New musical Letters to the President will receive an industry-only presentation December 7 and 8 at Open Jar Studios. Conceived by Michael Bello (The Who's Tommy) and Jessica Kahkoska, the multi-composer musical is based on real letters to United States presidents throughout history.
The project features songs by Ari Afsar and Candace Quarrels, Preston Max Allen, Simone Allen, Dawn Avery, Nick Blaemire, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Elliah Heifetz, Anna K. Jacobs, Naomi Matlow and Teresa Lotz, Madeline Myers, Ronvé O’Daniel and Jevares Myrick, Rona Siddiqui, Mark Sonnenblick, Will Van Dyke and Jeff Talbott, Ben Wexler, and Zack Zadek.
The December presentations will star Whitney Bashor (MJ the Musical), Jared Dixon (Hamilton), Zoe Jensen (Six, Dear Evan Hansen), Nathan Salstone (Sweeney Todd), Vishal Vaidya (Merrily We Roll Along), and Morgan Anita Wood (Hamilton). Michael Bello is directing.
The musical was initially presented in a sold-out, one-night-only event at the Cooper Union. It has since gone on to have several sneak peek concerts and presentations, including a cabaret concert at the 2023 Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals.
Since George Washington took office in 1783, writing letters to the President has provided citizens of all ages, political parties, and backgrounds an outlet to express their most personal concerns, hopes, and dreams for our country. Spanning across events and movements such as women's suffrage, marriage equality, World Wars I and II, space exploration, the Civil Rights Movement, and more, these real letters have been adapted into songs to be read by "guest letter readers."
Patrick Sulken (Little Shop of Horrors) will serve as music director, and Jessica Kahkoska is dramaturg. General management is by ShowTown Theatricals, and production stage management is by Jenny Kennedy and Giselle Andrea Raphaela.
