Opening Night In America is a Reality TV show pilot and a game-changing opportunity for creative teams with original musicals. Coyote has been selected to be one of four creative teams to compete for a chance to bring our musical to Broadway. For more information, click on the link above.
On November 7th, Coyote was performed at the Cell on West 23rd St., Manhattan. It was performed as part of the "New Works Series" This was the 10th season that Theatre Barn has presented this series.
Thanks to FWD Theatre (www.FWDTheatre.org) for an amazing performance in Chicago! Here's the review by FWDTheatre's Artistic Director Michael Gillis:
“The first thing that struck me about Coyote was the story. It was unlike anything I’d seen in Musical Theater to date. As I read, I was let into the lives of people who have been largely ignored by our genre. Tim McCorry and Michael Aman have done a wonderful job of making those voices authentic. As we follow the heartrending tale of these two star-crossed lovers who are trying to belong, to live freely, and to realize their love fully we are let into a worldview we rarely, if ever, get to see in the mainstream culture. This story is generally given to us from a meta level point of view with politicians talking about the many, reform, job opportunities, etc. What is beautiful about Coyote, however, is that it humanizes this tale and allows us a glimpse of the trials and tribulations that these individuals must go through to realize a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Musical Theater needs pieces like this to remain relevant in our modern world. It needs to give opportunity to diverse communities of actors, directors, and writers by putting forth material that pushes not only the art form but our consciousness. Coyote does all of this and more.”
Belmar to Broadway - In early days of the Coyote, the Belmar Arts Center served as a performance venue for the music and storyline of this musical project. All the members of the BAC wish Tim all the best with this exciting development!
The Coyote emerges from the darkness in full godlike attire, demonstrating his amazing powers and inviting us to join him on an incredible journey that begins in the Aztec Brew House, a coffee house in a remote corner of the Pacific Northwest that is about to undergo a very dramatic transformation.
With crime and poverty worsening at home and determined to be reunited with Bernadice, Pedro makes the difficult decision to leave his family and friends and to face the dangerous journey north.
Pedro endures a near fatal ride in the empty belly of a gasoline tanker truck in an attempt to cross the Mexico/U.S. border.
Pedro and Coyote are increasingly getting on each other's nerves; Pedro always inquisitive and Coyote always aloof. Finally, things come to a head and in an increasingly heated argument, they have it out in the desert at night; mano e mano...face to face...nose to nose..."The Song Of The Coyote".
We are in the desert at night beneath a sky full of stars. The journey for Pedro is hard and the pain of separation from Bernadice is making everything harder...until....Coyote claps his hands.... Instantly, Pedro sees Bernadice in the smoke from their just extinguished campfire. He watches in awe as the love of his life sings "Under An Open Sky".
Despite making it to the U.S, the months of waiting for Pedro weigh heavily upon Bernadice. She declares that she will never be truly free until she and Pedro can share their freedom and love as one. "If You Are Not Free".
As Pedro struggles through the desert, his thoughts of Bernadice are so vivid that he can actually see the past as she makes her own crossing.
In the waiting room of a Los Angeles bus depot, Pedro and other immigrants cling to a desperate hope and wait for a sign that their lives are just beginning even as they fear that they may be about to end.
Inspired by a true story, Coyote is a modern American tale of love and adventure. Pedro and Bernadice are young lovers, determined to be re-united, who turn to a mysterious figure known only as Coyote to help them make a perilous crossing from Mexico into the United States. They have no idea that they have engaged the services of a magical, god-like creature who can change form, leap into their dreams and is bound by neither time nor space. He is a trickster. He is also their only hope in a struggle of love against fear.
Tim McCorry is an award winning composer, lyricist, pianist and architect. His recording of original songs, Diana, made with vocalist, Diana McCorry, was an “Official Selection” in 8 categories at the 2009 Grammy Awards and received that year’s Silver Award from the Songwriters Association of Washington, D.C. for best jazz and blues compostion. His diverse catalog of original works spans over 25 years. Tim has studied music and architecture at Cornell University and studied privately with the late Dr. Roger Boardman, Director of the Piano Performance Program at NYU. Born in Astoria, Queens, NYC, Tim lives by the sea with his family in Belmar, NJ.
Michael Aman’s POZ opened the 2014 season for Island City Stage in Fort Lauderdale to rave reviews. It was nominated for Best New Work for the 2015 Carbonell Awards and was originally commissioned by [Your Name Here] A Queer Theatre Company. The Unbleached Americanwon best play for the African American Playwrights’ Exchange (AAPEX) in 2012 and had its premiere at The Stoneham Theatre in Massachusetts in April, 2014. The play was presented at The Kennedy Center as part of the Page to Stage Festival in 2014. He co-wrote the book for The Piper (with Grammy winning songwriter Marcus Hummon), which premiered at the Actor’s Bridge Ensemble in Nashville, 2010. He co-wrote the book and lyrics for The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde(2005 NYMF). He also co-wrote the book for Let Me Sing! A Musical Evolution(George Street Playhouse; Charlotte Repertory Theatre).He is currently working onFrida, a musical about Frida Kahlo (with Olivier Award nominee composer Dana P. Rowe), which was developed through Amas Musicals in New York City. Michael has a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Masters degree in Dramaturgy and is married to director Michael Bush. He is represented by Barbara Hogenson of the Barbara Hogenson Agency.