folktail
a twenty-minute folk musical written by sravya saraswatula and benjamin walton. originally written for nyu’s graduate musical theatre writing program, folktail tells the story of ahalya, a pati-vrata snake wife and her husband sad owl boy, who spends most of his time peeping at the local birdbath. they are both wading through their unhappy relationship until bougudugada, the dingo witch, falls in love with ahayla and decides to disguise herself as sad owl boy to cause some trouble. a story that was a consolidation of five different folktales from around the world, this musical explores love and where does it fit into our expectations of the roles we play.
show information:
story by sravya saraswatula and benjamin walton, words by sravya saraswatula, music by benjamin walton.
cast of three. (1m, 1f, 1any)
single acoustic guitar score.
working draft of score and libretto available upon request.
development history:
feedback sessions with rachel sheinkin, mindi dickstein, and randall eng - march-may 2023
presentation at nyu (cast benjamin walton, leilani patao, hallie chapman) - may 2023
first draft presentation from nyu
image from project spotlight production
dive in
a twenty-minute musical in development by timothy thomas leech and benjamin walton. ashton and emily have been best friends forever. looking at three pivotal moments in their lives together, this show looks at a determined relationship that grows and changes over time.
show information:
book and lyrics by timothy thomas leech, music by benjamin walton.
cast of six.
piano score.
draft of libretto and score available upon request.
development history:
feedback sessions from michael john lachiusa, mel marvin, and donna dinovelli - february 2023
presented at nyu - february 2023
reading at nyu - september 2023
workshop/developmental production - project spotlight at the university of central florida - april 2024
recording of workshop production at the university of central florida through project spotlight
swamp show
a twenty-minute musical in development by cameron reese, rj christian, and benjamin walton. this show and team are a product of the across a crowded room program through the new york public library. this piece focuses on grace, who makes a deal with an otherworldly creature to provide everything she and her daughter need. ten years later, the debt comes due and grace fights to keep everything she has together.
show information:
book by cameron reese, lyrics by rj christian, music by benjamin walton.
cast of 4
score: piano and acoustic guitar.
development history:
feedback sessions with helen park, michael korie, and john weidman - summer 2023
staged reading at the new york public library for the performing arts at the lincoln center (cast: laura cetti, vaheed talebian, sabrina koss, cameron reese, liv pelton) - november 2023
waiting for us - performed by vaheed talebian and sabrina koss at the lincoln center library for the arts
love is not enough - performed by sabrina koss at the lincoln center library for the arts
designed by zoe ray prawda
the hands that planted
a fifteen-minute opera written by zoe ray prawda and benjamin walton at the nyu opera lab in association with the american opera project and the hudson guild. it is about three members of a community who share what they think should be done with their beloved tree which is overrun with ivy.
show information:
libretto by zoe ray prawda, music by benjamin walton.
1 baritone, 1 mezzo, 1 soprano
piano score
information from world premiere here.
development history:
workshopped in nyu opera lab with randall eng, sam helfrich, dmitriy glivinskiy, and dennis yueh-yeh li - january-may 2024
world premiere production at the schubert theatre at nyu with a second performance at the hudson guild (dir. dennis yueh-yeh li, music dir. dmitriy glivinskiy, cast: yoojin lee, eiliam ramos, gileann tan) - may 2024
yoojin lee, eiliam ramos, and gileann tan in the world premiere production - 2024
the cryptogram
an absurdist twenty-minute musical in development with book by divya mangwani and music & lyrics by benjamin walton. this show and team are a product of the across a crowded room program through the new york public library. this piece follows our version of aso-neith cochran, an occultist from the early 1900s, as she deals with a power struggle of her sect of the baha’i faith, as she introduces the father of the radio, lee de forest, to her way of seeing the world.
show information:
book by divya mangwani, music & lyrics by benjamin walton.
cast of 6
synth-driven score
development history:
feedback session with drew cohen (ceo of music theatre international) and diane wondisford (director and producer) - september 2024
staged reading at the new york public library for the performing arts at the lincoln center (cast: katherine winter, nick drivas, kinza surani, mollie downes, andrew sivco, and laura cetti. music direction by jonja merck) - september 2024