I saw the new Marlow & Moss musical... | Why Am I So Single? workshop from the writers of Six

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OHMYGOD HEY!
Earlier this week I caught the first public performance of a brand new musical - the ticketed workshop presentation of 'Why Am I So Single?', the new musical from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the award winning writers of the global hit musical SIX.
The presentation starred Christina Benington (Heathers, Bat Out of Hell) and Joe Foster (& Juliet, Legally Blonde), with Millie O'Connell (Six, The Cher Show, Rent) and Noah Thomas (Everybody's Talking about Jamie, The Secret Life of Bees).
Check out today's brand new video for all the details we now know about this exciting new project...
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00:00 | introduction
03:31 | what do we know?
08:34 | what is it about?
16:30 | why is this so exciting?
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#musical #westend #theatre

[@andymcgowan763]

I must admit - whenever you said "success of six" I was holding out for you to refer it as a "six-cess"... Happy belated birthday!

[@Philippadrinkstea]

Same!!! Was looking for this comment 😂

[@itskatharinequinn]

Ditto!!

[@ThexImperfectionist]

Thank you for not spoiling specifics. I'm loving everything I'm hearing and I hope we get a fully realized production before too long

[@katieannamcconnell5365]

It really deserves one!

[@mctheplaywright]

Feels like this is show 1.5, a stop in the midst of an artistic deepening. They stumbled into a world wide phenomenon with a Fringe piece, and an unimaginable pressure follows. They are striving towards something more structured, and longer, with the same sort of hook. But, that takes so much time. So, here we see a fun personal work that allows them to attempt that stretch into a second act. I’m curious to see how this piece grows, but I’m even more curious as to how the growth seen here will manifest further.

[@LightningRound1st]

This sounds very similar to (Title of Show.) I can't imagine the level of stress and pressure Marlow and Moss must be feeling to match Six.

[@katieannamcconnell5365]

Yes!! Very similar vibes. There's definitely expectations to live up to but my god they smash them

[@IshScout]

As someone who found out about Six very late in the game I look forward to following this a bit more closely from the start. Conceptually I really like what I am hearing & it sounds quite promising.

[@lilianafranco8423]

It might be way too early to say, but do you think Why Am I So Single would be able to stand the rest of time and be relevant in a decade or so? I feel like many contemporary musicals nowadays burn bright but fast and something I’ve always found so interesting about six is that it feels like it’s able to draw in audiences again and again and probably will be able to for a very long time, and I’ll just be interested to see if this new show will be one that can be put on again and again or if audiences will enjoy it once and leave it at that (idk if any of that made sense lol)

[@ThexImperfectionist]

Six is the first show I felt like I needed to see again the second I left the theater. I saw it 3 times in the same run (ostensibly to drag friends back with me), though in my case the sense of urgency stemmed at least as much from the specific cast as from the show. The US Aragon tour were truly greater than the sum of their parts, even though they were all incredible individually. Contrast that with Wicked (my all time fave) where I'll see it any chance I get, but it's definitely more about the show than the cast. But I don't forsee it getting sick of it, or the show becoming less relevant over time the way you're describing.

[@rhondaharris3291]

Well I am a huge fan of Oliver! so I am intrigued already....look forward to upcoming progress.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

It seems so are they! There's lots you will enjoy about this for sure!

[@martinfrenette4099]

You're bringing up a good point: Why don't they play songs from musicals on the radio? Especially in cases like SIX, where the songs are very pop and were inspired by current singers. Why can't "No way" or "All you wanna do" come out of people's speakers? Of course, something like Little Shop of Horrors' "Eat Me" would sound weird out of context. However, the fact that there is a Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording makes you wonder why the general public doesn't hear these tracks outside of the theater. Some cast albums recorded in France and Canada have some "radio edits" of long songs that were shorted for radio-purpose., I heard some in Germany as well. I don't know, but don't think that such versions exist in the US or in the UK. Is it?

