Personal Reflection

I want to use AI intentionally, whether in music or in art, in a way that draws people toward deeper understanding and connection with themselves and with each other. I don't ever want the tool to obscure the goal, which is building people and the beloved community. I am grateful for a team and readers who share those priorities, and can help light the path ahead.

Neverland: Wendy's Story was the beginning of the Summit Stages dream. It was proof to my heart and others that musical theatre can bridge deep and contentious divides, if we approach it intentionally. That collaboration works magic in bringing people together. And that staging stories with powerful messages can literally change people’s lives for good. Those principles are what drive our mission today.

Deaths from despair in my own community plus high-profile hate-driven killings have slammed home the necessity of making a difference and building peace in this world, however daunting the task may seem.  And in the middle of all of this, Alexander emailed me the studio video of her newest release, “Conversation on a Train.” It’s a duet by two women, both heading home from a rally/protest where they faced off against each other on one of our society’s most contentious issues:

A Showcase of Songs; part of the feedback-gathering process for Meet Me There - the Interfaith Musical This week, I’m doing another...

Guinevere Govea as Finley (center) with much of the Metro production cast. Photo by Jennifer A Lin. Today, we’re taking a peek at the...

Common Ground Songwriters sing together I’m writing today from Bethel, New York, where I’m part of the Music for Peace Summit at the site...

Can we be courageously inclusive without risking our ability to pass on a precious, religious or cultural identity to future generations?  That’s the fundamental question that captured me as I read the libretto of Meet Me There: An Interfaith Musical. It was then pushed aside by an even more pressing question: what do we risk if we don’t practice courageous inclusivity? 

I believe the magic of Woodstock lay in its organizers' decision to put people ahead of their pocketbooks, which is a fundamental principle for peacebuilding. What other elements or principles need to be present to create enduring peace and a better world?

The Woodstock music festival of August 1969 was supposed to be a money-maker for the 4 young promoters who launched it. Instead, it became a movement.  How, exactly, that happened is still a mystery to me. It ought to have been a flop. And yet, the event was groundbreaking in the lives of attendees, with ripple effects that had an outsized impact on society at large. 

This week, I’m struck by what an incredible blessing it is to live in a place and a time that offers us both the power to make a difference and enough of the necessities of life that we can even turn our attention to entertainment and building bridges across our divides. Today, I'm celebrating that, and treasuring the hope that we can indeed make a difference at a time when domestic and international friendships are being strained.

The big question that’s been running through my mind and heart for about the last month is whether creating music with AI is cheating. And writing this newsletter is part of how I’m hoping to get to an answer. Here’s my story, and the questions I’m still grappling with. I’d love your thoughts if you’re willing to weigh in. 

The director’s job is not to micromanage in order to bring their exact vision to the stage, but to guide the actors, giving adequate direction so that they can embrace their characters and create something great themselves.

Simon of Cyrene: The Musical was to reach Black people and help them see themselves in the story of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. Its writer wanted “to demonstrate to other Black boys and men how God works miracles to turn circumstances and situations into God-honoring destinies.” But just the trailer choked me up and helped me connect with the story in a way that deepens my understanding and grief about racial relations

Our shared stories unite us across generations and cultures After I praised Disney’s new version of Snow White in last week’s...

This is a glimpse at the story of my conversion from a culture warrior to an aspiring peace maker.  

A bit of burlesque is standard fare in a Broadway show, because sex sells and keeps the audience awake. But is this device worth the price?

Hold an elephant-eating party! Last week, I wrote about my goal to launch a global, intentional and organized movement to build the...

When the world gathers to Salt Lake City for the 2034 Winter Olympics, the city will be flooded with living proof of musical theatre's power

Henry Higgins ( Harry Hadden-Paton) and Eliza Dolittle (Laura Benanti) dance together. When Lerner and Loewe turned Shaw’s Pygmalion into...

Finding a solid pattern is the first step to a newbie making an impressive cake How does one create a great musical?  That’s a question...