The New York International Fringe Festival will bring 200 shows to NYC from August 12-28. We spoke with writer Michael Doshier about his musical Johnny Darlin: In the Closet.
What was the first musical that made you want to make musicals?
I was in a college production of Big River at the ripe ole age of eleven, as one of "the boys" and it changed my life. I still listen to "You Oughta Be Here With Me" approximately once a week just to give myself the opportunity to feel that again! I'd never seen a group of such talented, devoted people come together like that to put on a piece of drama. It changed everything.
Tell us about your show in 3 sentences or less.
My show is a multi-media, experimental retelling of the coming out process of myself, Johnny Darlin, and over fifteen other LGBTQ people, from my hometown of Conway, Arkansas. The show covers everything from childhood revelations, to first celebrity crushes, to familial abuse and abandonment, to deciding whether or not to send that first nude picture, to falling in love for the first time. Video projection art, dance pieces, and tons of catchy live electronic pop songs form an emotional and weird queer explosion of energy - the party of the year!
Describe the sound of your musical.
It's like Madonna's Blonde Ambition Tour meets Spring Awakening.
Who is your favorite classic musical theater composer?
Stephen Sondheim.
And your favorite composer working today?
My favorite composer is actually a very prolific, but anonymous, composer by the (stage) name of Pincha Jones. She's done a few projects for me, including some of the interludes in Johnny Darlin: In the Closet and a lot of other work that she doesn't want credit for, and is ON ANOTHER LEVEL in the various nuances in her compositions.
Why is it important to bring your show to Fringe?
My show - with all its different elements working together - is debuting in the most perfect way with FringeNYC. It's not quite a musical, it's not quite a concert; it's something to be seen to understand. It's an exploration of my soul and many of the souls of both closeted and out members of the LGBTQ community who were ready to speak about the most secret parts of their existence and feelings. And that's why I'm so honored and thankful the Fringe chose it. It's also deeply queer, for better or worse, in moments of happiness and sadness, and we are in a time where that's exceedingly important.
What's next for the show?
I'd love to tour the show around New York City and abroad! But right now my eyes are all on giving the amazing Fringe audience a show they won't forget and a show they deserve!
