LOGAN – It’s not often that a Cache Valley audience get the opportunity to see a Broadway-bound musical still in the production phase of its evolution.
But that’s exactly what the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre presented as part of their 2023 Workshop Series on July 18.
Using performers and vocalists borrowed from the UFOMT and the Lyric Repertory Company, plus musicians from the UFOMT orchestra, the workshop series presented The King of Pangaea, with book, music and lyrics by the multi-talented Martin Storrow.
The work-in-progress musical is semi-autobiographical tale highlighting the tragedy of loss and the triumph of acceptance, brilliantly performed without staging frills for one night only in the Utah Theatre.
Familiar faces in the cast of The King of Pangaea were UFOMT veterans Vanessa Ballam and Stefan Espinosa, performing with their 11-year-old son Sebastian; John Richard Tibbetts, now in his second season with the opera company; and Lyric artistic director Richie Call.
UFOMT newcomers in the cast were Chantrell Lewis and Ian Saverin, reading the musical’s stage directions.
Storrow’s musical tell the story of twenty-one year old Christopher Crow, whose life is shattered by the sudden loss of his beloved mother to cancer.
In shock, Crow travels back to an imaginary island of his childhood in hopes of finding answers that will bring the pieces of his world back together.
The King of Pangaea explores the rich, complicated and at times beautiful world of loss, examining what it means to accept harsh reality even if it breaks one’s own heart.
During the post-show talk-back session, Storrow explained that the musical has primarily been developed through a series of informal readings and work sessions in Los Angeles, with the help of a growing community of artists and friends.
The show has therefore existed outside of the traditional New York development pipeline and Storrow expressed his gratitude to UFOMT impresario Michael Ballam and the Cache Valley performers for their contributions to its continued evolution.
Vanessa Ballam portrayed Crow’s mother Cecelia, who instills in her son an unfailing hope for her eventual recovery from cancer treatments.
Sebastian Espinosa played a convincing role as her young son, who will eventually become the shattered Stefan Espinosa in later life.
Call delivered one of his trademark comic characterizations as the 1,000-year-old Prophet Ezekiel, who mentors the adult Crow through his crisis of faith.
Ms. Lewis and Tibbetts each played dual roles to round out the talented six-member cast.
The score of The King of Pangaea was a rich theatrical experience that weaved together traditional ballads with rap music, hymns and upbeat tunes.
The staged reading was greeted with a standing ovation from the packed crowd at the Utah Theatre.