THE ANXIETY PROJECT Original Cast Recording Releases August 13

Featuring book and lyrics by DAVID BRUSH and music by Rachel Dean, the new musical The Anxiety Project: Original Cast Recording will be available for purchase and streaming August 13. The cast recording features all 21 show tracks plus a bonus track recorded by Caelan Creaser (Frozen national tour, Elsa u/s). In a partnership that began with a staged concert reading with students from the Arizona State University Music Theatre and Opera program in 2018 and again as part of The Phoenix Theatre Company's Festival of New American Theatre, the journey comes full circle with a cast of ASU student actors and musicians reprising their roles for the official cast album.

The Anxiety Project tells the story of psychology student Avery in her final semester of undergraduate studies - in just a few short weeks, she will earn her degree and be one step closer to the ultimate goal of opening her own practice. That's assuming she finishes her thesis - a study of the mechanics of mental illness and how science can change the lives of those afflicted. Case after case, Avery becomes immersed in the lives of these patients - the day-to-day struggles with anxiety, depression, suicide, and medication. But when one case hits very close to home, Avery realizes that numbers only tell part of the story of mental illness.

The Anxiety Project is a deeply honest and hard-hitting look at mental health in America and the ways in which we are called to engage during an epidemic of mental illnesses.

"Although we have been developing this piece for a number of years", says Brush, "it seems oddly prescient that the cast recording should be released in a time of great anxiety. A lockdown surrounding a global illness has sadly increased the need for mental health services and professionals in huge numbers." Composer Dean also sees a theatrical connection as well - "One of the show's strengths is its ability to adapt to, and be performed by, a broad range of casts, regardless of gender, race, or orientation. And because of the case-by-case nature of the show -- similar to the style of Working, connecting separate stories with a central theme -- our show is also uniquely well-suited for virtual or socially distanced productions."