From Concept to Stage: Collard & Rosenblatt's New Musical, 'ROSE'

Jul 31

A new queercentric musical by Elspeth Collard and Sam Rosenblatt workshops at NML and takes the stage at the Diamonstein Concert Hall

Queer musical theater writing team, Elspeth Collard and Sam Rosenblatt, returned to the New Musicals Lab, NML, at the Ferguson Center for the Arts for their third consecutive year. Prior to this summer, the pair workshopped Like the Wind (which has since had readings both at the Brick Theater and SoHo Playhouse) and recorded their concept album, Collisions (available for streaming on all services). This year, Collard & Rosenblatt presented an on stage reading of their new musical, ROSE, a project they have been developing since the summer of 2020.

ROSE is set in 1960s San Francisco at the height of the Second Wave Feminist protests. The musical delves into the fractured relationship of two doll-makers, Ellie and Jo, when their creation, Rose, a porcelain doll, comes to life and their lives begin to crack wide open. With story telling by three magical dolls, ROSE weaves a queer, feminist story about sisterly tension, love, and change. When talking about who they intend to reach, Rosenblatt stated, “I think our target audience, as always, is people who don’t see themselves represented on stage. Especially people who are queer and/or identify within the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Inspired by History - Ties to 1870 Coppélia and 1960s San Francisco

The musical is inspired by the 1870 comic ballet Coppélia, choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to music composed by Léo Delibesabout. This ballet follows the young love a boy named Franz has for the vivacious adolescent girl called Coppélia; however, unbeknownst to Franz, Coppélia is a life-sized mechanical doll with no true human soul. Collard and Rosenblatt reimagined their version with a connection to queer culture and identity

In the 1960s, San Francisco was brimming with grassroots activism as women advocated for gender equality and the LGBTQIA+ faced rising homophobia and discrimination. Women of that time were fighting for social and cultural change in an effort to redefine their stereotypical roles in society. Coexisting with this feminist movement was the emergence of early LGBTQIA+ activism and advocacy as queer people were forced to live closeted existences with limited visibility. Most were rightfully fearful of being judged or harassed in and by the public. ROSE ties back to these major cultural movements and portrays a personal story within larger, incredibly impactful movements. The cast and company members appreciate the relevance and resonance of the musical's themes in today's society. Hannah Cecil, a company member who played Thalia in ROSE said, “The feminist values, LGBTQIA+ themes, and the sharing of grief found in ROSE is extremely relevant in society today, and even though it is based in the 60s it truly shares a lot of issues we are still fighting for.” Cecil is in her second year at NML and plans to further pursue a dance education in NYC following graduation.

The Outstanding Cast and Company- A Collaborative Environment

The cast of ROSE includes Renee Kauffman as Rose, Kimberlie Pagán as Jo, and Emily Phelps as Ellie, joined by the singing doll trio of Sara DeLaney Moore (Andromeda), Lizzy Maisel (Pallas), and Hannah Cecil (Thalia). Collard & Rosenblatt said in a joint statement, “We could not be prouder to be workshopping this new musical with such an incredible ensemble of performers! Each actor brings such empathy, intelligence, and articulation to each character, allowing us to view our piece in a new light.” This production will feature music direction by Melody Raef and Collard, with choreography by Maisel, Phelps, Cecil, and Rosenblatt.

When talking to the cast, they all sang Collard and Rosenblatt’s artistic praises as they were each able to connect to ROSE on a personal level. Rose, played by Renee Kauffman, sees the world through “rose colored glasses” as she has ample knowledge of the world, but little tangible experience in it. When talking about her character, Kauffman noted how much she genuinely relates to her, “Just like Rose, I have felt boxed in, objectified, treated as fragile, and as if I am incapable of independently exploring. I empathize and relate to her longing to try new things and the overwhelming fear and self-doubt that accompanies it.” Kauffman has been an NML company member for three years and plans to move to NYC to pursue performance opportunities. Kimberlie Pagán agreed that she could see herself in her character, Jo, “As a bisexual woman, I have first-hand experience with the profound struggles my character faces of not having her voice heard. She is selfless to a fault and has to actively break the people-pleaser mold in order to not risk her life, love, and happiness. I know the feeling of allowing your decision making to be guided by others, which makes me appreciate Jo even more.” It is Pagán’s second year participating in NML and she hopes to find travel performance opportunities following her graduation from CNU.

Company members also noted their appreciation for Collard and Rosenblatt’s intentionality and teaching tactics. “Sam and Elspeth taught us a lot about the symbolism of each character and how their traits connect to each of the dolls. It was captivating to dive into this concept as a cast and see it develop in the songs and scenes as we rehearsed,” Cecil said. She went on to admit her favorite aspect of the workshop was how a “people first” instead of “performer-first” mentality was enforced by Collard and Rosenblatt, “Although we were avidly working to put on the show, we were also granted time for introspection to contemplate and attempt to comprehend and relate to the story and our characters,” she added. Sara DeLaney Moore who played Andromeda in the ensemble added that the creative team fostered collaboration and cultivated a collective dynamic that allowed the cast and creatives to connect on deeper levels.

New Musicals Lab- Their Happy Place

This was Collard and Rosenblatt’s third consecutive year at NML and proved to be equally, if not more phenomenal than the previous years. On Tuesday, July 11th, 2023, the creative team was able to see their new musical come to life on stage at the Diamonstein Concert Hall at the Ferguson Center for the Arts. Friends, family, and supporters of the arts filled the stage to witness the latest creation of the esteemed duo and dear friends of the Ferguson. Audience members all agreed how profoundly impressive and impactful the new musical was. Some noted how they looked forward to what was to come for the creative team and to see ROSE make it to Broadway. An eager patron also noted how impressive the cast was for collaborating so well together within such a short amount of time. Collard and Rosenblatt emphasized their gratitude to the entire NML staff including Bruce Bronstein, Colin Ruffer, Regan Craze, Mckenna Mitchell, their cast, and the entire company. “We’ve been so lucky that the New Musicals Lab has provided us with these opportunities — NML attracts such talented people who care so deeply about their art and have allowed us to make connections and grow as writers! NML is truly our happy place,” they added.

Creative Team- Elspeth Collard and Sam Rosenblatt

Elspeth Collard (she/her) is an award-winning British-born composer. Theatrical works: Like The Wind; ROSE; A Princess Story; Twenty-Six Percent; Miroir; Easier To Die; Don’t Ever Change. Short films: An Intimate Moment; That Little Moment When; Roomies; New Year’s Eve; Nice To Meet You Again. Her work has been featured at cabaret venues including Feinstein’s/54 Below, The Green Room 42, Dixon Place, The Duplex, and Don’t Tell Mama. She is a graduate of NYU (MFA Musical Theatre Writing) and University of Cambridge (BA Music), and a member of Maestra, ASCAP, and the Dramatists Guild. www.elspethcollard.com

Sam Rosenblatt (she/they) is a queer, Jewish-Asian-American theater artist based in New York, who holds a BS from NYU Steinhardt in Educational Theatre and an MFA from NYU Tisch in Musical Theatre Writing. Rosenblatt has written book and lyrics for many musicals including: Like the Wind (SoHo Playhouse), A Princess Story (Marymount Manhattan College), ROSE (New York University), and Twenty-Six Percent (EAT Festival). Albums include: Little Love Notes from Collard & Rosenblatt (2022), Collisions: A Concept Album (2023). She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and Maestra. www.theatricallysam.com