Michael Mott's IN THE LIGHT To Receive Developmental Workshop in Utah, With Jeff Whiting Directing

While nearly every Broadway show receives a developmental workshop in New York or Los Angeles, the creative team for one show with Broadway aspirations has selected an unusual city for this step in the development process.

IN THE LIGHT will have a developmental workshop in the sleepy suburban city of Orem, Utah.

"Having grown up in Utah, I have always been aware of the phenomenal talent that exists there, and I recommended it to our producer who loved the idea," said Jeff Whiting, director of IN THE LIGHT. Whiting's associate director/assistant choreographer Broadway credits include BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, BIG FISH, and THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS. "I brought the idea to Utah Valley University, who quickly jumped on board to host the workshop. The overwhelming amount of talent that came to audition was thrilling to see, and I'm really looking forward to working on the piece with this amazing group of actors."

Whiting said the main purpose for the workshop "is to verify that the structure of the musical works, and it gives me, as the director, a chance to work out the visual ideas that I've been imagining for so long and to make sure they can be done. It's really just a big controlled experiment, which allows me to see if the songs do what they need to do, to ensure the storytelling elements are clearly defined, and finally to have a small audience respond to it. Those 'fresh eyes' on the piece allows us as the creators to see if we are on the right track as we continue to develop the piece."

The director first became aware on IN THE LIGHT through the songs of its composer, Michael Mott, who previously wrote MOB WIFE-A MAFIA COMEDY and WHERE THE SKY ENDS: THE SONGS OF MICHAEL MOTT. "I fell in love with the piece immediately," Whiting said. "It's been my great privilege to be shaping the story and the show over the past few years with our writers. Michael is a really brilliant composer, and it's been a complete pleasure to collaborate with Michael and the writers on this iconic tale."

"The seed of the idea for what is now IN THE LIGHT actually started in 2003 when my classmate, Justin Silvestri, and I began writing an original story inspired by the Dr. Faustus legend," Mott said. "I have always been drawn to epic, musical scores with dark tones, and while stylistically different, both IN THE LIGHT and MOB WIFE possess scores with dark themes and musical motifs."

Loosely based on Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus," the IN THE LIGHT workship will feature Equity actor William Cooper Howell Cast in the lead role of Faustus, along with Ellie Smith and Dianna Graham.

IN THE LIGHT's book writers are now Silvestri and Nathan Wright. "It was a tough job for Nathan coming in because he was presented a story that Justin and I have been working on for about 14 years," Mott said. "Over that time, I had written over 30 songs for this musical."

Two stagings of IN THE LIGHT will be held at UVU, on Dec. 8 and 9, designed for "investors and producers who might join the development process, some students of the university, regional theaters that might be interested in producing [the show], some friends and family of the local staff and team," Whiting said.

In addition "Michael Mott & Friends" will be produced on Dec. 3 at UVU. The concert will include original music from Mott's debut album, "Where the Sky Ends," as well as songs from IN THE LIGHT, "MOB WIFE" and another Mott musical, LUCIFER, with guests vocalists that will include Jackie Burns (Broadway's longest-running Elphaba in WICKED) and Brad Greer (THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY) and backed by Mott at the piano and his five-piece band, compromised of musicians from New York City.

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