Words by Julia Gytri
Music by Avi Amon
It’s opening day at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and for Lucy—a queer, mixed-race teenager from the “Wild West” of America’s expanding territory—the fair represents much more than a few months of work in a faster-paced part of the country. On the run after a desperate act that turned her into a genuine Western outlaw, she sees this moment as her chance to rewrite her past and author her future with her own version of the “American Dream.”
After all, Chicago is promising progress for all and has a lot on the line. Still rebuilding two decades after the Great Fire, it is staking its claim as a global powerhouse by hosting the exposition. Dazzling with groundbreaking innovation and an international PR campaign set into motion by the fair’s president (and prolific American serial killer), Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, scientists, scholars, and industrialists flood the city from far and wide, eager to propel society into a shining new era. But beneath the glittering façade of the White City, Lucy collides with Holmes in his sinister plot to exploit innocent fairgoers for profit and power. Ultimately, she must decide if she can come to terms with the chilling realization that this new age of industrial innovation has the potential to both uplift and destroy humanity at the whims of the rich and powerful
Loosely based on the true story of America’s first recognized serial killer, The White City is a full-length musical featuring an energetic score influenced by nineteenth century romantic music and classic country sounds
Development History (with linked audio and video):
2020: Larson Legacy Concert at Adelphi University. Produced by Cynthia Tong. Cast: Ally Bonino, Belén Moyano, Jon-Michael Reese, Heath Saunders
2019: Jonathan Larson Grant
2018: Residency at Weston Playhouse
2016: Featured at NAMT Songwriter Showcase w/ Jenni Barber and Krysta Rodriguez
2016: Workshop at Yale Institute for Music Theater. Directed by Mark Brokaw. Cast: Jenni Barber, Kate Berman, Robin DeJesus, Alexander Gemignani, Caissie Levy, Jared Joseph, Krysta Rodriguez, Thom Sesma, Bobby Steggert
2015: The White City in Concert with The Chelsea Symphony. Featuring Ashley Park and Jason Gotay
2015: Finalist for the Richard Rogers Award
2014: The White City In Concert @ 54 Below
2014: Workshop at Ball State University New Musicals Festival
2014: Workshop at O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference. Directed by Tim Seib. Cast: Jordan Barbour, Charlie Brady, Eddie Curley, Angel Desai, Mallory Hawks, Caitlin Kinnunen, Kate Loprest, Tommy McDowell, Caesar Samayoa, Scott Wakefield, Nick Wyman
2013: 29-hour reading at NYU's Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.
