WHISPER HOUSE: Kyle's Blog - 'GEARING UP FOR THE OLD GLOBE'

Grammy and Tony award-winning songwriter and composer Duncan Sheik returns with his new album WHISPER HOUSE, from Sony Music. WHISPER HOUSE marks Sheik's first solo album since 2006's critically-acclaimed White Limousine and comes on the heels of the success of Spring Awakening. WHISPER HOUSE, which will have its world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in January 2010, is a collaboration with up-and-coming young playwright Kyle Jarrow, already an Obie winner for A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant.

It's 1942 - at the height of World War II- and Christopher, an imaginative young boy, is sent to live with an aunt he's never met: Lilly, a reclusive woman who serves as the keeper of a remote lighthouse. Not yet comfortable in his surroundings, Christopher begins to hear strange music no one else can hear seeping through the walls. It doesn't take long for him to suspect the lighthouse may be haunted, and these ghosts tell him that Yasujiro, a Japanese worker that Lilly has employed, should not be trusted. Is Christopher's imagination getting the best of him? Or are these ghosts warning Christopher about the very real dangers that lie ahead? Whisper House is a touching and beautiful story about how we should embrace, rather than fear, the unknown.

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you Kyle's exclusive WHISPER HOUSE Blog!

Sorry I haven't written for a long time - it's been a busy couple months and I got caught up in a bunch of other projects. Plus, I've moved three times in the past four months. Seriously. That's New York life for you.

Anyway, now I'm back to writing the WHISPER HOUSE blog. And I'll keep on writing it through rehearsals for the world premiere production of WHISPER HOUSE, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. It opens on January 20, and we couldn't be more excited. I'll also be bringing a small video camera to San Diego with me (one of those little flip-camera thingies) so I'll be shooting some rehearsal footage etc while there too.

There's lots of news since I last wrote. We have a cast! They're not yet formally announced as they haven't all signed their contracts yet. But as soon as all that business stuff is set, I'll announce their names here. A phenomenally talented crew. Also, we've been working with a new director, the super smart (and, I must say, very well-dressed) Peter Askin-director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Trumbo, Privilege, the film Company Man, and John Leguizamo's many solo shows among other credits.

[Side note: in terms of stylishness of everyday dress, I would rank Duncan, myself, and Peter as follows...
1. Duncan
2. Peter
3. Me
This ranking is probably not important to anyone in the entire world. But I thought it was worth mentioning.]

In other actually relevant news, the rough draft designs for WHISPER HOUSE are in, and are looking great. The designers are all massively talented people: Michael Schweikardt is doing set design, Jenny Mannis is doing the costumes, Matt Richards is doing lights. Meanwhile, I'm starting with some revisions, preparing the script for the first day of rehearsals in mid-December.

So I'll keep you posted on all that, and more, in the coming weeks...

Happy fall!

Kyle

Kyle Jarrow is a writer and musician based in New York City. He writes for the stage as well as film and television, and he plays in the bands The Fabulous Entourage and Super Mirage. He won the prestigious OBIE Award at age 24 for his Off-Broadway hit A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, which has subsequently been produced all over the country. Kyle's play Armless won the Overall Excellence Award at the New York International Fringe Festival. Other plays include Love Kills, Trigger, President Harding is a Rock Star, Rip Me Open (co-writer), Hostage Song (music & lyrics), Gorilla Man (script available from Samuel French), and the upcoming Big Money (with Nathan Leigh) and Whisper House (with Tony-winner Duncan Sheik, record now available from RCA/Victor).

For more information on Whisper House visit: www.duncansheik.com/whisperhouse

For more information on Kyle visit: www.landoftrust.com

Visit these links for exclusive newsletters:

Whisper House Newsletter: http://www.duncansheik.com/whisperhouse/signup.html

Masterworks Broadway Newsletter: www.masterworksbroadway.com

Photo of Kyle by Sarah Sloboda