick)