The Alliance Theatre’s upcoming world premiere of Darlin’ Cory has brought Sugarland frontman Kristian Bush and prolific playwright/novelist Phillip DePoy together to write an Appalachian myth a la Hadestown. Bush and DePoy sat down with host Sally Fuller a few days before starting rehearsals with the whole company to rewind a bit and share in-depth about how they created a brand new musical during the pandemic.
The Broadway Ginger Podcast
“There are no rules, just musicals.” The Broadway Ginger Podcast is a humorous lovenote to Broadway for theatre nerds by theatre nerds. Aimed at celebrating and maintaining a cultural appreciation for musical theatre history, this season features musical theatre interviews by host Sally Henry Fuller. Join us every Monday for conversations with performers, dressers, and more who are making it on Broadway and beyond!
TheBroadwayGinger.com // @thebwayginger
Phillip DePoy
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Phillip DePoy (Playwright, Librettist & Co-Lyricist) is the author of 22 novels (the latest, SAMMY TWO SHOES, comes out in October 2021) and 45 plays. An internationally reviewed performance artist, he was writer in residence for the Georgia Council for the Arts and Composer in Residence for the Academy Theatre in the 1980s. In the 1990s he was the Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit and composed music for 17 Alliance Theatre productions (Angels in America, The Seagull, Man for All Seasons, et al). Since then, he served as the director of several university theatre programs. He was awarded Georgia Author of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Notable theatrical work includes the 1993 New York production of LAMB ON FIRE, the 2002 Edgar Award winning mystery play Easy, also in New York, and for the Alliance Theatre, the Suzi award-winning Edward Foote. His Appalachian Christmas Homecoming has been produced over 30 times nationally since 1994. Phillip DePoy also holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and folklore, and a graduate degree in performance art. His greatest achievement, however, is having been married to playwright Lee Nowell for over twenty-two years. |
Kristian Bush
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Kristian Bush (Composer, Co-Lyricist) is a Grammy Award-winning recording artist who has been leaving his mark on music for more than two decades. The singer, songwriter, producer and multi- instrumentalist started his career with the folk-rock duo Billy Pilgrim in the early 1990s. In 2004, he exploded onto the country music scene with Sugarland, surpassing sales of more than 22 million albums worldwide, achieving five No. 1 singles and winning numerous awards, including Grammys, AMAs, ACMs, CMT Music Awards and CMAs. In 2014, Bush made his solo debut with Top 20 hit “Trailer Hitch,” featured on his critically acclaimed album Southern Gravity, named the “feel-good album of the year” by Country Music Weekly and named one of the Top 10 country albums of 2015 by Rolling Stone. He recently wrote and performed “Forever Now,” the theme song to the TLC reality series “Say Yes to the Dress.” Troubadour was his first musical. |
Learn more about our reopening plans:
ENHANCED SAFETY PROCEDURES
The safety of our patrons, artists, and staff is the Alliance’s top priority. Due to rising cases of COVID-19 in Georgia and after consultation with medical and public health experts, the Alliance Theatre will implement a mandatory vaccination policy for all audience members of its upcoming productions of DARLIN CORY and HANDS UP. Audience members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend the performance and will be asked to show proof of vaccination upon arrival at the theater. “Fully vaccinated” means the performance date you are attending must be at least 14 days after your last dose of an FDA or WHO authorized COVID-19 vaccine.
The only exception to the above will be for guests under the age of 12, or those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief that prevents vaccination. Guests under 12 and those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief must provide proof a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within the 72 hours prior to the performance start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time.
Proof of vaccination (or negative test result) must come directly from the healthcare provider that performed the vaccination (or test). Guests can show proof of vaccination by presenting a physical vaccination card, a photo of a physical card, or a digital confirmation of vaccination.
In accordance with these protocols, all guests must present a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport (guests younger than 18 may present a school photo ID).
In addition to the mandatory vaccination policy, the Alliance will have in place the following safety measures:
- Masks – Masks are required to be worn properly indoors at all times
- Reduced contact – Ticket scanning will be contactless and staff will be equipped with masks and gloves
- Air Circulation – The Alliance has replaced all HVAC units with HVAC ionization systems, which provide a 99.4% reduction of COVID-19 within 30 minutes. HVAC ionization is more effective than other air-cleaning methods and helps kill other types of viruses, such as the flu, and air pollutants
- Sanitizing – There will be enhanced and frequent cleaning of high-traffic surfaces, as well as more hand sanitizing stations across the campus
The Alliance will continue to closely monitor local, state, and federal policies regarding indoor activities and plan our safety protocols accordingly. Specific health & safety protocols are subject to change and will be clearly communicated to ticket holders in advance of their performance. Decisions regarding the vaccination policy for future productions will be made closer to those production start dates, and will be based on current conditions, consultation with health experts, and CDC guidelines.
TICKET FLEXIBILITY
In recognition of the great uncertainty created by the pandemic, we have reviewed our ticket policies to make sure we are as flexible and accommodating as possible in the event you are unable to attend a performance. The Alliance will provide flexible exchanges for all season and single ticket buyers. If you are unable to attend a performance for any reason, you will be eligible for a complimentary exchange into a future performance. Exchanges may be requested up until the performance curtain time. Ticket buyers may be asked to pay the difference in price should the replacement performance ticket price exceed that of the original ticket. To request an exchange, please call 404.733.4600, Monday through Friday, 10 AM–6 PM.
