The New York International Fringe Festival will bring 200 shows to NYC from August 12-28. We spoke with producer/performer Leanne Velednitsky about and then: a science fiction folk event.

What was the first musical that made you want to make musicals?

The genre of folk music and it’s form of using music as storytelling inspired our director, Will [Davis], to use it as he started to work in theatre and perform. “Fueled by a conviction that a simple song can transcend time.” - M. Ward

Tell us about your show in 3 sentences or less.

and then: a science fiction folk event is 8 people, 8 instruments, and billions of stars. With completely original music (sans one song), director Will Davis brings together an incredibly passionate team telling an out of this world tale. Inspired by conventional science fiction narratives, the original story explores humanity’s relentless endurance with the grounding tones of folk music.

Describe the sound of your musical, it's like _______ meets _________

It’s like Avett Brothers meets 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Who is your favorite classic musical theater composer? And your favorite composer working today?

The show isn’t a classical musical, it’s more of a play with music. That’s why we call it an event. The music is inspired by everyone from M. Ward to Bob Dylan to Alan Menken.

Why is it important to bring your show to Fringe?

This show is an extremely fun story that activates the imagination. It’s created and surrounded by people with a dedication to having a good time, and producing a beautiful piece of theatre. We wanted to bring it to Fringe to reach a larger audience to experience this with us.

What's next for the show?

This show has been growing as time goes on and we are very excited to see what opportunity presents itself next. The immediate step is releasing our album this coming September. And hey, maybe we’ll even go to space.