Taylor Pride will hold its fifth annual music-and-arts festival later this month, despite a decision by Mayor Dwayne Ariola not to issue a proclamation recognizing the event.

Denise Rodgers, a board member with the LGBTQ+ nonprofit, said she was caught off guard by the decision.

"For four years they've issued a proclamation. They've always been very supportive and very present at all of our events," she said. "So yeah, to receive a denial from the new mayor was very surprising and disappointing."

Cities like Taylor often issue proclamations to recognize and increase awareness of local events or groups. Past proclamations have recognized Taylor Pride's annual festival and its contributions to the city's LGBTQ+ community.

"This is the fifth time that I have personally submitted this proclamation [request]," Jose Orta said. "There were no issues the last four times. What has changed?"

Former Mayor Brandt Rydell issued all four of the past proclamations recognizing Taylor Pride. He issued the most recent one on May 9, 2024, just days before he left office. Ariola was sworn in later that month.

As mayor, Ariola has the final about whether a proclamation will be issued.

KUT reached out to Ariola multiple times for a comment on his decision, but did not receive a response.

In a statement to CBS Austin, the mayor said he made the decision "because I believe we have other meaningful opportunities in June to come together—such as Juneteenth, a unifying observance begun in Texas and now national in scope that honors freedom and resilience."

Rodgers called Ariola's statement "disheartening."

"Quite honestly, it's very confusing to exclude an entire community of people in the name of unity," she said. "This really undermines the work that we've been doing together for the last five years."

Taylor Pride held Williamson County's first-ever in-person Pride event in 2021. Over the years, the organization has evolved into a resource and advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people in Taylor and surrounding communities � hosting events like voter registration happy hours, drag shows and "self-love yoga."

Rodgers said she's holding out some hope that the mayor will change his mind. She's created an online petition encouraging the mayor to do just that; it has garnered more than 1,500 signatures.

"The denial contradicts the inclusive values we hold dear, and the reality our residents continue to embrace and promote: diversity, acceptance, and love for all," the petition states. "Let's encourage the Mayor to reconsider his stance and endorse a proclamation that aligns with the values of tolerance and pride that Taylor has so beautifully championed, and as his predecessor had done for the past 4 years."

Orta said he plans to ask the mayor to change his mind at next week's City Council meeting.

"Ultimately, the decision is his prerogative, but if he is going to deny it, we would like for him to own it and to be held accountable," he said.

This is not the first time controversy has surrounded one of Taylor Pride's events.

In 2022, the organization was denied participation in a local holiday parade, prompting the city to part ways with the parade's organizers.

"Every time we face one of these challenges, it's a reminder of how important this work is, and how much it is needed in rural communities, how little support and resources exist," Rodgers said.

Continuing preparations for this year's Pride celebration, she said, is part of that work.

"One of these days, they're going to learn that, you know, every time they push back, we just get more support," Rodgers said. "We get bigger."

The festival will take place on June 28 from 4 to 10 p.m. at Heritage Park in downtown Taylor.

Correction: A previous version of this story said Denise Rodgers was the president of Taylor Pride. She is no longer president, but a board member.

On this edition of In Black America, producer/host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League collaborates at the national and local levels with community leaders, policymakers, and corporate partners to elevate the standards of living for African Americans and other historically underserved groups.

Recently, The National Urban League launched the Fair Budget Coalition, a new alliance of civil rights leaders, economic justice advocates, and policy experts demanding a responsible federal budget that centers fairness, opportunity, and economic security for all Americans.

Austin celebrates Pride two months out of the year: in June during national Pride Month and in August, when the city holds its main Pride parade. That means there’s twice as many opportunities to celebrate LGBTQ+ history and identity.

Here’s a list of things to do around the area during this first round of festivities, from book clubs to art markets to drag performances.

Pride Flag Raising Ceremony, June 3

AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County Judge Andy Brown will host the fifth annual  from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 700 Lavaca St. The free event includes vendors, artists and interaction with LGBTQ+ leaders.

UMLAUF After Dark: PRIDE, June 3

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum near Barton Springs will hold a party with music, food, karaoke, aerial performances and an artist showcase on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $12 per person; you or at the door.

Austin Public Library events, June 3-30

The city’s library system is hosting Pride events at multiple branches all month long. You can go to a , like I Saw the TV Glow, an , and, of course, LGBTQ-themed .

