Award-winning composer and lyricist Lewis Flinn spoke about his upcoming show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City.
Laurie Beechman Theatre concert
At the Laurie Beechman Theatre, he will be joined by Julie Benko and Susanna Phillips as his special musical guests for this one-night-only concert.
“I’ll be performing several original versions of songs (from my band “Acoustic Blue”- I was lead singer and songwriter and we performed in NYC 1992 to 1996) that have ended up in my musical Lysistrata Jones and recorded by artists like Jennifer Holliday,” Flinn said.
“Also, I’ll be debuting new material from my upcoming musicals “Hood” and “To Wong Foo”(based on the film “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar”),” he added.
On sharing the stage with Julie and Susanna, he expressed, “It is humbling that such vocal powerhouses would sing my songs! More importantly, they are wonderful people and so great to work with.”
Future projects
Regarding his future projects, he shared, “Hood with the book by Douglas Carter Beane, is headed to Broadway hopefully next season — it has had successful out of town runs at the the Dallas Theater Center and Asolo Stage in Sarasota.”
“To Wong Foo — based on the film by Doug- also has pre-Broadway productions planned for next year. I have a wonderful three-person musical, Like Love, that is slated for production this Fall. So glad things are getting busy,” he added.
Daily motivations
On his daily inspirations as a composer and lyricist, he remarked, In these political times, I think it is important for all artists to ‘meet the moment’ and create material that pushes back and holds a light to what is going on in our country.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “Well, I’m not great at it but I guess it is nice to be able to ‘self produce’ and put songs out in the internet for posterity, but it is very hard to earn anything.”
“I’m not much of a self-promoter, but it is much easier to ‘get the work out’ with social media now,” he noted.
“When I had my band, we would send out postcards for each show- peeling mailing labels and licking stamps- and leave messages for people on answering machines to get them to come to shows,” he elaborated.
Advice for young and emerging composers, playwrights, and lyricists
For young and aspiring composers, playwrights, and lyricists, he said, “As hard as it is, try to stay true to your original voice. Don’t try to replicate another style just because it is popular or from a successful show.”
“You still must remember there is an audience, but balance that with your own point of view. I worked with a producer who had a sign in his office that said ‘why now?’ and I think that is important when choosing what to write,” he added.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, Flinn revealed, “I guess after being in the business for 30 years, success simply means working on something- whether writing it, or in rehearsal, or seeing a production.”
“There is a lot of time not doing those things for writers, so when it happens, it feels successful,” he added.
Closing thoughts on his forthcoming show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre
For fans and viewers, he stated, “The show will debut songs I wrote 30 years ago and had forgotten about- literally packed away in storage boxes as well as newer material that is my attempt to meet the moment.”
“Hopefully, if you come to the show, you’ll hear songs with nice melodies and provoking lyrics that might make you feel empowered and reflect on this historical moment,” he concluded.
To learn more about Lewis Flinn, check out his official website.
For more information on Lewis Flinn’ Laurie Beechman Theatre show, click here.
