THE ROLE OF MUSIC RIGHT NOW: MITCHELL MARCUS
In this series, we have reached out to some core members of The Musical Stage Company artistic family and asked them a simple question: “What is the Role of Music Right Now?”
Each artist was asked to identify a song that is most profoundly opening their hearts during this time and share an original recording or commission an artist they admire to perform it on their behalf. This video series was originally curated for our donors and shared with them at the final Insider event of our season. After having received an overwhelmingly positive response from our virtual event, we have decided to share this series with the entirety of our network in hopes it can provide some joy and positivity during this time.
Today we share the response from The Musical Stage Company’s Artistic & Managing Director, Mitchell Marcus. Mitchell chose to engage The Musical Stage Company’s inaugural Crescendo artist BRITTA JOHNSON to perform an acoustic rendition of the song ‘Poetry’, from her Dora Award-winning musical LIFE AFTER.
ON ARTIST SELECTION:
“I have to confess I haven’t been turning to music all that much during this time; it’s been more of a period of silence for me. But when I do, I focus on the great poets: the Joni Mitchell’s, Leonard Cohen’s, David Bowie’s, and Carole King’s. For my song selection, I choose one poet who walks among us, whose music and lyrics always bring me much comfort, especially during these days, Britta Johnson. – Mitchell Marcus
ON SONG SELECTION:
I asked Britta if she would perform a song from her musical LIFE AFTER. These lyrics have been on my mind as they offer the listener the opportunity to meditate on big questions for which there are no answers. I believe this to be a piece about surrendering to the unknown and finding beauty in complexity and uncertainty.” – Mitchell Marcus