All the events are free. Find a full list of them on .

Queerbomb, June 7

Queerbomb is a free annual Pride celebration created in 2010 “to push back against corporate-centric pride’s exclusionary rhetoric� and “insistence on ‘family friendliness.’� The community-funded picnic doesn’t accept business sponsorships. This year’s Queerbomb will take place at the Capitol from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers say more information is coming; .

Round Rock Pride, June 7 

The Austin suburb’s free will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Plaza. There will be food trucks, a lineup of performers and goods for sale from local artists.

Pride Party x The Little Gay Shop, June 8 

The Little Gay Shop, an Austin store selling art and books from LGBTQ+ creators, featuring dozens of queer-owned businesses. The free, family- and pet-friendly event includes a drag queen story hour for kids, book signings with local authors and free drinks for adults 21 and older. The indoor-outdoor event takes place at Distribution Hall in East Austin from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UMLAUF Family Day: PRIDE, June 8 

The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden is also hosting a for LGBTQ+ youth from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can attend a queer comic workshop, do arts and crafts, and listen to book readings with ASL interpretation.

Neon Rainbows� PRIDE & the Gay Ole Opry Drag Show, June 21

Neon Rainbows, an organization that puts on queer country events around Austin, will hold a at Cheer Up Charlies from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The party will kick off with two-stepping before a drag show starts at 11 p.m. The event is free and open to adults 21 and older.

Pride Bar Crawl, June 21

A will kick off at Thirsty Nickel on Sixth Street starting at 4 p.m. The go-at-your-own-pace event features multiple bars in downtown Austin, an afterparty from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Tiger Lilly, Pride-themed merch and drinks included in the cost of admission. Tickets are $24 per person, with prices set to go up after June 7. Proceeds will go to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.

Pease Park Pride Picnic, June 28

The Pease Park Conservancy will host a from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can take part in a book swap, go to a clay workshop, buy some shaved ice or dance to the DJ. The event is free and family-friendly.

Taylor Pride, June 28

The city of Taylor is hosting its fifth annual Pride celebration from 4 to 10 p.m. in Heritage Square Park. The free festival features music, local vendors and themed merch. A list of vendors isn’t available to the public yet; check for updates on .

On This Is My Thing, we are continuing our mission to talk with people about the things they do just for themselves â€� not because it’s their job and not because it’s a responsibility, just because they love to do it. The stuff you do because it’s your thing.

The latest episode of This Is My Thing is about Underwater Torpedo League, a sport you might not be familiar with just yet. That’s okay. It’s still pretty new, as sports go. It’s got the same basic objective as soccer or hockey or football (or most sports, really) � your team tries to get an object into a goal while the other team tries to stop you. The key difference is that in Underwater Torpedo League, you’re in a 12-foot deep pool and you must remain underwater if you’re touching the object (which in this case is a smallish rubber torpedo).

Lesley wasn’t expecting to fall in love with a new sport or to find meaningful community when she signed up for that first class, but that’s exactly what happened. We’ll talk about her history with the sport and what it’s come to mean for her.

On this page, you can listen to the on-air version of this story, but if you check out the , you’ll find a longer version of this piece (as well as some older pieces you might have missed or might just want to listen to again).

We’ve talked to a lot of other people about their things and those stories will be coming in future weeks. We’re working on stories about the board game Go and encaustic painting, two things invented thousands of years ago and being kept alive by people who still love them. Stay tuned!

And we want to hear from you about the thing you do just because you love it! You’ll find an online form on the main This Is My Thing page where you can tell us about the thing that brings you joy, calms your mind, or feeds your soul in some way.

From , this month's spotlight nonprofit:

With over 74,000 hours of therapy costs covered for those impacted by a cancer diagnosis to date, impact has been felt deeply across Central Texas. Since its inception, Flatwater has covered the cost of over $9 million worth of therapy for people in need, touched by cancer. Created from one man's ability to turn his own struggles into an outlet for change, Flatwater seeks to connect individuals with therapists to help clear their mind, heal their body, and find the strength to take on a diagnosis.

