Jill Abramovitz and Aaron Lazar Join New Musical Podcast With Anderson University Students - Listen to a Teaser!

The Musical Theatre Program at Anderson University has announced the release of an audio-play podcast featuring AU students performing with Broadway actors Jill Abramovitz and Aaron Lazar. The podcast, titled The Show Must Go On: A Musical Mystery at Sea, is the first piece created under The Musical Theatre New Works and New Media Initiative, led by AU's musical theatre director, David Coolidge (Broadway National Tour, Parade; former Assistant Artistic Director TheatreworksUSA). The initiative gives AU students experience in developing new works while also raising money for The Actors Fund.

Listen to a teaser below!

The plot for The Show Must Go On: A Musical Mystery at Sea centers around seven sweepstakes winners and two Broadway actors on the first voyage of a Broadway cruise since the Covid-19 pandemic. When one of the actors is found murdered in the greenroom, the passengers must investigate who among them committed the crime.

The first episode will broadcast Monday, May 3rd with new episodes being released each day through May 6th. The podcast can be heard on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Donations are available through a link on the podcast with proceeds going to Anderson University's Musical Theatre New Works and New Media Initiative as well as The Actors Fund, a human services organization committed to the health and financial needs of entertainment professionals, a cause that has been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jill Abramovitz was most recently seen in the Tony-nominated show Beetlejuice, and Aaron Lazar is best known for his work in The Last Ship and the revival of A Little Night Music. AU's podcast was developed in collaboration with a creative team based in New York City during a time when live performance was not possible due to the pandemic. The New York team includes Sam Balzac as composer/lyricist, Cody Stiglich (AU Musical Theatre alumnus) as the book writer and podcast editor, and Stacey Schiller (AU Musical Theatre alumna) as the director.