[@justlookin3]

I saw two work Shops for musicals ages ago. One was for Torch Song Trilogy which was brand new and out of the box. The second was a revival of 42nd Street. Both were free because I knew someone who knew some one. The experience is of course rare in terms of the show. Torch Song was especially interesting because Harvey was doing it and I knew him from Haunted Host in in Cambridge across the river from Boston. Of course when we were On the T from Cambridge to Boston Harvey said he was writing a play and we would think “sure you are”. The rest is history.

[@user-yi7sw4vw4z]

Saw the final workshop performance yesterday and absolutely loved it. Agree with all you said and have to call out Joe Foster as spectacular. That Disco Ball song!!! Hope it hurried back in its next incarnation very soon.

[@katieannamcconnell5365]

Ah we must have been in the same audience! :)

[@user-yi7sw4vw4z]

@@katieannamcconnell5365 lucky us! Wasn’t it a joy?

[@pkminpkmon]

Great video! And Happy Birthday!

[@TheLozzbozz]

As soon as I heard a new musical by the writers of six I bought tickets

[@mike83861]

So excited for this! It sounds amazing and Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss are geniuses!

[@itskatienail]

I got to see them at 54 Below in NYC back in February of 2022 and we got a little taste of this new material, and I cannot WAIT to see where it goes!!

[@Wyrdgrrl]

HAPPY BIRTHDAYYY!

[@sarahhockley8886]

Videos always on point. But my goodness - thank you for the detail in your backgrounds, the Clothes on the rail - the cute stuffies. I love it. Attention to details *chefs kiss*

[@TheLauren1113]

Sounds great!

[@blotcho84]

Interesting! I didn't know just what to expect from a follow-up to SIX but your review has given me hope that it'll be something great!

[@lucycat241]

Hope you had a lovely birthday!

[@oldschoolabrahamhicks2742]

Wow! When can we see it? The next/only performance is sold out!

[@mariafrias2500]

Ta-dah! Another great one

[@Showtunediva]

I still need to see Six. I hope your birthday was amazing MickeyJo.❤

[@evanterry]

ive booked my tickets for it !!

[@dgll2745]

Happy birthday! I hope 28 is as cool for you as it was for me. 😉

[@Amy-zq5kn]

I've been advocating for Christina to be in Six since I first saw her in Heathers, glad someone agrees!

[@chuckoneill2023]

Every time anything is a hit, people try to emulate it. Nope ----- originality is the way, and attempting to replicate something else is the antithesis of original.

[@TheHattie10]

Does it include the song 'Just in case'?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

So this is the song I described as "I would abandon it all" - one of the standouts in the score.

[@hanonondricek411]

Sounds sort of like [title of show] with a romance angle and a slightly more contemporary score?

[@ProjectUganda2013]

Being single is a fairly universe experience so I think there is definitely a big runway for marketing, excited to see where this goes!

[@Erni3K]

Hadestown owes a lot to its original cast recording, and You Tube supplanting radio airplay, for its success.

[@susanpolastaples9688]

Why do I feel there's a reference to 'My precious' from Lord of the Rings?

[@trashcannottrashcant3887]

Sounds exciting but when I first heard the plot I immediately thought of a strange loop. Show about the person writing the show, relationship and probably therefore self image issues, characters named after other musical characters. I’m assuming they’re pretty different tones as a strange loop was very heavy and this show won’t look at race. Not accusing anyone of anything just popped into my head lol

[@katieannamcconnell5365]

Tbh I liked this one more than strange loop 😅

[@mikemcgee7484]

I loved it ! I think it needs some trimming , maybe 10 mins or so

[@mikemcgee7484]

I also may have over heard some stuff , so keep your eyes out in early 2024 :)

[@daniels9662]

I saw it too and the music is 10/10 but there is literally zero plot so it just bobs along for two hours and feels longer than it is.