HISTORY + FLATWATER’S DAM THAT CANCER

When his father was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, founder Mark Garza felt the impact of a diagnosis firsthand. Seeking support, he was shocked at the cost of therapy and realized there was a lack of care for thousands of people that were going through similar experiences. In 2010, he teamed up with The LIVESTRONG Foundation to fill the void for a streamlined process that would provide families in need with financial assistance to access long-term help. To raise the funds necessary to launch this program, Mark put together a “PR stunt� called Dam That Cancer (DTC) in June 2010; the mission was to raise awareness and support for the cause: covering the cost of mental health services for families coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment. What began with a small group of 15 paddlers fundraising for DTC in 2010 has since grown into a dedicated community nearly 230 strong, growing year by year, with a fundraising goal of $1.4 million for the 16th annual taking place on Monday, June 30.

In addition to this event, Flatwater produces other non-traditional events, partnerships in the fitness and health community, and relationships in the mental health community to make sure people see the importance of mental health when coping with a diagnosis. The Flatwater mission has also stretched across borders, with nontraditional SUP fundraisers taking place in destinations like Iceland, The Netherlands, Lake Tahoe and Labyrinth Canyon in Utah.

¹ó±ô²¹³Ù·É²¹³Ù±ð°ù’s inaugural community event Flatwater Fest event will take on Oct. 26 at Radio East, focused on inviting new members of all ages into the Flatwater family. From noon to 5 p.m., the festival will feature an afternoon of live music, food and goods from local vendors, activities like tie-dyeing and a Halloween costume contest, all in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. With a focus on mental health awareness and the added significance of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the event underscores Flatwater's mission of support and community. Tickets will be available in advance and at the door. This celebration kickstarts what Flatwater hopes to make an annual tradition.

IMPACT + VOLUNTEER 

To date, Flatwater has provided over 74,000 therapy sessions for those affected by a cancer diagnosis and who would otherwise have no means to pay for care. DTC 2024 raised over $1.4 million for Flatwater, surpassing the event fundraising goal by over $76,000, with a 2025 goal of raising another $1.4 million for the ever-increasing demand for the services provided by Flatwater. Volunteer opportunities for DTC are open to the public and include important tasks such as SUP load-in and load-out, meal preparation for paddlers, event set-up and tear-down, and more. More information on volunteer opportunities can be found .

FOLLOW ALONG

For more updates on Flatwater and to learn about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, follow along through social media!

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Ten young singers dressed in tie-dyed shirts stood at the altar of a church on the Drag. Some were stiff, their eyes fixed straight ahead. Others swayed while tapping their thighs.

A couple managed a smile.

The audience of family members and supporters in pews across from them, meanwhile, had no trouble smiling.

The Pano Youth Choir had been practicing almost every Tuesday night since January for its inaugural performance earlier this month.

“It’s been a journey,� 15-year-old soloist Theo Klumpp said after the show. “It didn’t sound like that the entire time, but even when it didn’t, there was definitely a very strong community.�

No auditions were required for the choir, which was made up of singers in sixth through 12th grades. It cost $185 to join � though the fee could be reduced if it was prohibitive.

Many of the singers had been pushed to join by their moms. Director AV Villarreal said it took some time before a few felt comfortable singing with the group.

“I had some sweet kiddos who came in the first rehearsal and didn’t make any sounds at all. They sat in the back all by themselves with their arms crossed and their hoodie tied all the way around their face,� they said. “And I was like � well, you know, it’s just going to take time, because kids need to trust you � before they are willing to be vulnerable."

With time, they said, the kids blossomed.

Villarreal, who has a master’s degree in choral conducting and has taught young singers for a decade, said they wanted to form the group in part because of their experience with Panoramic Voices. The adult choir, which doesn't require auditions, has been in Austin for more than 20 years and bills itself as having a “music without borders� approach that welcomes singers of all experiences and backgrounds.

“[I like] just being part of an ensemble where there’s low pressure and where there’s community and people really enjoy making art together,� they said. “I was like � this has got to be for kids.�

Juli Orlandini, Panoramic Voices' managing artistic director, said she knew it was a perfect fit and told Villarreal to run with the idea.

“AV had complete artistic control,� she said.

'One of the best inventions'

Growing up in Austin with a father who plays guitar, Maura Collier said she has always been into music � and that it's good for your mental health.

"Music is beautiful and one of the best inventions," she said. "Everyone should be included in music, even if you can't sing that well."

