In an Off-Broadway theatre very, very close to Broadway, A Musical About Star Wars opened May 4. The musical comedy follows a show-within-a-show as Star Wars superfans Taylor and Scott, played by co-book writers Taylor Crousore and Scott Richard Foster, respectively, join forces to create a new musical about their longtime infatuation in order to play the stages on the Comic Con circuit. They find themselves in need of a female lead, and, after holding a round of auditions, they meet Emily. A recent AMDA grad鈥攑layed by Emily McNamara鈥擡mily snags the role, but she has an ulterior motive: to shut the show down due to Star Wars鈥� notorious lack of diversity and problematic female tropes in the original films.
Now, the original cast recording, featuring Scott Richard Foster, Taylor Crousore, Emily McNamara, has been , and songwriter Billy Recce breaks down the tracks for 半岛体育!
鈥淥verture/All The Exposition That You Need鈥�
Naturally, we are thrust into the world of A Musical About Star Wars via a title crawl that gives us all the exposition that the audience needs. Basically, Scott and Taylor have decided to put on 鈥渢he greatest Star Wars musical ever鈥� (take that, little-known Charles Strouse Star Wars musical from the 鈥�90s) and have held an open call for the third role (since neither of them want to cover the Leia track). This leaves us with the addition of our third actor, Emily.
The overture, of course, is a send up of the Fox (RIP) fanfare, and because the boys technically 鈥渨rote this show鈥� on their Casio keyboard, we wanted the orchestration to sound as midi as possible. (We also initially toyed with the idea of doing it with a recorder, but felt that could鈥檝e been a little too jarring for the first 30 seconds of a show).
鈥淎 Musical About Star Wars鈥�
What we needed for our opening number was something that was goofy, upbeat, and anthemic. We went through several versions of this number (and the first draft was almost six minutes long, mostly because of a bridge that consisted of all the other nerdy properties that Star Wars was better than鈥�. Firefly, anyone?). What I love about what we ended up with is the blend of a new musical theatre sound with a Star Wars vernacular. The song structure itself is totally in the vein of what these two guys would write for their first musical, because of its musical simplicity, but it is also peppered with plenty of Star Wars references to let the audience know that they鈥檙e in the right show.
Also, a hearty round of applause for Taylor鈥檚 brilliant Czech delivery in the final verse.
鈥淲elcome/The Padme Pas De Bouree鈥�
This next track introduces you to the rules of the show鈥攊ncluding the random cosplaying that happens with the push of a button (blasting the iconic Willhelm scream as a cue for the boys to run off stage and change). We also learn that Emily is here to take down the show through artful protest; not only is she an AMDA graduate, she is an acor-vist! And as she pulls off her Leia buns against my take on the 鈥淚mperial March,鈥� she reveals her plot to prove just how problematic the Star Wars films are.
The underscoring beneath the introductory dialogue was actually the theme music for a game show segment that was cut early in the show鈥檚 run. We liked it so much we decided to keep it for the album.
The 鈥淧adme Pas De Bouree鈥� is the shortest song in the show, but always gets a laugh! People love to be reminded of the awkward age gap between Padme and Anakin in The Phantom Menace.
鈥淎 Lucas Orgy鈥�
In an initial draft, a version of this song was the opening number. We changed that pretty quickly, but came back to this concept when we realized we needed a big, ridiculous finale to the opening sequence. Thus, we get the boys dressed as Ewoks, Emily dressed as Leia (in a hand-knitted bikini) and the surprising revelation that you can find a didgeridoo patch on GarageBand (no, unfortunately, that is not a real didgeridoo during the sacrificial offering sequence).
鈥淭he Rules Song鈥�
In this number, the boys have to convince Emily why she can鈥檛 leave the show. Of course, it all boils down to a loophole in an Equity contract.
From there, the boys teach us about parody law fair use and all the reasons why you鈥檙e allowed to listen to this album on Spotify, iTunes, and Tidal (after purchasing it first, I hope!)
鈥淭he X-Wing Effect鈥�
This was one of the first songs that I wrote on spec for the show. (The other is a cut song that maybe you鈥檒l get to hear one day as a web extra or at a 54 Below concert.) In it, the boys convince Emily that everything good that has happened since 1977 is because of Star Wars. Yes. Everything.
Initially, the first draft of this song just sort of rattled off random great things (Snap Bracelets! Compilations of bloopers from Local News!), but eventually, we decided that we had to actually give Star Wars鈥揵ased reasons for the great things that have happened, regardless of how ridiculous they were. That brings me to one of my favorite lyrics in the show:
鈥淚t was Pierce Brosnan鈥檚 choice to study Chewy鈥檚 voice, and thus gave the world Mamma Mia 2.鈥� If that doesn鈥檛 get me an angry tweet from Mr. Brosnan one day, I don鈥檛 know what will!
