WONDER BOY
Written by Jaime Jarrett
Music Directed by Kyra Leigh
Directed by Bo Frazier
Developmental Reading: February 26 – March 10, 2024
Reading Presentations:
Thursday, March 7 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 9 at 7:30pm
Sunday, March 10 at 2:00pm
All presentations held at the
Mussetter-Struble Theater (1949 Campus Drive in Evanston)
ABOUT THE SHOW
When Jackson ingests an experimental drug and transforms into a superhero, he learns that protecting others is more complicated than he thought. As he navigates his new identity as a transgender man, his shifting relationship with his twin sister, and a college campus teetering on total destruction, Jackson must face what it truly means to care for his community – and what it means to accept that care himself.
Wonder Boy premiered in 2018 as a staged reading at Wow Café Theatre, followed by a staged reading with New York Musical Festival. In 2019, the show was selected for development through Musical Theatre Factory and received a staged reading in 2020. From 2020-2021, Wonder Boy was developed through Theatre Now New York’s Musical Writer’s Lab and Fresh Ground Pepper’s Progress Accountability Lab. In 2022, selections from the show were presented in concert at Joe’s Pub, produced by Musical Theatre Factory. In summer 2022, Wonder Boy was produced by 5th Avenue Theatre as a radio play, and in October 2023, the show was showcased in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s 35th Festival of New Musicals in New York City.
Check out all the photos on AMTP’s Facebook page by clicking here.
MEET THE TEAM
THE WRITER
Jaime Jarrett (they/he) is a Philadelphia and New York City based composer, lyricist, and librettist. Writing credits include: Wonder Boy (5th Avenue Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, National Alliance for Musical Theatre), (You Can’t) Outrun the Monster (developed with The Ucross Foundation, Fresh Ground Pepper), R.I.P. Cole Matthewson, Music & Co-Lyrics (Temple University), Normativity (Polyphone Festival, NYMF). They have participated in several writers groups including Musical Theatre Factory’s inaugural Maker’s Co-Hort, BMI Advanced Musical Theater Workshop, Fresh Ground Pepper’s Playground Playgroup, and Theatre Now New York’s Musical Theatre Lab. Jaime is currently pursuing his MFA in Musical Theatre Collaboration at Temple University. Rep: Lucy Powis, A3 Artists Agency.
THE DIRECTOR
Bo Frazier (they/them) is a transfemme/non-binary, queer and neurodivergent theatre maker interested in traditionally excluded stories told in extremely imaginative ways. Select Directing & Choreography: 2023 all-TGNC Chicago production of tick, tick…BOOM! (Jeff Award Nom – Best Director & Best Musical), Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill (Jeff Award Nom-Best Director), Hit the Wall by Ike Holter, Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus, Love & Information by Caryl Churchill, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens, and Associate Directed the London Premiere of bare: the rock musical. Bo has developed/directed new plays by Dillon Chitto, Dakota Parobek, C. Meaker, Leigh M Marshall, and KT Peterson. They have worked in London, NYC, and Chicago with companies such as The National Theatre (UK), Signature Theatre (NYC), Dixon Place (NYC), Goodman Theatre (IL), NAMT (NYC), Rutgers University (NJ), Theatre167 (NYC), Heartbeat Opera (NYC), Indiana Repertory Theatre (IN), Theatre Cedar Rapids (IA), Riverside Theatre (IA) and London Theatre Workshop (UK) which they co-founded. In 2022, they were one of the 9 remaining staff members fighting for Victory Gardens Theater to stay alive. They started as a musical theatre performer, most notably appearing in the London Revival of Sondheim’s Assassins. MFA Directing – University of Iowa alongside the Iowa Playwright’s Workshop. Represented by Kate Bussert and Bonnie Davis, Bret Adams Ltd.
THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
Kyra Leigh (she/her) is active as a musician and performer in the Chicagoland area. Originally from Louisiana, she’s passionate about trans visibility and inclusion in music and theatre. She has music directed and/or composed and arranged for Kokandy Productions, Jedlicka PAC, Theatre of Western Springs, Prop Thtr, Chi Arts, and Music Theater Works (for their production of La Cage Aux Folles starring Ginger Minj). She taught and directed at the Chicago School of Rock (Lakeview) for eight years and is currently at School of Rock Chicago West. Her cabaret experience includes shows at Davenport’s, Trans Voices Cabaret – Chicago, Rhinofest, and Labyrinth Arts. She’s an active church musician as a composer, section leader, and as needed pianist/conductor at North Shore Baptist Church. Her past compositions include commissioned choral pieces for The Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, and La Caccina (a professional women’s vocal ensemble); music for Chicago Fringe Opera’s Sounds of Pride Series; a series of art songs for acclaimed baritone, Ryan de Ryke; and most recently was the Composer/Artist-in-Residence with Windy City Performing Arts. As an actor, recent credits include Miss Lynch in Grease at Drury Lane, and Sister Mary Hubert in Nunsense at Porchlight.
THE DRAMATURG
Caroline Michele Uy (they/them) is a Chicago-based dramaturg, stage manager, and producer. They were most recently the Literary/Dramaturgy apprentice at Goodman Theatre, where they served as the 2023 New Stages Festival line producer. Dramaturgy credits include: The Writer (Steep Theatre), This Happened Once... (Goodman Theatre), and Swing State (Asst. Dramaturg, Goodman Theatre). Stage management work include Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, Die Fledermaus, Cendrillon, and additional credits from the University of Michigan, Trinity Rep/Brown University, Berlin Opera Academy, and New York Stage and Film. BFA Design & Production (Stage Management), BA Cognitive Science (Language & Cognition; Minor in Germanic Languages and Literature) – University of Michigan.
STAGE MANAGER | Theo Wampuszyc (he/they)
MUSIC ASSISTANT | Casey Weisman (he/him)
SOUND ENGINEER & MIXER | Hayley Chisholm (she/they)
KEYBOARD PROGRAMMER | Evan Trotter-Wright (he/him)
KEYS | Nathan Urdangen (he/him)
GUITAR | Michael-Ellen Walden (they/he)
BASS | Willow Bloom (she/her)
DRUMS | Christian Moreno (he/him)
THE CAST
CASTING BY CATHERINE MILLER
Catherine Miller (they/them) is excited to be working with AMTP again, after having worked on casting for 5&DIME and Expect Victory. They also recently cast the workshop for Shimmer for Northwestern. Currently, Catherine casts for About Face Theatre, Raven Theatre and Theatre Wit. They have also cast productions for Jackalope Theatre, BoHo Theatre, Haven Chicago, Red Tape Theatre, and First Floor Theater among many others. Catherine has also worked as a dramaturg for Actors Theatre of Louisville, Paramount Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Diversionary Theatre and About Face Theatre. They were a 2021 3Arts Make A Wave recipient and were recently featured in American Theatre Magazine’s Role Call. Catherine was also on NewCity Magazine’s 2020 + 2019 Players: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago and the Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30 list. Catherine has a BFA in Dramaturgy/Criticism from The Theatre School at DePaul with a minor in Women & Gender Studies.