The 12-year-old, who also played violin during the show, said she was shy at first, but that Villarreal was a great teacher. To calm her nerves before performing, Maura said she takes a few deep breaths.

“Deep Breaths� was also the title of the spring program. Villarreal said they were inspired thinking about what the expression means in a post-pandemic world.

“It’s this thing [people] used to say to each other colloquially and comfortably as a quick way to calm down,� they said. “After we’ve spent so much time afraid of sharing air with each other, how do we reconnect with our breath?"

Villarreal said they were intentional about choosing songs for the program and lifting up the voices of female composers. The soloists got to pick their own music.

Many of the songs were folky, like “Crowded Table� by The Highwomen. Two singers performed a song from the movie Harriet. Then there was Ivy Kim, who stunned the audience with a piece from an Italian opera.

A space to grow

After the performance, Hindatu Mohammed wiped tears from her face.

“I was just crying the whole time,� she said. “My child has never been in a choir before, so to be able to have a space for a newcomer to choir to really feel welcome and then to flourish, I don’t even have words for it. It’s incredible.�

This was Mohammed’s first time hearing her daughter, Malika, sing pieces from the show.

“She wouldn’t sing any solos for me [at home],� she said, “so it was all completely surprising. It was all brand new.�

Orlandini and Villarreal are focused on growing the program in the fall and said more details will be available for those who are interested in joining.

Thirteen-year-old Ari Kahan said they would “absolutely� do it again.

“Join us!� Ari said. “No, seriously, we really need more members.�

Disclosure: Stephanie Federico is a member of Panoramic Voices.

Marlyn Martinez remembers standing on stage and peering out at the crowd this past April in Norfolk, Virginia. All 2,500 seats in the concert hall were sold out.

It was a short set, but Martinez put everything she had into the performance.

“I was definitely hungry after,� she said. “Because I was putting all my energy in it.�

Martinez plays the baritone saxophone with the Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Orchestra.

Last month, out of more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities across the nation, Huston-Tillotson University was one of 12 selected to attend a residency in Norfolk with Wynton Marsalis.

Even if you don’t recognize the name, there’s a good chance � especially if you’re a fan � that you’ve heard Marsalis’s work.

Of the 12 bands, only two were selected to open for Marsalis’s band, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Huston-Tillotson was one of them.

“It’s a crazy opportunity. It’s an enriching opportunity,� Martinez said. “And it’s definitely something that you can’t get just anywhere.�

It was no small feat getting the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Orchestra to a national stage. That’s partly because the program didn’t even exist until about three years ago. That’s when Jeremy George took a leap of faith and left his job teaching music on the high school level in Florida to develop the jazz program at Huston-Tillotson.

“Before I moved here and took this job, I didn’t know anything about Huston-Tillotson University,â€� he said. “You know I was over in Florida like, there's a job opening at Huston-Tillotson? Where? Let me look that up. In Austin?â€� 

Since moving here, George realized that even some people in Austin don’t know about Huston-Tillotson. It’s a small, 3-block campus on the east side. There are only about 40 music majors out of about 1,000 students. The music department is more of a music hallway.

“It’s harder for us to get students to come because our school doesn’t have the resume � you know you can’t go into an Academy Sports and see Huston-Tillotson shirts,� he said.

George said he was ecstatic when he got the call that Huston-Tillotson was invited to the residency in Norfolk. But being a small school, it also presented a challenge. George didn’t want his students to miss what he called a "once in a lifetime opportunity," but they needed to raise $30,000 to make it happen.

“A lot of schools have travel budgets. We don’t have the same resources,� he said. “We had to fundraise every dollar.�

George said he made calls to anyone that would donate to the trip � even his mom � and they made it work. Every student got to fly to Norfolk. For some students, it was their first flight ever.

And they didn’t come back empty handed.

Huston-Tillotson students took home awards for most outstanding piano player, bassist, drummer, tenor saxophone, clarinet soloist, trumpet and reed section.

“To say that we have been recognized on such a prestigious level in three years, when you have schools that have hundreds of music majors, schools who have huge music buildings, over 100 music faculty, it’s unheard of,� George said.