[@katieannamcconnell5365]

Yeah act 2 definitely feels a bit draggy

[@markkoehr5003]

So musicals about people trying to writing musicals is nothing new, we just got A Strange Loop after all, so how would you say Why Am I So Single? compares to those shows that have come before it? At least it is current form.

[@mikemcgee7484]

The focus is really not about the writing of the musical , it's about why they are so single and their friendship

[@christophelombardi7810]

My friend, I have to respectfully but firmly disagree with you on the question of SIX being a musical. Regardless of the songs themselves which, indeed, appeal more to an audience who are into pop music (and I am not), I align myself with those who say that SIX is 'not' a musical. In this video, however, you disagree with that statement because of the inherent theatricality of the production, and that, my friend, is totally incorrect. Before I elaborate, I will point out that what I'm about to say may be considered to be my opinion only, just as a particular food is neither delicious nor disgusting in and of itself. It is just that some people will like it and some won't. It is a matter of personal opinion. Here, however, I believe that the final answer as to the true nature of SIX lies in the meaning of a few words and not just in what my own opinion of SIX may be. So let us look at the meaning of three words: theatrical, theatre, and musical. 1/ It is not because something is theatrical that it is theatre. That is an erroneous leap in meaning. A corporate executive in a board meeting could do a presentation in a very theatrical manner if he/she so chooses, but that doesn't make that presentation an actual piece of theatre. These are two different concepts. In fact, a lot of people are a bit theatrical at times, for fun and/or for effect and still, it is not theatre. To support this statement, though, let's look at what theatre actually is. 2/ Theatre is drama, the essence of which is 'man in a mess' ('man' as a species, of course, not as a gender). Like movies or Tv series, theatre tells a story about characters who find themselves caught in a problematic situation they have to resolve for their own sake and/or that of others. So, as theatrical as something might be, if it is not a piece of drama with a well defined storyline, it is not theatre. To say that it is would be as much of a misrepresentation as saying that because a character in a play sings a few verses of a song while doing something else, this play is in fact a musical. It isn't. It takes more than that for a play to become an actual musical, as you well know. By the same token, it is not enough that something be theatrical to be called theatre. Which brings us to our last word: 3/ A musical. This might seem obvious but it bears repeating because I think that, in the context of SIX, this is the pivotal point: it would be wrong to think that there are musicals and then there is musical theatre. They are one and the same. We say 'musical' to save time and saliva but what we really mean is musical theatre. However, because we often use the word 'musical' without the word 'theatre', it is far too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that, like with the words themselves, musical theatre without the theatre part is still a musical. It isn't. If you remove the dramatic storytelling aspect of a musical and just present it as a collection of songs, what you have is no longer a musical, it is a concert, maybe a very theatrical concert, but a concert nonetheless, and nothing more. As an actor myself, I am passionate about storytelling, which may also explain why I seem a bit passionate about the points I am making here, and if I sounds like I have a bee in my bonnet about all this, it's probably because I have. I will own it. Fair enough. But the fact remains: SIX is not a piece of drama with a clearly defined storyline, therefore it is not theatre, and so it cannot be musical theatre. In short, SIX is definitely not a musical. To call it a musical and to tell an audience of listeners/followers that it is just that is as incorrect as calling apples oranges. At the end of the day, though, it is of little importance what we call SIX. Labels themselves are just shorthands, mere tools designed to help people communicate and no matter what we call something, it doesn't change that thing itself. So I am merely being difficult, I know, but before you can free yourself from the restrictions of a definition, you first have to understand it correctly and not call things by the wrong name, even if, ultimately, it doesn't matter. So there you have it. Rant over :) Take care and keep up the good work.

[@courdeleon]

I just wanted to say, "human" is more a correct term for our species than "man" 😀 The rest of your comment was well said!

[@christophelombardi7810]

@@courdeleon 'human' is more appropriate, it's true. I was just quoting an acting coach I once heard use that expression: "man in a mess". It rolls nicely off the tongue in a way that "human in a mess" doesn't, even though it's more correct.