In October, Cornish Theater students were treated to a guest appearance by Tony-award winning writer Brian Yorkey. Brian and his collaborator, composer Tom Kitt, won a 2009 Tony for Best Score of a Musical for the Broadway production of Next to Normal. The show received 11 nominations and won 2 other awards, for Best Orchestrations and Best Actress. Next to Normal’s Original Cast Recording has also been at the top of the Billboard charts and received a record number of downloads on iTunes.
Originally from Issaquah, Mr. Yorkey began his career with Village Theatre, and has been largely responsible for the growth of their New Musicals program. He was delighted to meet the Cornish students while he was in town, and share some of his insights into having a career in both theater and film.
Jan Hubert, Theater Department Coordinator, a longtime collaborator and friend of Mr. Yorkey, moderated the event, opening with some questions about his career and his experiences creating Next to Normal. Students were invited to ask questions, which ranged from the differences between writing for theatre and film, to how artists keep going in the face of failure and rejection, to how a writer comes up with the empathy necessary to create realistic characters. Many students lined up to speak individually with Brian at the end of the event.
Mr. Yorkey finished by mentioning that Next to Normal will have a national tour in the winter of 2010. More information about the show is available at http://www.nexttonormal.com.
