Alan's Confectionery
THE MUSICAL
Synopsis
Alan's entrepreneurial spirit has navigated the family through the Great Depression and World War II. But at least one of his children is plagued with an unanswered question from the past... "What happened to Mama?”
"Some folks can snatch the sweetness out of the cake and never crack the crust."
The story takes place in St. Louis in the 30s and 40s. It's a story about family, a mother separated from her children by circumstance and a struggle that she shares with her oldest son to be reunited. The original score is heavily influenced by the music of that period.
We're almost ready to bring you the World Premiere of a FULL PRODUCTION of this musical! Visit here often for updates or follow the hashtag #AlansConectionery!
Synopsis (PDF)
Complete Script for Kindle (mobi)
Selected Musical Tracks
| SONG | ARTIST | LISTEN |
|---|---|---|
| Another Stepmother | Brian Demar Jones and Lauren Steele | listen |
| Go Home Callie | Carmen Brantley Payne | listen |
| That Man Needs to Die | Cheryl Thompson (aka ZZ Rose) | listen |
| What a Surprise | James Dixon and Lauren Steele | listen |
| Family | Alan Alexander III | listen |
| The Skinny | Alan Alexander III | listen |
| If You Could Get Away | James Dixon and Lauren Steele | listen |
Promo Video 2018
Background
Alan's Confectionery began in 2011 with some oral history interviews of the elder women in the Alexander family. The playwright, Alan Alexander III is the grandson of the protagonist in this story. After 18 months of research and another 18 months of writing the 1st draft of story (script) and the score, the musical was ready for workshoping.
The first table reading was at Portland Center Stage in October of 2014. The premiere public workshop performance of this work was an abridged staged reading that took place on January 25th 2015 as part of the Fertile Ground Festival of new works for the theatre. It was a one time performance that completely sold out in advance.
We're almost ready to bring you the World Premiere of a FULL PRODUCTION of this musical! Visit here often for updates or follow the hashtag #AlansConectionery!
Credits
- Book, Music and Lyrics: Alan Alexander III.
- Director: Brian Demar Jones.
- Music Director: Steve Cleveland.
- Cast: Seth Rue, Carmen Brantley-Payne, Josie Seid, Mariah Richardson, Chloe Hennessy, Lauren Steele, James Dixon, Cheryl Thompson, Irvin,Jerry Foster, Ernest Whaley, Reese Bowes.
- Musicians: Steve Cleveland (piano), Mary Sue Tobin (sax), Leah Hinchcliff (bass), Ward Griffiths (drums). Transcriptions-Susan Peck.
Special Thanks to:
- Gold Patrons ($50.00 or more): Anonymous, Alexa Wiley, Jeffi Powell, Joyce Alexander, Gary Powell, Jo Ellen Legg.
- Silver Patrons ($25.00 to $50.00) Rick Ray
- Chocolate Patrons ($10.00 to $25.00) Art Alexander.
- In Kind Sponsors:
Susan Peck, Jo Ellen Legg, Christable Prost, Image Wear, Joanne Fong, Sheila Mahan, Pam Grant Ryan, The August Wilson Red Door Project, Kevin Jones, Fertile Ground, PDX Playwrights, Artist Repertory Theatre, Tonisha Toler, Portland Center Stage, Jerry Foster, Passin' Art Theatre, Michael Hoeye, Martha Banyas, Nicole Lane, Far Lookout Writer's Retreat, Portland Community Media