Coeurage Theater Company announced they’re bringing back their hit musical The Trouble With Words – bigger,better and brighter – but they need your help. Read through to see where the money’s going and how you can take part.
Find a discount code at the bottom to a cool How-To Kickstarter Video Workshop.
CMJ: Why are you bringing TTWW back?
Jeremy Lelliot, Artistic Director of Coeurage:
We feel like we haven’t really done the show yet, not the way it deserves to be done. It’s hard to conceive, since the workshop production was such a runaway success for us, but this is the world premiere as far as we’re concerned. So much is new: new songs, new set, new creative team, major revisions to the script and score… this is the fully realized version that we’re ready to share with Los Angeles.
Greg Nabours, Composer/Lyricist TTWW:
The original production of The Trouble With Words was actually a workshop production. Songs were still being written up until (and into) the week before we opened. We managed to cram six actors and six musicians onto a stage no larger than most people’s kitchen, and we did what we could with a piggy bank budget. Somehow, we ended up attracting all the right attention and winning multiple awards, but it was always meant to be a workshop. This production is the real thing. All of the weaker elements from the first production have been cut or reimagined, and the new material that is taking its place really launches the show into new territory. On top of better material, we are adding a choreographer, a set designer, a costume designer, a sound designer, a live mixer, and a publicist. We don’t consider this as “bringing TTWW back.” We actually think of this as the world premiere of a new musical!
CMJ: What will the Kickstarter funds benefit and why is that important to the production?
Jeremy:
The Kickstarter funds represent about half of our budget, so we’re doubling our resources for designers and production values. We have a lot of top notch folks working on this one that we wouldn’t have been able to afford on our own.
Greg:The Kickstarter campaign is essentially our backbone right now. We pulled in the best talent we could find, and that kind of knowledge and skill doesn’t come cheap. We want to see how far we can get with this show, but we can’t do it alone. We believe that a successful Kickstarter campaign will actually allow this show a pathway to New York and beyond.
CMJ: What are your coolest perks?
Jeremy:
For 30.00 you get an autographed cd, digital download, Coeurage tote bag, and TTWW pin. That’s more like a good deal on a purchase than a reward for a donation. For 10,000.00 we’ll do a live reenactment of Indecent Proposal starring Greg as Demi Moore. Plus you get every other incentive we’re offering.
Greg:
Clearly, the coolest perk is the $1,000 mark. At that point, on top of getting all the merch that we have to offer and drinks with the cast, you also get a personalized song written by me (and a live performance of said song). I’ve been paid more from people who were looking for the perfect proposal or an anniversary gift, so I actually think a grand for a song (and I can write a great song in any genre of music) is a fair trade. Our show did win LA’s highest theatre award (the Ovation) for best original music and lyrics, after all.
Clearly the WORST perk (not that you asked) is the $10,000 mark. At that point, our company has agreed to do a live reenactment of the film Indecent Proposal, with myself as the female lead. I don’t actually remember agreeing to this, but I will follow through with it if someone actually pays that amount.
CMJ: What was your favorite audience reaction during the first production?
Jeremy:
Nicki, our general manager, came to almost every performance and bawled. A lot of the time it was tears of pride and joy for Greg. She was genuinely concerned about being a distraction (she never was). She often hid herself in the back row.
Greg:
This is a hard one, as many stories come to mind. As the run progressed, we started seeing more and more industry professionals in the audience. After one particular performance, Jason Alexander walked up onstage after the show and asked if he could take me out to lunch. After another performance, a Disney representative took my info for future projects.
BUT my favorite was during a song near the end of the show, Raincloud. Apparently an audience member connected a little too much with the song. He started crying early in the song, and he gradually reached hysterics by the end. In a tiny theater, this is very difficult to ignore. Eventually his sobs were louder than the actors and the band, and other audience members were having a hard time not laughing at the situation. I took it as a compliment…though I do wish he had waited ’til after the show to give it.
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Ovation Award WinningThe Trouble With Words by Gregory NaboursMarch 1st – March 31stA song cycle that explores the relationships people have with words and how language affects our everyday life.Click here to donate through our Kickstarter campaign!BUY TICKETS HERE!www.thetroublewithwords.comTwitter: TTWWmusicalFacebook: The Trouble With WordsTwitter: CoeurageFacebook: Coeurage Theatre Company———DISCOUNT!
Crowdfunding Secrets to Success
Demo Video Lab
Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (PST)
Use code CINDY20 for 20% off – expires on Monday, Feb 4th!
Santa Monica, CA
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