Lyricist Christian Albright and Composer Christian Magby
Adapting a children’s picture book into a full-fledged musical may seem slightly intimidating. But, luckily for Christian Magby and Christian Albright, they are always up to the task, with two prior book-to-stage adaptations already under their belts.
“My first experience with [Milo Imagines the World] was met with a feeling of wonder, surprise, and melancholy,” says lyricist Christian Albright. “[It’s] a simple but effective and beautiful story with a tear-dropping and monumental ending. It makes you reevaluate how you look at the book from the beginning and how you look at others moving forward.”
Albright and his counterpart, composer Christian Magby, were first approached by the artistic directors at Children’s Theatre Company, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and Rose Theatre about turning Matt de la Peña’s children’s book into a musical. “Immediately I went to the first YouTube read along I could find,” Magby says, “and instantly fell in love with the story.”
Milo Imagines the World follows the journey of Milo, a curious boy with a vivid imagination and a sketchpad full of dreams. As he travels on the subway with his sister, he draws in his sketchbook as he imagines why the other passengers are on the subway and where they’re going.
“Honestly, I feel like we kind of let the story and the illustrations speak to us,” Magby says. “Milo’s imagination is so vast, so it allows us to go so many different places, musically. Christian Albright’s lyrics also have a way of jumping off the page. We usually see the same thing when it comes to narrative, so it’s always fun to see how our ideas align.”
When asked about favorite lyrics from the show, Albright says that his favorite lyric is “I got my hat and my bag / and my pencil and my book / I feel so nervous / like a soda that’s shook.” This line comes directly from the book and incorporating them into the musical was important to Albright because “[the feelings were] so prevalent in our titular character.”
Magby’s favorite lyric is when subway riders ask Milo, “Or do you see what you only draw inside your sketchbook?” He says, “I love this lyric and this moment, because Milo actually learns from his own imagination. In all that he has drawn, has he missed a bigger picture?”
The story contains a twist ending that takes audiences by surprise and, hopefully, will be the catalyst for many discussions about family, imagination, and going a little deeper beyond what we can see on the surface.
“I think it’s easy to say, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’” says Magby. “But I challenge us to go a step further by opening the books that we judge. You might learn something – even about yourself.”
“I hope kids learn that imagination is a beautiful thing to hold onto and use,” Albright adds. “Also, be curious, but never assume you know someone until they’ve told you their story.”
Although Milo originally premiered in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Children’s Theatre Company, Magby and Albright are no stranger to the Atlanta arts scene, having previously debuted their musical, Mother of God, at Atlanta’s Southwest Performing Arts Center in 2022. The Alliance has also produced two other world premieres by the duo: Into the Burrow: A Peter Rabbit™ Tale and The Incredible Book Eating Boy.
“To be working on this show in our hometown, at Alliance Theatre, with our friends and for our friends,” Magby says, “is truly a remarkable experience. We’ve been very passionate about telling this story, and it’s a dream come true to bring it home. It feels especially special for me, because this is also my first time music directing it! So it’s a lot of fun to be able to come to work and play with this story every day.”
Although this production is geared toward younger audiences, Albright clarifies that the musical “isn’t simply a show for young audiences. It’s a show for everyone and I guarantee there is something for everyone to take away from.”
“I think we are all alike in more ways than we think,” Magby adds. “In the opening, everyone has several places they need to be but, for a moment, they all share the same train.”
Find more information about Milo Imagines the World here.
