A BILINGUAL MUSICAL
BOOK by Melis Aker and Tatiana Pandiani
MUSIC by Jacinta Clusellas
LYRICS by Jacinta Clusellas, Tatiana Pandiani and Melis Aker
AZUL is a Latin American bilingual musical about artistry and the immigrant experience.
Set in a world of magic realism, Act One is a musical fable prequel. It follows an ambitious young woman, Blue Bird, who leaves her home behind and travels to the New World in hopes of making a living and a life as a poet. In present-day New York City, Act Two is a coming-of-age tale following Blue Bird’s daughter, Rita. A first generation American, Rita is a composer struggling to write an album about a motherland she has never known. When attempting to make her music more authentic, she uncovers a family secret that debunks the stories she heard as a child. She must now reimagine her parents’ past, as well as the future of her own artistry.
AZUL weaves together these two distinct worlds to explore how memory and imagination shape immigrant stories. Driven by a constellation of songs rooted in Latin American folklore, AZUL is a spectacle in the legacy of book musicals, as well as a deep dive into intergenerational stories shaping immigrant identity.
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
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AZUL EP Release Concert at 54 Below featuring Robin de Jesús, Mandy Gonzalez and more (sold ou show - 2023)
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Johnny Mercer Foundation, Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals (2023, East Haddam, CT)
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Shen Family Foundation Grant (2022, New York, NY)
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Reservoir Studios, EP Recording, orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire & Kurt Crowley (2022, New York, NY)
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NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, Recipient. (2022, New York, NY)
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Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, full cast workshop (2022, Connecticut)
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NAMT 33rd Annual Festival of New Musicals - 2021, New York, NY
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National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center - Summer 2020
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Catwalk Institute - 2020 and 2021 Catskill, NY
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Musical Theatre Factory - 2020, New York, NY *postponed due to COVID-19, to be rescheduled
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Dramatist Guild Fellowship - 2019, New York, NY
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Tofte Lake Center Residency - 2019, Ely, MN
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Westben Performer - Composer Artist Residency - 2019, Campbellford, Canada
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Prelude Festival, Elebash Recital Hall (2019, New York, NY)
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Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts Residency - 2018, Saratoga, WY
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BRIC Lab - 2018, Brooklyn, NY
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New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Fellowship Project - 2017, New York, NY
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The Drama League First Draft Residency - 2017, New York, NY
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The Habitat Directors’ Playground Workshop - 2016 - 2017, Brooklyn, NY
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AZUL CONTACT
Anabel Romero - Creative Producer
Ryan Duncan-Ayala - Producing Consultant
Graphics by Azul Santamarina and Maia Chozas