Interview: 54 Below's NEW WRITERS series Showcases Anna K. Jacobs (TEETH)

This Tuesday, February 11 at 9:30 pm, grab a drink (or a crab cake) and get cozy with Anna K. Jacobs, the Jonathan Larson Award-winning composer behind off-Broadway’s smash hit musical, Teeth. Featuring a dazzling line-up of friends and collaborators, Anna will share songs from her varied and colorful collection of musicals, including Teeth, Anytown (commissioned by George Street Playhouse), and Witnesses (2022 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Production). She will also give a sneak-peak of the brand-new musical she’s creating with the celebrated playwright, Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51, The Wanderers), called A House Without Windows. You can expect to leave with some worms in your ears!

The show is part of the New Writers at 54! Series curated by Alexa Spiegel, dedicated to showcasing work by today's hottest emerging musical theater songwriting talent.

The concert features music direction by Adam J. Rineer and is directed by Jason Aguirre. It features a wide cast of performers, including some from the cast of Teeth. It will also be livestreamed if you can't make it in person. (See the full lineup, and more information about the show, on 54 Below’s website).

Below, read a conversation with Jacobs about the concert and more.

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How does it feel to be participating in this New Writers at 54 series?

I am a ball of chaotically joyful energy right now! These concerts are a lot of work to put together — mine is showcasing no less than 18 performers (and that doesn’t even include the band!) — but to be able to celebrate my work and my artistic tribe at a venue as iconic as 54 Below is a truly remarkable feeling. Past New Writers concerts have helped to amplify the work of some of my favorite writers working in the industry, so I’m also just feeling very honored to have been included.

What do you have planned for your show?

I’ll be previewing A House Without Windows, the brand-new musical I’m creating with Anna Ziegler (the playwright of Photograph 51 and The Wanderers), as well as showcasing some best-loved songs from my musical Teeth, which I co-wrote with Michael R. Jackson (who may also be making a surprise musical appearance!), plus a couple of tunes from my musicals Anytown and Witnesses. 

What have you been working on lately?

My musical Teeth just ended its commercial off-Broadway run at New World Stages, and a new stage adaptation of Moana that I wrote recently opened at the Walt Disney Theatre onboard the Disney Treasure. After having been neck-deep in production processes for many months, it feels good to finally be back at my piano writing again!

Who do you think the ideal audience is for 54 Below show, or how would you pitch it to someone currently unfamiliar with your work?

My music features a virtuosic art-pop energy, and my musicals tend to appeal to people who enjoy stories that are entertaining but also a little bit weird or dark (or both). Also, if you want to see a dazzling line-up of Broadway and downtown performers majorly flex their chops, you’ll see a lot of that!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

For me, this night is also about gathering and celebrating the amazing community of artists and art-lovers that my passion for creating new musicals has enabled me to be a part of. I can’t wait to be in the one, big room with everyone! 

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Learn more about Anna K. Jacobs on her website at www.annakjacobs.com

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