What if Buddha were a woman, living in our times?
What if the Buddha were a woman, living in our times? Mama Sid is a modern-day “awakened one” with a worldwide following. But a determined young woman seeks to unearth Mama Sid’s mysterious past, exposing secrets that could change everything. Epic and intimate, comic and profound, THE FOURTH MESSENGER investigates what it means to be both enlightened and human. Directed by Broadway’s Matt August (Grinch) with a ravishing score by indie favorite Vienna Teng. “An absolute delight!” —San Francisco Chronicle
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes

The 2017 New York Musical Festival, which runs July 10 through August 6, will bring audiences four full weeks of new musicals, concerts, readings, and panel discussions. We spoke with Tanya Shaffer (book/lyrics) about her musical The Fourth Messenger, in which the Buddha is a modern-day woman. What was the first musical that made you want to make musicals? Probably A Little Night Music. I played Fredrika when I was fifteen. I love the structure of that musical – the storytelling aesthetic, the way the Liedersinger act as a kind of wistful, whimsical Greek chorus, the way the conversation between Fredrika and Madame Armfeldt about the summer night smiling frames the narrative. All those elements work together to weave a uniquely theatrical magic – it inspires me still. Describe the sound of your musical, it’s like _______ meets _________. Our composer Vienna Teng comes from the singer-songwriter world, where she’s toured with folks like Duncan Sheik, Shawn Colvin, Brandi Carlile, and the Indigo Girls. Her style has been described as “a unique fusion of folk, pop… classical piano, and a cappella.” For our musical, she dialed up the theatricality and incorporated elements of jazz, roc …Read more