Audra McDonald and Will Swenson Lend Voices to Workshop of THE LAST DIVA

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, New Works Provincetown, a developmental theatre lab founded by Producer Mark Cortale to create and develop new theatrical works, returned last month to continue work on The Last Diva- a new musical with a book by Jonathan Tolins (Buyer & Cellar), music by Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens, War Paint) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, War Paint).

The lab, which focused on the show's first act, included performances from Will Swenson, and the actress that the creative team has been developing the show for, Audra McDonald.

"I always had her voice in my ear," Frankel told the Cape Cod Times. "It's one thing for me to sit at my piano and imagine what that character sounds like and imagine Audra's voice in my head."

"We were all thrilled that they could be a part of this Act 1 work session ... and we are extremely optimistic that they will both be coming back post-vaccines to continue with the development of the show and to do a reading here of both acts of 'The Last Diva,'" Cortale added.

The Last Diva tells the story of Victoria Merritt, a gorgeous, superstar soprano facing conflict at a major opera house in the wild world of classical music in the 1990s. As professional and personal pressures mount, and "artistic temperament" becomes a less acceptable excuse for bad behavior, Vicky struggles through both triumph and humiliation as she finds her true, even more beautiful voice.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy