LOUD & WITH FEELING to Have Concert Presentation in August

Loud & With Feeling is a refreshing and bold new musical about what happens when a group of queer friends find themselves leading a major protest at their Conservative University. Based off a true-to-life event, writer and composer Spencer J. Vigil has done the job of making a niche personal experience both universal and yet extremely intimate.

With a cast of eight, starring Dickie Drew Hearts (Vic), Adrian Rifat (Vic Vox), Tyler Bellmon (Guy), Shane Taylor Pretty (Shane), Diana Victoria (Andi), Ren Cementina (Mateo), Sophie Tyler (Mari), and Meadow Cloud (Wells) Vigil describes the show as an ensemble piece with a lot of heart. With a Punk-Pop score and resemblances to shows like Rent, Fun Home, and Elizabeth Swado's Runaways, Loud & With Feeling showcases Self-realization, Community care, and Trans triumph in a way that's never been seen with such vigor and awareness.

Vigil shares he began writing their first ideas for the show while he lived in Seattle during June of 2020, "It was a whole different idea then, but the heart of it has stayed the same. I wanted to show commercial theater that Trans, Queer, and Disabled stories don't live inside a vacuum. We aren't put on stage to be the butt of the joke, but we're put on stage because we live complex and full lives that deserve to be presented in authentic and true ways."

Vigil moved to New York in 2022 to pursue his MA at Berklee NYC where his work on the musical truly took off. "My time at Berklee was monumental to discovering my voice and my purpose as a creator," he said, "To have the support of my professors and collaborators during such a transformative time in my life is something I'll never forget for as long as I live. It's a constant reminder to do the very best I can with every tool I have and not to let a single moment go to waste."

With additional music on the songs, We're In, Hypothermia, and Forever, fellow Berklee Alumni Joshua Evan Eiger will be Music Directing. This production also highlights Berklee Alumni Yen Nien Hsu on Electric Guitar, Oscar Chang as the shows Music Assistant and Berklee Boston Alumni Joey Jubayr who has worked on Arrangements and Orchestrations. The band will also consist of bassist Skyler Volpe and Drummer Eli Trentalange. The reading will be Stage Managed by Lisa Tricarico.

After Graduation in 2023, Spencer continued working on the show. He received a 2024 Creative Cultural Engagement grant from The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to present the show to the community it represents. Because of the grant, Spencer is able to offer The Concert Reading at The Parkside Lounge for absolutely no cost to the audience members. "I know what it feels like to not have access to art, to theater, I wanted to make sure there were no barriers to entry for anyone who may want to attend. The Parkside Lounge is a great venue that's accessible and has a long history with the LGBTQ+ community. It just felt like a no brainer to have the reading there." Vigil shares.

Both readings on August 13th and 15th will also be ASL interpreted for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities. With Co-Director and Lucille Lortel Award Winner, Dickie Drew Hearts adding, "I am genuinely thrilled to be part of more original work, especially when it is crafted by and for the LGBTQ+ community. I am also very humbled to bring life to Vic, a character who is both Deaf and gay. His deafness is not a subplot; it is simply a part of who he is. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have disabled representation within the queer community. This story is about being true to yourself, and I am honored to contribute to such an important narrative."

Vigil also expresses gratitude to all the interpreters working hard behind the scenes to make this reading happen, "Mark [Weissglass] and Kelly [Muskopf] as rehearsal interpreters and Lisa [Lockley], Ernie [Algus], and Patrice [Harrington] as Show interpreters have gone above and beyond to help us make the reading a success."

Spencer J. Vigil is clearly a writer worthy of watching. If this is what the future of musical theater looks like I want to be there for it, wouldn't you?

Loud & With Feeling will be presented at The Parkside Lounge on August 13th & 15th, doors open at 7pm with a prompt 7:30 start. It is sure to be a night of Reflection, Community, and Hope. Tickets can be found at the links below!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/919599325337?aff=oddtdtcreator

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/919620879807?aff=oddtdtcreator

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