Sweet Briar students collaborate with VCCA Fellows in Fountain of You musical
Posted on February 27, 2020 by Abby May
Mary Parker ’21 rehearsing Fountain of You.
Sweet Briar students will perform the musical, Fountain of You, based on the book and lyrics by Tasha Gordon-Solmon and music by Faye Chiao. The musical will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, 28, 29 and March 1 at 2:30 p.m. in the Murchison Lane Auditorium at the Babcock Fine Arts Center.
Gordon-Solmon and Chiao are Fellows of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA). The center’s symbiotic relationship with Sweet Briar led assistant professor of theater Melora Kordos into this exceptional collaboration in musical theater. Students were able to work side-by-side with the VCCA Fellows throughout production and rehearsals.
“This is an extraordinary experience for our students. Nowhere else would they have the chance to work with the composer and lyricist at every rehearsal,” explains Kordos who directs the musical. “Every night we had new scenes and music that Faye and Tasha were rewriting during the day. Having our students be a part of this process is irreplaceable. To be a part of a show that is created in this way is a special opportunity.”
Fountain of You is an irreverent, feminist chamber musical that satirizes society’s preoccupation with youth, beauty and money. The musical is about Kristen, a soap opera actress, who is happy with her life until everything changes on the eve of her birthday. After desperate attempts to save her career, she undergoes extreme plastic surgery that promises to turn her life around but ends up turning many other things around at a cost.
Gordon-Solmon received her MFA in dramatic writing at NYU. She is the recipient of a Dramatist Guild Fellowship, a Puffin Foundation Grant and two VCCA Residencies. Chiao is an award-winning composer of musical theater, opera and concert music. She has been honored with awards from The Presser Foundation, The Puffin Foundation and OPERA America.
Tickets can be purchased online at sbc.tix.com or at the box office prior to the performance. For more information, contact Melora Kordos at mkordos@sbc.edu.
