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New Work in Progress: Bridges
This month, we chat with Daren Carollo and Lauren Hewitt from Berkeley Playhouse in Berkeley, CA about their upcoming premiere of the new musical Bridges, written by Festival Alumni Douglas J. Cohen and Cheryl L. Davis.
In 1965, a young woman boldly joins a march to fight for her civil rights. Decades later, another young woman faces her own battle for equality. As their stories collide across time and distance, each must come to terms with who she is in the context of a changing and complicated world. Full of soulful melodies, Bridges is an empowering story that explores our country’s past and present – how far we’ve come, how far we have to go and the bridges we must cross to get there.
What was the impetus behind Berkeley Playhouse choosing to commission a new musical?
While there are a number of really wonderful works being created for children’s musical theatre, with the exception of some exceptional Disney titles, and a handful of “Matildas,” there are very few works being created for the family musical theatre canon: shows specifically written for multiple generations to enjoy together with stories accessible enough for youth, but engaging enough for adults. There are fewer still that have very specific themes around social justice. However, Berkeley Playhouse has built an eight year reputation on these types of works. We felt it was only right to begin contributing to the canon that has meant so much to us.