Specially added back in for the album is a verse that was cut in previews; that which we like to call 鈥淭he Bin Laden verse.鈥� It鈥檚 utterly ridiculous, but a welcome addition on the album, I think.
鈥淏ackstory Song鈥�
This is my personal favorite song in the show. (You can catch a video of the cast singing it with an eight-piece band at my last concert here.) One of the most fun parts for me in writing the score was the concept that these boys were so engrained in pop culture and nostalgia that every song they 鈥渨rote鈥� for the evening would be written as an homage to a certain genre or song. This song is a send up of tragic story songs of the 鈥�70s, particularly Cat Stevens鈥� 鈥淐at鈥檚 in the Cradle.鈥�
Also, I think Emily McNamarra shouting 鈥渃ircumcision鈥� is my favorite thing ever. I鈥檓 so thrilled that it is preserved on this album.
鈥淎苍补办颈苍鈥�
This song, with additional lyrics by Scott Richard Foster, brings down the house every night. The boys decide to explain the prequels to Emily in a language that she鈥檒l understand鈥攎usical theatre鈥攁nd thus presents this mini-musical that I can only hope would make Lin-Manuel proud.
Some mini-songs that were cut throughout the process was Padme and Sabe singing 鈥淭he Padme Decoys鈥� (a send up of 鈥淭he Schuyler Sisters鈥�), and Palpatine singing 鈥淭he Sith Is Where It Happens.鈥� I mean, c鈥檓on鈥攚hat more could one want in a Star Wars musical than Palpatine rapping?
鈥淢ore to the Story鈥�
This song is all about the wonders of the EU鈥攖he Expanded Universe鈥攖hat began with the 1977 Kenner action figures and has resulted in movies, TV shows, books, comics and, of course, the holiday special (yep, it鈥檚 canon, and yep, its writer, Bruce Villanch, gets a shoutout here).
This one is, of course, written in the style of Billy Joel鈥檚 鈥淲e Didn鈥檛 Start the Fire,鈥� and there鈥檚 so much information in it that even I had to do some extra research (most of which happened during a notably boring core curriculum class in my last semester at Fordham. Thank God for laptops in class!). It鈥檚 a beast of a song, and I鈥檓 still impressed when the boys get to the double speed ending every night.
鈥淲e Got Leia!鈥�
Finally, Scott and Taylor get to the new movies and in realizing that Leia was the only original character to stick around and fight for what鈥檚 right, Emily triumphantly joins in the song and decrees that Leia, much like her, was an actor-vist!
This one is a sendup of my favorite feminist theme song鈥斺淢aude鈥濃攚hich, of course, the boys know because of Bea Arthur鈥檚 role in the Star Wars Holiday Special! Three cheers for the Expanded Universe! I鈥檓 so obsessed with Emily鈥檚 riff at the end of the song; it is here where she fully earns her gay icon status.
This would also be a good moment to shout out our show鈥檚 production designer, Brendan McCann, whose favorite lyric is this song鈥檚 鈥淎nd Frances McDormand don鈥檛 need no Botox.鈥� You鈥檙e welcome, Brendan!
Because the Star Wars Universe is always changing, we are also always changing the show itself! This song鈥檚 lyrics are going to have to change once The Rise of Skywalker is released, depending on what surprises it鈥檚 plot has in store. So you鈥檒l just have to come to the show to hear how we get Episode 9 into the number!
鈥淏e The Change That You Wish To See In The Galaxy鈥�
And now, an 11 o鈥檆lock number! This one is a sendup of 鈥淲e Are the World,鈥� and every other anthem for peace from the 鈥�60s鈥撯�80s (a lot of which get shoutouts, if you can spot them!) And in 鈥淲e Are the World鈥� fashion, the final chorus erupts with 40 singers. Yes, this is a cast of three, so it鈥檚 mostly just overdubbing, but still.
There are too many great moments from the cast on this track to name, so you鈥檒l just have to listen for yourself (and maybe whisper a 鈥測eah鈥� to yourself after the song ends, just like Emily.)
What you are missing on this track is the audience sing-a -long section, led by a hilarious bouncing ball that has been everything from Poe to a Porg. In an audience鈥檚 absence, feel free to sing a long to this at home, on the subway, in the office, or wherever you happen to be listening! And then when people stare at you and ask what鈥檚 wrong with you, be sure to tell them you鈥檙e listening to A MUSICAL ABOUT STAR WARS: available on all music streaming platforms!
鈥淎 Finale About Star Wars鈥�
And now, our triumphant finale! This song is a mega mix (eat your heart out, Dream Coat) of some of the hits from the prior 85 minutes鈥攚ith a dance break thrown in. Feel free to do the Storm Trooper, the Ton-Ton, and the Pig Nose at home. This number also brings us the awakening of Guil, Scott, and Taylor鈥檚 homemade robot that sits motionless on the side of the stage all night long. Naturally, he is a concert bass, and naturally, his voice is based on that of a wonderful usher of the same name at NEWSical. Long may he reign!
