EXCLUSIVE: Rachel York, Chris Sieber, Orfeh, John Tartaglia, Marc Kudisch Are Super Heroes in Protagonists!

A big thank you to everyone who recorded with us … you will hear the final mix soon!

Kevin Del Aguila, Alice Ripley & Mike in the studio

• Marc Kudisch (9 to 5, Assassins, The Wild Party) as Captain Marvelous
• Andy Karl (9 to 5, Legally Blonde, Altar Boyz) as Voltman
• Christopher Sieber (Shrek The Musical, Spamalot) as The Sensational Clump
• Tyler Maynard (The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Altar Boyz) as Fishboy
• Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde) as Penelope
• Tituss Burgess (Guys and Dolls, The Little Mermaid), Lisa Howard (9 to 5, Spelling Bee), Cassondra Kellam, and Michael Marcotte (Stephen Schwartz’s Making Good, Seance) as The Citizens
• Todd Alan Johnson (a man of 1000 voices) as The Narrator, Volcanix, and all the other voices.

When everything is mixed, we’ll post the demo tracks here — but for now we’re still waiting to find our Eagle Woman. Coming soon!

Last May, Mike began a major choral work commissioned by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, a long-form piece that looks at the effects of crystal meth addiction on the GLBT community, their family, and friends.

Through A Glass, Darkly is a 45-minute oratorio for 3 soloists and choir and will premiere as the second half of the TCGMC’s Spring 2008 concert “Friends Are Benefits”. Two performances will be held at Ted Mann Concert Hall on the U of MN campus in Minneapolis: March 29, 2008 at 8pm and March 30, 2008 at 2pm. The following July, the chorus travels to Miami to perform “Darkly” for 160+ choruses at the GALA Choruses Festival 2008.

This is a really exciting and massive work, with both music and lyrics by Mike, telling the story of a boy hitting rock bottom and the effects his addiction has on those around him. It will form the cornerstone of an unprecedented outreach partnership created by the chorus to educate youth about the dangers of the growing crystal meth epidemic.

The music is thrilling, unlike anything I’ve ever heard in the choral world and traversing a whole slew of moody genres from classical to rock to swing to club beat. We cannot wait to hear 150 voices singing this. Mike just presented the finished work to the choir and their patrons this weekend. Clips of the demo tracks will be posted here soon.

Tickets are already on sale. Details can be found at the TCGMC website. Let us know if you’re traveling there next March. We can help recommend places to stay and how to get around Minneapolis. Hope to see you there!

The platform slowly comes back to life for morning rush hour, as those just coming home and others just getting up intermingle. A tentative Nancy and Doug, aware of how a night of “freedom” felt, find each other.

Things heat up as the night drags on. Heidi and John bump in to each other and their secret double-lives are revealed. Nancy and Doug might have seen each other, but they allow their charade to continue.

Doug and Heidi lock eyes across the club, having noticed each other in very different circumstances on the Platform earlier in the night. They, along with other clubgoers — eventually joined by John and Eva — explore uncharted territories with their partners.

All types descend on the nightclub, including Doug and Nancy — each having found their way to the club from Sammy’s flyers.

John, a visible public figure, finds some solitude with his flask in a dark corner outside the club, when Eva — who is definitely more than she seems — interrupts.

Heidi walks in the back door of a Times Square nightclub and somewhat reluctantly transforms out of her business attire into her other work persona.

A club owner (VO by Eric Rubbe) as Heidi arrives for her night job.

After being split up and venturing out into the city separately, Doug and Nancy each find themselves back on the platform. But rowdy late night passengers and the intrigue of Sammy’s fliers advertising a nightclub party distracts them from seeing each other.

Doug and a stranger nobly find the inner strength to fight off two thugs in the park.

Things overheard as Doug nears the park.

Nancy explores new worlds and sensations, but then attracts the wrong kind of attention.