In early March of 2020, the concerns around Covid-19 were reaching its height. In response, Broadway suddenly went dark. This was an extraordinary event. Not even the Flu Pandemic of 1918-20, or the Great Depression, or WWI and II, shuttered Broadway. But now, because of pandemic fears, the marquees were dark, and the once crowded sidewalks outside the theaters vacant. I remember that weekend vividly. The atmosphere was eerie and oppressive. You could sense we were in for a bad time.
Where are we now, almost four years later?
Broadway is open for business. That’s one good thing. And Covid fears have quieted, though tragically people are still dying from it. And the Doomsday Clock, which monitors nuclear risk and climate change, is still holding at 90 seconds to midnight, though any untoward event can hasten that dire calculation. And of course there’s the political arena, where a venal psychopath and his cohorts are threatening to unleash even greater chaos.
But wait — that’s a grim backdrop to talk about a musical, isn’t it?
Indeed it is, especially if you get sucked into the reality that is presented to us 24/7 in the media. Without disputing that reality, however, there is another one, enlivening, eternally hopeful, and, as it happens, everyone’s birthright. That reality is higher than the troubles that plague us, and easily obtainable. It is the gift of light and consciousness. The journey of “The Further Shores” is to reacquaint us with that much greater home that’s been ours all along.
Every day presents a choice. We can take things sitting down, so to speak, as our blood pressure, cortisol levels, and anxiety rises. Or, we can take positive action.
My writing partner Jack Engstrom and I have taken on the challenge of our time to write a musical. And also, to a large extent, the responsibility of producing the show ourselves. But it won’t happen without your support. Through music and verse, our goal is to shine a powerful light back into the world that points the way to fulfilling our greatest potential. While our opening chorus — and today’s pundits shout, metaphorically — “Dark, the Polestar! Dark, the Polestar!” we see a brighter way, lit by smiling faces, young and old, who can still be moved by a performance designed to enrich our spirit, and calm our worried souls.
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