TOMORROW, THE ISLAND DIES Comes to 54 Below for One-Night-Only Concert

October 5, 2026

RSO’s award-winning folk-horror musical will receive two concert performances October 26, featuring two casts and a six-piece chamber orchestra.

Tomorrow, the Island Dies, the award-winning new musical by RSO, will come to  ⁠54 Below for two concert performances on October 26, 2026, at 7:00 and 9:30 PM. Very Intense Productions, Actor Therapy New Works, and AT Musicals in Concert present the one-night-only event.

Set on the storm-ravaged island of Haverness in a not-so-distant future, the folk-horror musical follows 18-year-old Widow Clack, pregnant and living in exile at a lighthouse, as the island prepares for its final evacuation. When a young man is found dead on the beach, the remaining youth descend into paranoia, betrayal, and violence. Described as “Once meets Sweeney Todd,” the musical blends gothic folk tradition with a contemporary story of climate catastrophe, fractured communities, and the storms we create ourselves.  

The 7:00 PM cast features Oliver Callahan, Randall Scott Carpenter, James Cunha, Emily Foley, Kamryn Koerner, Emma Kops, Amy Laviolette (Funny Girl, Spamalot national tour), Kaléa Leverette (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Sasha Lippis, Brielle Mae, Julie McConnell, Emma Mineo, Matthew Moròn, Andrew Oppmann, Nathan David Smith (Beetlejuice and Come From Away national tours), Allison Spann, and Nick Xitco.  

The 9:30 PM cast features Oliver Callahan, James Cunha, Elena Reyes Farías, Hannah E. Feldstein, Alexander Fernandez, MJ Hughes, Andy Kear, Hannah MacDonald (Flashdance national/international tour), Lizzie J. Maguire, Jane Margolis, Julie McConnell, Emily Mesa (How the Grinch Stole Christmas national tour), Jack B. Murphy, Tommy Page, Adrian Rivera, Allison Spann, and Rebecca Alice Steiner.  

RSO and Mat Armada direct, with music direction by Joshua Zecher-Ross and a six-piece chamber orchestra.  

To purchase tickets, visit 54Below.com.

Photo Flash: TOMORROW, THE ISLAND DIES storms up SDSU in a thrilling college production

June 3, 2026

San Diego State University is finishing its season with the world premiere of Ryan Scott Oliver’s new musical, Tomorrow, the Island Dies. The work performs at the California institution May 1-6, with Stephen Brotebeck at the helm.

CHECK OUT THE PLAYBILL ARTICLE HERE

The dystopian, original story is set on an island off the coast of Maine facing imminent destruction in the face of the climate crisis. A mysterious death leads to finger pointing between those still left alive.

“I’m interested in the ways people respond to crisis—how they seek order, how they define virtue, and how quickly certainty can become destabilizing,” says Oliver in a statement. “The piece asks what happens when our desire for clarity overtakes our capacity for compassion.”

The work has been developed in the last two years via SDSU’s New Musical Initiative. Press notes describe the score as drawing on influences “ranging from Sweeney Todd to Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes.”

Cast and creatives for the production included:

Widow Clack, the lighthouse keeper: Rebecca Murillo
Benji Clack, her brother: Ian Bartlett
Kathryn, the government: Savannah Comer
Jacob, the law: Nole Jones
Ephraim, the church: Jansen Espares
Wyatt, sanitation: Quetzal Alcaraz
Mckenzy, sanitation: Katie Emily
Shauna, the shop: Ajay Junious
Shelly, the shop: Janeth Shayo
Porter, the docks: Anthony Methvin
Nadine, the hospital: Ashley Roche
Bree, the school: Isabel Wirz
Ms. Kelly, the outcast: Courtney Corey
Ensemble: Kassidy King, Mackayla Olivas, Avery Henkenius, Jordan Davenport, Bobby Bednar, Shane Mullinix, David Lamb (swings: Callen Kraus, Valentina D’auria)

Scenic Design: Lauren Richards
Costume Design: Kelan Yang
Lighting Design: Mary Ashley Fulton
Sound Design: Paul Peterson
Dramaturgs: David Limon, Nitalia Wilson
Production Stage Manager: Aden Carlson
Asst. director: Brett Puppilo

RSO & Lindsay Mendez receive 2026 Muse Award

January 29, 2026

On May 4, 2026, Prospect Musicals held its 2026 Gala to honor extraordinary members of the theater community through the fourth annual Muse Awards:

  • Tony Award-winning theatrical producer Ken Davenport;
  • Tony Award-winning actor and theatrical producer LaChanze;
  • Tony Award-winning actor Lindsay Mendez and Kleban Prize-winning writer Ryan Scott Oliver, co-founders of Actor Therapy;
  • and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated theatrical producer Jose Antonio Vargas.

“The Prospect Muse Award exists to honor leaders who inspire Prospect’s artists through their positive and profound contributions within the theater community and the world at large. This year’s honorees have advocated for inclusive communities, encouraged diverse and nuanced storytelling, and developed and mentored the next generation of theater-makers.”

See below for assorted photos from the event.

Double “Dies”: TOMORROW, THE ISLAND DIES selected for SDSU and Northwestern AMTP residencies

July 15, 2024

RSO’s latest musical Tomorrow, the Island Dies has been named the winner for two theatre development residencies.

At San Diego State University, Tomorrow will receive a reading early this fall, followed by a workshop in spring 2025, and will culminate in a fully-realized production on the Mainstage in spring 2026. Read more about SDSU’s program here.

Northwestern’s American Musical Theatre Project (AMTP) will also develop Tomorrow this spring with a full NYC creative team. Check out AMTP’s program here as well as its previous productions.

An original concept recording is available on Spotify, Apple Music and wherever you stream music. A second recording completing the score will be available later this year.