Target reached!
We will work on a complete cast recording, including arranging, producing and record...
We will work on a complete cast recording, including arranging, producing and record...
We're putting together an industry showcase of our new musical "Chasing Icarus" to attract producers and we need your help to make it happen
Dear Friends,
Carlo and Matt here! We are excited to tell you we are staging a presentation of our first musical "Chasing Icarus". And we need your help to make it happen.
Many of you know us as musicians and performers. But we’ve also been writing together for quite some time.
“Chasing Icarus” is the project that originally brought us together. Finally, 12 years and countless drafts later we have an exciting cast, an amazing director and an opportunity to showcase the work in a West End theatre in front of producers, to convince them to take our show on.
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THE SHOW
"Chasing Icarus" is a musical about the first singing superstars: castrati.
A little historical context...
1700. Rome. For the last hundred years, as per the Pope’s decree, women have not been allowed to sing in public. Still, audiences crave beautiful soprano voices. This leads to the dark underground practice of castrating young boys to preserve their gifts and create super singers: castrati, existing entirely to glorify music.
Castrati were considered to be a third gender and they were adored by both women and men.
"Chasing Icarus" puts trans and non-binary voices front and centre, allowing the community to reclaim this chapter of queer history and showing us that gender has been a very fluid concept throughout the ages.
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THE STORY
Nero, a peasant boy with a beautiful voice. Violante, a noble "girl" obsessed with opera who's actually trans/non binary. They grow up together, best friends and soulmates, until Nero is sold off to a Conservatorio and castrated. Years later, the search for the next opera star is announced. Nero is fresh out of college and cheats and steals his way to an audition; Violante disguises themselves as a castrato to chase their singing dreams... and the two are pitted against each other for the role of a lifetime.
Through the story of our two lead characters we explore trauma through queer bodies: what happens when you alter yourself to accommodate the world's expectations VS when you go on a journey to find your authentic voice.
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THE MUSIC
Chasing Icarus is baroque meets electronica. Imagine Imogen Heap and Bjork jamming on harpsichords and synth simultaneously!
We blend period-appropriate music and ultra-contemporary sounds to highlight the topicality of our themes, as well as offering something that hasn’t yet been heard in musical theatre. We are including loop machines and beat-boxing over violins in a cutting-edge electronic soundscape.
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THE CREATIVES
Carlo Bosticco, writer (additional lyrics "Travels with my Aunt" by George Styles and Anthony Drewe, lyricist for AppMINK kids Youtube, lyricist for pop star Ari Anna)
Matt Randall, writer (keyboards Wicked, UK tour and West End; Avenue Q, UK tour; Annie, UK tour)
Charlotte Peters, director (Associate Director on the award-winning productions of the National Theatre's War Horse, Associate Director on J.B Priestley's An Inspector Calls, UK and US tours and West End)
Forbes Anderson, electronic music producer (Collaborated with Ewan J Phillips, NIKKITA, Lance, Temporal Comet, Amber Run, Maria Bilicel & Tonga Atalay Un, Abbey Road Studio Two)
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THE FUNDING
This project has the potential to make a big difference to so many people. And we thank you for being a part of it.
There are a couple ways you can get involved. We are offering special rewards which you can see on this page or you can just click donate if you’re feeling generous.
Thank you so much for reading and for being on this journey with us!
Carlo and Matt
This project successfully funded on 23rd April 2023