COLLABORATION INFORMATION
THE BIG PICTURE
Waiting… BLOG (2013)
MY THOUGHTS
– In the 2013 show: GG's stakes really didn't exist.
– In the 2024 rewrite - Are GG's stakes high enough?
– The very first version of this show at the Boulder School of Fine Arts/Pine Street Church was titled Waiting... Not a great title in my book because it's very stagnant. So I came up with the new name The Velocity of Arrows. It had a nice ring to it and I felt it had energy - it also could describe that "everyone's life happens at different speeds and different journeys when trying to hit the proverbial bullseye in life." I am open to another title should we find one that fits better.
– Oh, the show got into the 2018 NYC Fringe Festival but wasn't produced/performed because it cost too much to produce in NYC- and I didn't live here at the time. That's when I changed the title to Arrows.
– Reworking this show would be a true collaboration where you'd get to put your creative style/stamp on the show.
VERSION 2013 (Waiting...)
Below are some initial thoughts I shared with the NYTF director so he'd get a gist of where I was coming from with the 2013 version.
Right off the bat, I’ll share my own thoughts of the current state of the 2013 show - warts and all.
The 2013 version of the show is NOT a version I want to present to a NYC audience. Frankly, I would be embarrassed. I wrote this show in 2013 and it’s full of tropes, a weak plot, and moments that make me roll my eyes as a writer. I can do better, and these characters and their stories deserve better. That's why I rewrote the script last December.
But I feel there is definitely something there, that with the right revision and expansion, this show can really bloom to tell a timely story.
When I wrote TVoA in 2013 (previously titled Waiting...), I just wrote an ending to finish quickly because I had to get it completed for the 2013 Boulder Fringe Festival. SO WEAK! Haha I’ve included the video of a performance from BIFF. I like the staging of the opening number and Beautiful Crime. That’s the kind of staging I’m thinking of…
Staging ideas: minimal. Use of chairs and stools.
Songs I like:
Parts of History of Me
Beautiful
Magic Kingdom
Sponge
Still
Deep
Beautiful Crime
Parts of In Time
All others .. meh
Also, I like a romantic interest for GG, but I cringe about writing Marcus as older. And I hate the bar location element. Again, I feel I can do better.
I do like Prof and his mental health issues and how it affects GG and Grace. I think GG feels guilt and the need to take care of a parent - which a kid shouldn’t need to in that emotional capacity.
And since GG is searching for his heritage and history, I’m thinking about writing a meeting with his birth mother into the show. This could be a really rich element dramatically for all characters and the story arc.
I also want to bring on a Latinx book co writer so it’s not just a white guy writing what he THINKS is GG’s experience.
The way I look at this, the current show version got my foot in the door to NYTF. Now comes the real (and fun) work to make this a stellar and timely production. Time has revealed my many blindspots as a writer and composer. I know I have it in me to raise the bar for this show. I'm excited to write new scenes and new songs that fit the story better.
Here are links to all of the Waiting.../Arrows materials.
mp3s: https://soundcloud.com/waiting-a-new-musical (from 2013 Boulder Fringe)
All other materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Nw_Nqrehn48WJEI0G9Su_MYOMgdun0vi?usp=drive_link
Note: In the 2013 version - The final number "IN TIME" is not in the script for some reason. You'll hear where it begins.
Here's:
December 2024 script version of the show.
Book, Music & Lyrics by D. Michael O’Dell
✅ Finalist: The American Harmony Prize; The Chicago Plays and Musicals Festival
✅ Official Selection: Boulder Fringe & NY Fringe
✅ Official Selection: New York Theatre Festival & NY FRINGE (both unproduced)
ABOUT THE SHOW:
G.G. Geralding is bored… again. So the blank walls and billboards of Los Angeles better watch out because because GG’s got dreams of being the next graffiti legend (move over, Banksy). But here’s the real question: why is he the only one who believes it? Ahead of his time? Young and dumb? Or… just desperately trying to leave his mark before he fades into obscurity? But don’t ask his family or friends—they’d probably just roll their eyes.and say GG will get it out of his system at the end of his gap year. Or will he? Speaking of the “system,” GG’s on probation for destruction of property (graffiti). He’s caught between doing what he thinks he should and finding his voice—spray paint or silence?
Set in Los Angeles, The Velocity of Arrows follows five characters over one transformative week, centering around GG, a 19-year-old Latino navigating his gap year and searching for his Hispanic identity after being raised by adopted Caucasian parents. As GG explores his roots, he finds solace in the controversial world of graffiti art, using it as a powerful means of self-expression. Alongside GG's journey, the musical delves into the struggles of his loved ones, including his parents and friends Izzy and Marcus, as they grapple with their own identities and relationships. Through vibrant music and authentic storytelling, "The Velocity of Arrows" examines the complexities of family, love, cultural heritage, and finding one's voice.
More of my other stuff to choose from:
Here's a fun song I wrote for BMI and performed at my GR42 concert this past Spring. I also sent it to Hollywood writer Pamela Ribon (she wrote the script to My Year of Dicks - the Oscar nominated animated film I musicalized) and she LOVED it. "My Summer of Yes" @ Green Room 42. Also, on that same page is a song my BMI collaborator and I wrote for our Miss Congeniality musical.
Below is a link to a Google Drive folder that presents the variety of my work (pop, rock, musical theatre, jazz, R&B). I feel my composing strengths are creating music with a desired/specific vibe/groove and thinking orchestrally to help create the mood of scenes / songs. A lot of things are included - just pick and choose what might appeal to you.
Here's WƎIЯD, the 2021 pandemic music I wrote. We totally filmed it on Zoom with the cast in different parts of the USA! Official Boulder Fringe Festival virtual participant.
My June 2022 BerkleeNYC final thesis musical The Intersection of Transient Souls (a musical inspired by my eight years as a Uber / Lyft driver - a 20 minute sample - that's all there was time for) - starts at 36:50. And as I further develop the show, here's a one day dance workshop my collaborator Josh Walden had last year to explore the movement of the show - it helps in writing the characters and music. Last summer we had the opportunity to attend Drama Club Writers Retreat to plan out and write/try new scenes and characters.
Here's my silly 10-minute musical Maxton Fink, Extraordinaire.I wrote and recorded it in 3 days. Just wanted to see if I could do it. :-)
Lots of stuff, I know.... Thanks for checking it out!
Michael (he / him / his)
PS Apologies this webpage isn’t better organized.