New Musical Theatre
IU alumni Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid are in the throes of workshopping their musical, Happily Ever Chloe. It's been selected as the fifth installment of Premiere Musicals: Developing New Musical Theatre at IU.
Heitzman graduated in '87; Reid got her degree in '86. They've put together very busy careers with a lot of success, including a Grammy nomination for their work as writers and composers. In an interview, the two tend to finish one another's sentences and thoughts.
Bloomington To Aspen, To Bloomington
Heitzman spoke first. "Ilene and I have just come from Aspen, where we're staging another new musical. It's nice to be back on campus. We share a lot of very pleasant memories of IU." Added Reid, "We actually met in IU's glee club, The Singing Hoosiers."
The Chloe of Happily Ever Chloe is a twenty-four-year-old, adopted Asian-American raised in Indiana. Although her family has been supportive, she's always felt different and wondered about where she came from. "The arc of the story is in Chloe's self-discovery. It's very affirmative," says Heitzman. "What she sort of finds out is that she was okay, all the time," says Reid.
A Work In Progress
This summer's installment of Premiere Musicals begins early in the development of Happily Ever Chloe. "The kids along with George Pinney and Terry LaBolt have been great, very receptive," said Heitzman. "Yes," said Reid, "we just gave them ten new pages today, and after we finish talking to you we're going back to write a new song."
Heitzman's degree included a minor in Theatre and Drama, but Reid was a straight business major. "I'd always sung and done some theatre in high school, but when it comes to college, parents can be pretty cautious. My voice teacher wanted me to go on in music, and she knew that IU had a strong business school, so that pleased my parents." Heitzman has no regrets about the combination, and in fact cites some of those business courses for her success.