Calliope Stage is finding itself in New York City this winter.
In June of 2021, calliope stage hosted playwright Michael Aguirre in North carolina. the goal was to develop his new script - Ride an old paint - which explored the story of aguirre’s grandfather through folk songs found in carl sandburg’s american songbag.
Over the course of that week, we worked with local artists and musicians, reading, testing, discussing, recording, and responding to this early draft. Later that summer, a section of the script was performed at Calliope’s inaugural production of Calliope Shorts: Firsts.
Fast forward to Fall 2022, Calliope again gathered a small group of WNC artists to engage in a three-day workshop of Aguirre’s newest draft. Because the script was now being considered for a New York production, the goal this time was to help Aguirre and director Sarah Norris prepare for an upcoming NYC reading.
InJanuary and February of 2024, Aguirre’s script - now titled The Greatest Hits Down Route 66 - will premiere in NYC at Off-Broadway venue 59E59 Theatres with direction by Sarah Norris. And Calliope Stage is in town for the action! The script found its final footing presented as a family road trip exploring America’s history and that of their family’s. This final version features musical arrangements by Grace Yukich & Jennifer C. Dauphinais and actors Joél Acosta, Kristoffer Cusick, Kleo Mitrokostas, Martin Ortiz, and Erika Rolfsrud.
Calliope is so proud and honored to have been along for this ride with Aguirre and his beautiful script as it road-tripped from the mountains of Western North Carolina to the big city Off-Broadway stages of New York. If you find yourself migrating north this winter, please make a pitstop at 59E59 to check it out.
workshops for The Greatest Hits Down Route 66 included the following Calliope artists:
The di Silva Family
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Kyra Cohen
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Colin Wasmund
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Brad Reisinger
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Susan Pepper
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Zay Jarrett
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Ike Webster
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Lori Sanders
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Ashlee Wasmund
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Adrian Beck
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Calliope Stage Board of Directors
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Maggie Ashley
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The di Silva Family | Kyra Cohen I Colin Wasmund I Brad Reisinger I Susan Pepper I Zay Jarrett I Ike Webster I Lori Sanders I Ashlee Wasmund I Adrian Beck I Calliope Stage Board of Directors I Maggie Ashley I
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
It’s the summer of ‘99. The Franco family is taking the Great American Road Trip and getting to know each other along that legendary highway, whether they like it or not.
Accompanied by live music drawn from Carl Sandburg’s American Songbag, an eclectic 1920s anthology of American folk songs, the parents are challenged at every turn by their unpredictable children and soon find themselves detouring into their own childhood memories. History lessons are peppered in as the family careens around America’s iconic landmarks and cultural relics, framed by the familiar music of a bygone era.
One part family comedy, one part musical odyssey, The Greatest Hits Down Route 66 navigates the wide open spaces in our personal and collective histories and the spaces that exist between people — even those we think we know best.
