Audiences are in for a whole new, entirely original and locally produced theatrical experience with the premiere of local actor, director and playwright Maureen O’Neill’s pop rock musical The (Unbelievably True) Story of Nicky O, being workshopped July 8, 9 and 10 at 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa.
The musical biopic of a young musician who passed away in a devastating tragedy “will bring both laughter and tears,” says writer/director O’Neill.
6th Street Playhouse, under the artistic direction of Emily Cornelius, is quickly becoming the theater space for local playwrights and performers to experiment and workshop their own projects, and to be able to share them with the public through a monthly reading series and now, a full fledged musical workshop in the GK Hardt Theatre space. For the first time, the public can support a nearly finished work on its way, and see the origins of how this project came together.
Anyone with a keen interest in the artist’s process will no doubt be intrigued by what O’Neill and her company have in store. The show features music and lyrics by Nicky O’Neill and friends, book and stage direction by Maureen O’Neill, music direction by Jake Druzgala, vocal direction by Bill O’Neill, assistant vocal direction by Z Hansen and band direction by John Mayer.
The (Unbelievably True) Story of Nicky O is based on the true story of O’Neill’s brother-in-law, Nicky O’Neill, a talented singer songwriter who, at 18 years old, became the youngest victim of the 2003 Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island, which killed 100 concertgoers. According to O’Neill, thematically, “the story is about all the mysterious signs and symbols that the family experienced after the fire. It’s about family and hope and healing.”
O’Neill was inspired by the real life album her brother-in-law made with his teenage friends, and her idea for a musical about “young characters with substance” grew from there. “The musical really all started with the album that Nicky’s band released 25 years ago… I wrote my first draft in three months… That first draft was horrible. I came up with new ideas, and I wrote like crazy for six months. Rinse and repeat for three years. Every version was a huge leap forward,” she notes.
Honoring the memories of her brother-in-law and his family felt crucial to O’Neill. “All of the characters are inspired by real people,” she says. “I think real life is always more quirky and strange than fiction, so I stole all of those little moments that will really make people feel like they are plop in the middle of a family.”
The workshop format is alive with the energy of creating and exploring. Workshops are a gift for the artist to have the support, input and enthusiasm of their community as they take a leap of faith. To put one’s own work on display requires much courage, because once a project hits the public, it is exposed to all manner of responses.
O’Neill is grateful to 6th Street Playhouse for supporting her journey to bring an original musical to the stage. She says, “I feel like I have a real partner in 6th Street Playhouse. I’ve performed at 6th Street; I’ve attended shows, so being a part of that family as a playwright and director really makes me feel supported and encouraged. I can’t tell you what that means to me.”
‘The (Unbelievably True) Story of Nicky O’ runs July 8–10 in the GK Hardt Theatre at 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Weds–Fri, 7pm. $27. 707.523.4185. 6thstreetplayhouse.com.