Josh Lister, the rising senior who was awarded the most outstanding piano player, said his experience in Norfolk was a blessing. But he's not calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Because I believe we all have great plans and great futures,� he said. “Music has the ability to touch and reach people in places that we can’t physically go. So as long as we keep that up, we’ll touch many lives.�

Lister and Martinez don’t know when they’ll play in front of another jazz great. But they are gearing up for another performance at one of Austin’s most sought after venues: the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The Huston-Tillotson Jazz Orchestra will play weekend two.

“The Hideout is and always has been more than the physical place,� says Roy Janik, the co-owner and artistic director of the venerable improv theater. “But we have been there for 26 years, so it's a big change.�

The change he’s referring to is the Hideout’s upcoming change of location � after more than a quarter of a century at its Congress Avenue locale, a change in their building’s ownership means that the folks of the Hideout will have to find a new venue soon. But Janik and the rest of the Hideout crew is staying positive about the transition.

“The announcement that we're moving really put a perspective in place for us about what the Hideout is,� says longtime performer and head of marketing Courtney Hopkin. “It being the community, it being the shows, the improv, the performances, the classes, and not the place. We did, you know, for the entire time we were there, refer to the building as ‘The Hideout.� And moving means that we � In a good way � need to reassess what we think the Hideout is. And the Hideout is more than a building.�

Before they leave the space, though, the Hideout will present their annual 48 Hour Improv Marathon one last time at their current location.

“It's exactly what it sounds like: a bad idea,� Janik says. “But the best idea. Some of our best ideas are our worst ideas. Does that make sense? Every year, the marathon is a fundraiser, and normally it's a fundraiser for our youth program and our Building Connections program. But this year, because we're moving� it's part of a more general fundraising effort and so it's raising money for our relocation fund.�

As the name implies, the 48 Hour Improv Marathon is a two-day nonstop marathon of improv performances. “There are eight performers that do the entire thing,� Janik explains, “but every hour is a completely different improv show. So we might have a group that does improvised Shakespeare come in one hour and they'll join the eight people that perform the entire time and be like, hey, we're doing Shakespeare and the eight people will be like, what? Oh, OK. And then we do that for an hour and then we come back, and now it's like Whose Line is it Anyway-style games and then the next [hour] it's a musical. So those eight people do the entire thing, but over the course of the weekend there are hundreds of other performers that come through and play with them, basically.�

Hopkin and Janik have both been in the core eight in the past, performing in the entirety of the marathon. This year, Hopkin will perform off and on throughout the weekend, but Janik will be onstage for the duration. “Courtney did it last year,� Janik says. “The last time I did the 48 hour improv marathon was when it was only 43 hours. We started a long time ago at 40 hours, and we added 1 hour each year. And so we got to 48 and I said, ‘we can't add any more hours. This is unhealthy.� And I didn't think I would ever do it again, but now that it's our last few months at the downtown location, I was like, this kind of seems like the perfect way to say goodbye to a place that I've spent the past few decades at, you know? So, 48 hours. And it already makes you emotional staying up for 48 hours, but I expect that this was an emotional mistake on my part.�

Is there any time for the performers to catch a break (or a nap) during those two days? “In between shows you can,� Hopkin says, “but it definitely comes at a price. You get a little taste of that sweet rest, and then you don't want to go back. And you wake up and you are angry.�

“Yeah, [the break between shows is] really only 10 minutes,� Janik agrees, “and I think science says like 20 minutes is the sweet spot for a short nap, so it is not a good length of time. There is one show that is a competition show that we do every weekend at the Hideout called Maestro, and we do it in the marathon too, and it's a two-hour block. And it's everyone's favorite show because there's a chance you might do poorly and get eliminated early, and then you have like an hour to sleep. But most of the time the marathoners do really well and make it all the way to the end.�

Hopkin says things can get weird as the hours wear on. “You genuinely hallucinate,� she says. “It is a terrible idea, but you get� you reach a sort of point where you are having realizations about the way you perform, about who you perform with, about how you perform with other people, how generous you can be, how snippy you can be. And, you know, there's a lot of personal breakthroughs that you have when you are so tired and you've been sort of being on for people for that long. And you� make a lot of breakthroughs.�

“Yeah, one of the goals with improv is trying to strip away those barriers that get between you and� your impulse and your creativity,� Janik says. “And once you are sleep deprived, those barriers go away because they have to. And yeah, I think it levels up anyone who does it.�

The PRX Podcast Creator Summit is a free three-day event featuring lectures, panels, hands-on training, networking opportunities and 1-on-1 mentoring June 16-18 on the Apple campus in Austin.