The Alliance Theatre is excited to announce its return to the Coca-Cola Stage with the world premiere musical, DARLIN’ CORY. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Appalachia, DARLIN’ CORY is a haunting new musical by playwright & novelist Phillip DePoy (Edward Foote) and Sugarland’s Grammy Award-winning front man, Kristian Bush (Troubadour). DARLIN’ CORY is directed by the Alliance’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, Susan V. Booth (Ever After, Troubadour). Performances begin September 8, 2021.
In a tiny mountain town with no road in – and no road out – a community carries secrets of all sizes. But when a young woman with ambition and intelligence collides with a pastor deeply committed to preserving the status quo, cracks begin to appear in the town’s well-constructed façade. And when a stranger appears with a mysterious backstory and the best moonshine anyone’s ever tasted – some of those secrets threaten to spill. Featuring an original folk-country score, this modern-day myth inspired by local lore promises to leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
“DARLIN’ CORY is, in my experience, a unique musical – Greek themes, Appalachian stories, supernatural characters, and new music all focused on specific contemporary events, current news—and I think it’s the most collaborative enterprise with which I’ve been connected in this century, thanks to Susan and Kristian and [Line Producer] Amanda Watkins,” said Playwright and Co-Lyricist Phillip DePoy.
“Absolutely remarkable.”
“It’s not every day that you get to play with magic; real magic. Writing, making, and dreaming DARLIN’ CORY to life has been nothing short of magic,” said Composer and Co-Lyricist Kristian Bush. “I keep trying to explain it to my friends in the music industry when they ask what I am working on right now. I say ‘close your eyes. Imagine starting a band with six lead singers that need a double album, a double live album, actually, to be released worldwide, with a tour that goes with it… and dancers, and lights, and production that will never be seen by an audience until it all gets released, on the same day. Oh yeah, and also that band sometimes sounds like Arcade Fire and sometimes sounds like Dolly Parton, and might or might not contain details from your own life buried within it, wrapped in a story about a town and a girl and moonshine and secrets.’
“This is what we are doing in the next few weeks. This kind of magic.”
The cast of the Alliance Theatre’s production of DARLIN’ CORY includes Jeremy Aggers (Alliance: Edward Foote), Jimez Alexander, Marcello Audino (Aurora Theatre: Men with Money), John Bobek (Geffen Playhouse: Mysterious Circumstances), Jewl Carney (Alliance: Working), Katie Deal (Milwaukie Rep: Back Home Again: My Life with John Denver), Kelli Dodd (Colorado Springs FAC: The Bridges of Madison County), Rob Lawhon (Alliance: Working, Troubadour) Rhyn McLemore (Alliance: Ever After), Gillian Rabin (Actor’s Express: Fun Home), Maria Rodriguez-Sager (Theatrical Outfit: Our Town & The Laramie Project), and Asia Rogers (Theatrical Outfit: Our Town & The Laramie Project). Musicians in the production include Tomi Martin and Q. Robinson.
The creative team for DARLIN’ CORY includes Director Susan V. Booth, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre John Welker, Sound Designer Clay Benning, Costume Designer Kara Harmon, Tony Award-winning Scenic Designer Todd Rosenthal, Lighting Designer Xavier V. Pierce, Music Director and Player/Conductor Brandon Bush, Dialect Coach Elisa Carlson, and Fight Choreographers Amelia Fischer and Connor Hammond. The production team includes Line Producer Amanda Watkins, COVID Coordinator Haylee Scott, and Stage Manager Jayson T. Waddell.
“To come home to the Coca-Cola Stage in the company of fifteen stellar Atlanta performers in a world premiere from Kristian Bush and Phillip DePoy, feels every kind of healing, hopeful, and just plain joyful,” said Director Susan V. Booth.
COVID safety protocols:
Safety for our patrons, artists, and staff is our top priority. With safety in mind and in close consultation with local health experts, the Alliance will require all audience members for our upcoming productions of DARLIN’ CORY and HANDS UP to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of their performance and show proof of vaccination upon arrival. Unvaccinated audience members must show a negative COVID test for entry. Learn more about our safety policies here.
Organizing History in the Alliance Theatre’s Working: A Musical
Organizing History in the Alliance Theatre’s Working: A Musical In May 2021, the Alliance Theatre produced a concert version of Working: A Musical in an outdoor tent in Atlanta, Georgia. The production adapted the original musical by Stephen Swartz and Nina Faso to include new material created from interviews with sixty-two workers and community organizers in Atlanta. In the midst of a pandemic and reckoning for racial justice, and in the aftermath of a presidential election, the Alliance’s creative and engagement team set out to make a community-engaged production whose process both modeled grassroots organizing and told the story of the work of organizers in the city.
Working: A Musical premiered on Broadway in 1978 and is based on a best-selling book of oral histories about the American working class written by Studs Terkel. The original book and musical register the left-leaning ethos of the 1970s by foregrounding the stories of ordinary people told in their own words. Historians refer to this as a “bottom-up” approach to history, when the sources are not at the top of social or political power structures that tend to dominate historical production.
The musical is a compilation of monologues and songs for characters defined by profession or line of work, e.g. “Millworker,” “Teacher,” “Truck Driver.” By design, the structure is porous and fragmented and holds content together thematically rather than through linear plot progression. This form allows the musical to seamlessly absorb additions and changes to the original work. Over the past four decades, the monologues and songs have shifted as certain professions became obsolete and new types of work, and workers, became part of our reality (most notably, the 2012 version of Working included two new songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda that provided a much needed multicultural, multilingual update).
Few plays are as ripe for historiography—the process of writing/making history—as Working. Its fragmented structure based on oral histories have made it an unusually iterative musical. Any director or theatre company that picks it up tends to do so because it promises an opportunity to interject new meaning into the conversation about what it means to work, and what matters now.