Fat Camp - First meeting, names, auditions, excitement!

We had our first meeting for Fat Camp on Sunday. It was great and very productive. We chose the pieces we will work on during our time at the Flynnspace, and it is going to be great. It is all the best parts of the show, and I cannot wait to see it staged! We also secured another actor for one of the major roles - the one we were most concerned about. Thor is the head trainer of the Supergym and needs to be buff and able to sing. We were all stumped as to where to find such a person until my husband (and composer) suggested an old friend from college. It was unanimous, and Rob (our lyricist) contacted him immediately. He accepted.

Some research on Google revealed that there are at least 2 musicals named Fat Camp, and one has gotten some recognition in NYC. We decided there has to be a name change. This bothered me at first. I loved the name and the misdirection it caused, and I struggled to find the right replacement. Once again my brilliant husband had the answer. Supergym. It's perfect. It is the constant throughout the show. It does not hide the true story of the show, and it will attract our target audience. Plus, all the artwork, Tshirts, posters, etc can be a lot of fun. It's growing on me, and I am beginning to think it is a lot better than the original. It's not a definite change, though we all agree that it would work well. For now I will refer to it as Fat Camp/ Supergym because I don't know if I should change it during this grant project. Of course it is all about the process...

We are ready and excited to start working. Our first writing meeting is next weekend, and I cannot wait to see what happens. This is the beginning of something great and the biggest project I have ever worked on. We are taking this show as far as it will go, and I am already considering entering it in festivals for new musicals. Of course, we should probably finish it first. One step at a time...

Fat Camp is in motion!

I just found out this morning that we got our grant. We will have access to studios in the Flynn and get a work in progress showing. I am excited, but also apprehensive. It is a massive challenge to add to my already stuffed schedule, but I know I can make it work. The idea of a group of people working on and improving a project of mine is so exciting, and this will get Fat Camp in motion. It's been slow going with the music lately. People have things come up, and a creative project is usually the first thing to go. I'm excited to have new life breathed into this show.
The showing at the end of the semester is exciting and makes me nervous. We are doing this now, and we have to have something to show for it. I know I can do it if I can get others to help. This is what I fear about collaboration. But, I think it will work out. I think this show will be great, and we will make some good progress during this 10 week period. I can't wait to see what happens...