Nakia and Joshua R. Pangborn to Release DUELING PIANOS: A SKELETON CREW MUSICAL

Nakia, acclaimed musician and semi-finalist of Season One's NBC's The Voice, in collaboration with Joshua R. Pangborn, is releasing three versions of their original musical, Dueling Pianos: A Skeleton Crew Musical. Featuring 15 original songs set in the world of the internationally award-winning, queer, fat-positive series Skeleton Crew, audiences will have a chance to stream the original cast album on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Dueling Pianos: A Skeleton Crew Musical follows the twin journeys of Hunter and Anthony as they seek a way to reconnect with one another after so many years apart. Using the virtual technology of their adult baby friend, Simon, the couple embark on their most melodic adventure yet. While Hunter finds himself in a twisted asylum, Anthony bounces between lessons as the digital facsimiles of his friends sing their way to his reunion with his husband. Meanwhile, in the real world, the rest of the crew find themselves singing their hearts out too as MoneyShot$ hosts an open mic night. Starring: J. Cerio, Joshua R. Pangborn, Ashley Monique Menard, Stuart Kiczek, Maggie Shirk, Rev. Yolanda, Paul Antzoulis, Andrew Carter, Hunter Thore, Alexander Colon, Nic Mains, Alexander Dorf, Christian Marte, Joshua Ster, Nico Kiefer, and also starring Mark-Eugene Garcia, Barbara Thomas, and Nakia Reynoso.

A few words from Joshua R. Pangborn: "I've loved musicals for as long as I can remember, but I never, ever thought I'd be able to write one-that all changed thanks to the incredible Nakia! He's been such a fabulous collaborator and working with him to bring these songs from my head into real life is a dream come true. I've been fortunate to hear actors breathe life into my characters for a few years now...but to hear them sing songs I co-wrote? That's a whole new experience! I've been bitten by the lyricist bug, and I can't wait to get started on the next song! Filming these songs has been a collaborative experience as well-I always approach filming from that angle, and it was no different when it came to bringing these musical moments to life. Some of the cast have a lot of experience with musical theatre, some have none, but they all approached it with the same zest and flare they approach any other scene of Skeleton Crew. I had ideas for what I wanted from most songs, but I also wanted the singers to add their input and that comes out in these amazing moments throughout. It was so much fun! There was a lot of trust and a need for all of us to say, 'let's give it a try!' as we tried to figure things out! I had the greatest time working alongside Catalin Stelian as he filmed four of the numbers-Catalin is a genius behind a camera (and in front of it too!), and he can take an idea from my head and transform it into something so much bigger and better! I couldn't imagine doing this project without him!"

A few words from Nakia: "Most people don't know I went to college on a musical theatre scholarship, or that I actually almost became a Broadway baby when I auditioned for and was accepted into AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) in New York when I was just 19. I've performed in a bunch of musicals, plays, and even a few workshops, but until Joshua asked me to, I had never written a musical. Needless to say, I am hooked! For me, the process of collaborating with Joshua in NY on the songs and witnessing them come to life as Matt Parmenter and I produced the albums in Austin was very fulfilling. However, it wasn't until we took the tracks to NYC for the cast to begin recording their vocal parts that I was totally blown away. I get to sing all the songs on Nakia's Vocal Version, but there's something that is so magical about hearing songs you've created being sung by other people. Joshua is a natural lyricist with a Sondheim-like ability to squeeze a lot of story into each line. That was a challenge for me, coming from the blues and rock world of songwriting where less is usually more, but it was one I accepted and did my best to write music that complimented those words. I learned a lot of lessons in this process too, like how it's important to know what the range of the singers will be so I'm not scrambling to rearrange or recut entire songs or how to know when a few changes to the melody or key make real changes to the emotion of the scenes. I tell people that to me, Skeleton Crew is a very queer soap opera that really grows on you because you get to watch the characters and the filmmakers grow over the course of five seasons. I am grateful I got involved in season four - first as just a cameo in an episode, and then throwing myself in the fire, volunteering to handle score, sound design, and music supervision - and almost immediately Joshua approached me about creating a musical episode together. I jumped at the chance and 3 years later here we are. 2020 threw us a big curveball with COVID19 but we kept the fire burning by tweaking the songs until we could safely get into a studio to record the album and get back on set to safely shoot the scenes. It was a lot of late nights over video calls and quick trips to NY, but it paid off. I'm so proud of this project. It is by far the queerest and most sexual piece of art I have ever been a part of or created and I hope folks from all walks of life will enjoy it for years to come. And yes, Joshua and I have already written a ton of songs for our next musical." About Nakia:

About Nakia: On season one of NBC's "The Voice," Nakia quickly became a fan favorite, using his big grizzly voice to transform pop songs into his own unique style. While producers focused on his relationship with his husband and his struggle to make ends meet as a blues singer, what they didn't show you on TV was just how much Nakia accomplished on his own prior to the show. Long before Nakia was a semifinalist on CeeLo Green's team, he was a beloved member of the Austin music community, fronting bands, performing solo, and working with some music's biggest names. After the whirlwind of reality television died down, Nakia placed his focus on writing songs for his six-song EP, "Drown In The Crimson Tide," and the tour that followed. Four years later he recorded and released his acclaimed album, "Blues Grifter." Nakia is currently scoring and doing sound design for multiple independent webs shows that he also acts in. Prior to the pandemic, Nakia had begun writing new original songs and performing solo shows, and putting together a new band. When live events were canceled due to COVID-19, Nakia put more of his efforts into artist advocacy and led his nonprofit, Austin Texas Musicians, to advocate for the creation of emergency relief funding to musicians and music venues in Austin. Nakia is an active member of the Austin music community and is an outspoken advocate for organizations such as HAAM and The SIMS Foundation. He has also served as the Chair of the Austin Music Commission and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy. Nakia is a two-time Black Fret artist grant recipient and currently lives in Austin, Texas with his husband Robert and their Bouvier des Flandres, Baker. For more information on Nakia see here. About Joshua R. Pangborn: Writer/Actor/Filmmaker Joshua R. Pangborn is known for his work on Skeleton Crew, Demon Doctor, and The Art of Blowing It. He's been nominated for his work on all three shows, behind the camera and in front, in festivals around the world, most recently being named Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy at the 2021 NJ Web Fest for his work on The Art of Blowing It. A resident of New York City, Joshua is a passionate storyteller focused on telling queer stories with a fat-positive and sex-positive emphasis. Pangborn knew if the world was not going to tell the stories he wanted, he was going to have to tell them himself, and so he founded SideKick Productions in 2012.