New podcasters looking for collaboration and community can work with professionals from KUT & KUTX Studios, The Drag Audio, Texas Monthly, The Texas Tribune, Exactly Right Media, The Roost and more.

This summit is presented by PRX in partnership with Apple, KUT & KUTX Studios and The Drag Audio.

for the free in-person summit and to receive more information.

Speakers and session leaders include:

• A.J. Feliciano, general manager of The Roost podcast network
• Elizabeth McQueen, manager of podcasts at KUT & KUTX Studios
• Katey Psencik, managing director of The Drag Audio Production House
• Nikki DaVaughn, host of City Cast Austin
• Eleanor Klibanoff, host of The Texas Tribune’s TribCast
• Brian Standefer, director of audio at Texas Monthly
• John Spong, host of Texas Monthly and PRX’s One by Willie 
• Kate Winkler Dawson of Exactly Right Media’s Tenfold More Wicked 
• Landon Cotham of Moontower Soccer: An Austin FC Podcast
• Amira Rose Davis, co-host of Burn It All Down
• Ivy Le, host of FOGO: Fear of Going Outside

As part of the programming, PRX is also hosting a free in-person workshop for a group of Austinites who are pursuing podcasting as a career. If that sounds like you, . This workshop will be modeled after PRX's transformational design sprints for audio, helping participants approach podcast development more creatively and strategically.

“We kind of have like an internal challenge that, you know, anything we do, the next one has to be more of a challenge to us,� says Alchemy Theatre artistic director Michael Cooper, “and we truly live by that."

Alchemy’s latest challenge is the musical Grand Hotel, which opens May 30 on the ZACH’s Wisenhunt stage. �Grand Hotel the Musical has always held a fascination with me because of how it's constructed and how challenging a piece it is,� Cooper says.

Producer Marnie Near says that internal challenge isn’t necessarily about always trying to do something harder � it’s more about always doing something different. “It's challenges in a different way,� she says. “It's more that Michael's always looking for something that's a [new] challenge because of whatever it might be. So, you know, one year it might be because there's a large cast, [or] the music's complicated. We need a lot of actors that are triple threats � that sing, dance and act. So there's all sorts of different ways to be a challenge, and I think it isn't necessarily building on itself, it's just building in a different way that we've never done before. And we're also performing this in the round. So this is for the first time we've done this.�

For this production, Cooper says he’s going all the way back to Grand Hotel’s roots. �Grand Hotel the Musical has a very interesting history,� he says. “I don't know how many people know that it started as a novel by Vicki Baum in 1929, and it came full circle because the last rendition of it went back to that novel, as I did for most of the inspiration. Soon off the success of her novel came a play in the same year of 1929. And then that play did OK. Then in 1932, there was a famous movie, so we can't forget that. So most people do know the movie, but the theatrical history is a little bit more interesting. In 1958, they adapted the play into a musical called At the Grand. And it was hugely unsuccessful, didn't do well at all. After that 1958 [failure] that story sat dormant and Tommy Tune and Maury Yeston then picked it up in the early �80s and went back to the original novel and drew all of their inspiration from that to kind of reinvent what that story was and how that story is being told. And that's another reason I was interested in the piece, because one of the Alchemy’s kind of goals when picking musicals to do, we choose things that are seldom done, or we would reinvent them. And then I had to add my own reinvention on top of that, like taking a cast of 30 from the Broadway version and doing it with 17 people in the round.�

Performing in the round on ZACH’s intimate Wisenhunt stage creates another connection to the original novel, Cooper says. “Vicki Baum had a really, really astute sense of following people and eavesdropping on them,� he says. “I mean, that was her whole style in that book. So it does have that whole sense of eavesdropping on people.�

At the Wisenhunt, Cooper says, “we do get a lot of people saying, oh, it's like peering over your neighbor's fence and listening in on their conversation, you know, and that's exactly what we want� with the type of things that we do. And even in a musical that sounds and feels this big, there's still a lot of that intimacy.�

Near agrees, saying “the audience is really gonna feel like they are in that hotel with these people experiencing along with them.