Rosebud student produces two-act, Off-Broadway musical

Posted on: Staff Writer

From edition: February 8 2019 Strathmore Times

By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor

Daddy Long Legs, a two-act musical, will be performed in Rosebud, Feb. 8-10.
Frances MacDonald, fourth-year student at Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA), is producing and performing the show. The musical, written by Paul Gordon and John Caird, was produced Off-Broadway in 2015. It’s based on Jean Webster’s classic novel, published in 1912.
The show is “a cross between Annie and You’ve Got Mail,” said MacDonald. “The script is charming and the music whimsical. This story is a family-friendly delight.”
An anonymous donor pays for orphan Jerusha Abbott (played by MacDonald) to attend college. The donor’s only requirement is that she write him monthly letters and never expect a reply. Jerusha hasn’t met her benefactor (played by Joel Braun), but when she glimpses his long-legged shadow, she nicknames him Daddy Long Legs.
In this production, Shauna Murphy plays piano, James Foster is on cello and Zach Running Coyote is on guitar. Leah T. Hearne is directing.
Daddy Long Legs is MacDonald’s Final Project and is a much larger production than most RSA graduating students take on. She said it was the music that attracted her.
“As soon as I listened to the music, I was tracking with the story with its soaring harmonies, (its) whimsy as well as its simplicity. The music is crafted in a way that holds both … Jerusha’s and Jervis’ hearts in the open. My heart instantly connected to the journey of Jervis and Jerusha. This connection made me want to discover more,” she said.
“Piano, cello and guitar … all have a voice in the show and carry out both Jervis’s and Jerusha’s thoughts. The styles (vary) from beautifully lyrical and jazzy all the way to light and playful. The music holds the heart of this story.”
Daddy Long Legs will be performed in Rosebud’s Akokiniskway Gallery, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., Feb. 9 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m. The $15 tickets may be reserved in advance by emailing daddylonglegsbookings@gmail.com and paid for at the door.