Thursday, February 29, 2024

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s a good thing that we got an extra day this month so that I had time to write this Notes From Nina. My plan is to return to these “Notes” going out regularly –  once a month.

What does B.O.T.C.H. stand for….TADA!

Actually it stands for the Bureau of Turmoil Chaos and Headaches, which is described in the script as, “a bunch of kids that wreak havoc and stuff around the city. Which actually makes New Yorkers more alert and hardworking,” I have to say, that sometimes feels like how it is at TADA!. There are days filled with chaos – all the different groups of kids creating art in various classes, rehearsals and performances. It’s good chaos. The turmoil and headaches for me comes more from the times not dealing with the kids – the times that we have to deal with bureaucracy, fundraising and cash-flow. But who wants to talk about or think about that. I’m sure we’d all much rather focus on the art. 

If you missed seeing B.O.T.C.H., a hilarious jazz musical, live in the TADA! Theater you can stream it starting tomorrow – March 1st for one month. For just $10 you can watch it from anywhere you like with whoever you want – twice! Buy your ticket through this link. Or if you were lucky enough to catch it live, you can now watch it again and catch all the little nuances you missed. We hadn’t produced this musical since 2010 so there were a number of script and lyric changes that were made. It was great working with (and catching up with over brunch)  Dan Feigelson (composer) and Jon Agee (playwright and lyricist) again!

I’ve always wanted to have one show running while rehearsals for the next show start, but with limited staff and space that hasn’t been doable at TADA!. Now with streaming we’re able to do just that. March 1st is also our first rehearsal for the world premiere production of Common Ground. It’s TADA!’s first two act musical. B.O.T.C.H. is a very New York City centered musical. Common Ground also takes place in NYC, but comments on America and many of the characters are immigrants from different countries such as Nepal, Honduras, and Columbia and the Ivory Coast. While B.O.T.C.H. is a fanciful comedy for our family audiences especially young people 3 and over, Common Grouound is a more realistic and serious musical, with a cast of teenagers and is for an audience of people 11 – 111. 

Common Ground takes place in 2018 – 2019 and focuses on Ysabella, a Colombian teen who hits the town with stars in her eyes. She joins an afterschool program for fellow immigrants from all over the world, finds a prickly new best friend in NYC born and raised Emma, and begins to build a new life. But when ICE detains her and her family, she and her new friends discover that America is nothing like they thought it was.

It’s amazing that with so many people in the world, how small it also is. In May, we will be doing the first workshop of a new commissioned work, Born Too Short, book and lyrics by Dan Elish and music by Dan Rubens based on Dan Elish’s book of the same title. When Dan came to see B.O.T.C.H. he realized that Jon Agee was the illustrator for the hardcover of “Born Too Short.” Jon remembers the book and thinks it will make a great musical…and I believe it does. I can’t wait to work on the musical with members of RYET. 

Best,

Janine Nina Trevens
Executive & Producing Artistic Director