Walk-On Part Productions Presents New Musical
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jul. 14, 2020
What do you do when the theatre is threatened, librettists are on lockdown and the cast are in quarantine? With so many performance venues closed and ticket sales at zero, you have to get creative.
When the arts in Alabama were affected by the COVID pandemic and the launch of one of his new theatre projects was jeopardized, theatre director and high school teacher Brady Walker had to think outside the box.
He sought alternative platforms for exposure for his new play, resulting in showcase performances being accepted for broadcast in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, including the world-famous Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival, and Jean-Paul Yovanoff's international radio station 'Musical Theatre Radio'.
Brady's company 'Walk-on Part Productions' is developing a musical based on the true tale of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six humble English farm workers who in 1834 were convicted on trumped up charges at a rigged court trial.
Their crime? Forming a farm workers' union.
Their story starts in England, progresses to a brutal prison colony in Australia, and ends up in Canada.
Hence the broad international interest in the play.
To make an opportunity available to emerging artists Brady's production company organized a song search for new talent, offering the chance for songwriters to have their original compositions included in his new stage production about the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Songwriters from Massachusetts, Nashville, England and Australia will now be featured in the production.
Sam Diedrich, Jack Lewis, Terell Davy, Robin Brown, Bruce Ede and Nina Garcia have all written songs that will be performed in the play.
With their resources limited by lockdown, the artists made a valiant effort to produce something tangible in time for the virtual festival on July 17th.
Jack Lewis and his colleagues Patrick Dwyer and Lucy Fox in Australia put together a sketch performing Jack's song about the Tolpuddle Martyrs' rigged courtroom trial, it can be viewed here:
Brady works tirelessly to raise the profile of the arts in the City of Prattville and surrounding River Region area, and his enthusiasm for this original production has taken it to an international audience:
On Friday July 17th, at 12 noon US central time (that's 6pm UK time) a preview of some numbers from Brady's production of 'Tolpuddle! The Musical' will be broadcast on the UK's online virtual Tolpuddle Festival, going out on Facebook and YouTube.
Brady works in an inclusive artistic environment, with team members from various nationalities, cultures, age groups, abilities, and differing political perspectives.
Brady is also a board member of Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre, and has been a regular participant in their productions as both a director and an actor.
As well as all this, Brady is developing the theatre program from scratch at Stanhope Elmore High School, encouraging his students to write and perform their own original work.
https://www.walkonpartproductions.com/productions
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