Meet The Composers of Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical Richard Allen and Taran Gray Times Square Chronicles – Times Square Chronicles

Meet The Composers of Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical Richard Allen and Taran Gray

If youve followed the New York Theatre Festival circuit the last five years, or youve seen the viral social media rehearsal footage of high notes and harmonic excellence on TikTok, chances are youve been patiently waiting for the Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical to come out with an album. Thanks to Broadway Records and New York Theatre Barn Records, the wait is over.

T2c talked to Richard Allen and Taran Gray, the creators of the award-winning Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical. They shared how they released an 18-song world premiere recording in its entirety on November 19th.

This is a dream come true for us. Richard Allen says, both Taran and I grew up listening to musical soundtracks. It was a pillar of our theater community growing up to be able to experience a show in this way when a ticketed performance wasnt readily available. Its how we fell in love with so many productions.

Allen and Grays Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical tells the true story of the college age activists who boldly challenge the legality and optics of the Jim Crow Laws in 1961 by riding buses in mixed groups through the South; a soaring portrait of the fearless voices who used nonviolent direct action to initiate change. The show won the 2016 Beta Award at the New York Musical Festival. The show returned to the festival the following year and took home the award for Outstanding Music as well as a special honors award for Social Impact and Relevance. The 2017 Festival production was visited by Congressman John Lewis who said of the show, extremely accurate. It brought tears to my eyes.

Video by Magda Katz

Read the rest here:

Meet The Composers of Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical Richard Allen and Taran Gray Times Square Chronicles - Times Square Chronicles