NYC's composer-lyricist fashioning Gothic thrillers, queer poperettas, and high-octane rock into exhilarating new musicals
October 27, 2024
New York, NY (November 5, 2024) – On November 7, 2024, Ryan Scott Oliver’s new musical folk horror, Tomorrow, the Island Dies will be presented in a reading presentation for an invited audience.
Drama Desk-nominee Zi Alikhan directs a cast featuring Alisa Melendez as Widow Clack, Philippe Arroyo as Benji, Liam Pearce as Jacob, Julia Murney as Ms. Kelly, Kim Onah as Nadine, Ethan Carlson as Ephraim, and Caitlin Doak as Kathryn, with Ryan Bronston, Bryanna Cuthill, Nicole DeLuca, Miranda Luze, Jackon Mizell, Jordan A. White rounding out the cast. Joshua Zecher-Ross music directs a five-piece band.
The musical tells the story of “Widow Clack, 18 and pregnant, who lives an exiled life running a lighthouse with her brother on a storm-crushed island set to be uninhabited in two days. When a young man is found dead on the beach, the remaining collection of young adults (left to make final preparations for the abandonment) combust into dangerous accusations leading to devastating division and ultimately, death. When a final, unexpected storm impacts the island, can Widow save the villagers from themselves?”
This follows RSO releasing the complete studio cast album on October 22 on all streaming services.
The track list is as follows:
The reading is produced by American Music Theatre Project (Alexander Gemignani, artistic director), Very Intense Productions, and AT New Works, and is a commission from Samford University. Recently it won the SDSU New Musical Theatre Initiative two-year residency and is an official selection of the American Music Theatre Project’s 2024-2025.
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.
June 18, 2024
RSO and husband Matt Murphy celebrated collaborator Lindsay Mendez’s Tony nom. Photo by Andy Henderson.
June 11, 2024
On June 10 at Classic Stage Company, RSO and frequent collaborator Kirsten Guenther wrote a musical short, Alexa, Delete Our Relationship starring Natalie Walker, Leigh Ann Larkin, Julia Nightingale, and Jonathan Judge-Russo, directed by Kareem Fahmy.
The marathon process for The 24 Hour Musicals begins the night before the performance, when writers, composers, directors, choreographers, actors, musicians and production staff gather for a short orientation. Four writer and composer teams craft short musicals overnight (while actors and directors get some rest) and the next morning — after a furious printing and copying process — actors receive their scripts. Together with directors, choreographers and a live band, they begin rehearsal. Later that night, four brand new musicals take the stage in a one-night-only production!
June 5, 2024
RSO’s newest musical, Tomorrow, the Island dies was presented in a developmental production at Samford University (which also commissioned the show) in Alabama. Check out photos from the production below!
