FUTURITY tells the story of Julian Munro, a Civil War soldier who, in collaboration with Ada Lovelace, tries to invent a machine that creates peace.

Music by César Alvarez with The Lisps
Lyrics and Book by César Alvarez
Directed by Sarah Benson

FUTURITY World Premiered at American Repertory Theater in March of 2012 followed by performances at Walker Art Center and Mass MoCA. Soho Rep and Ars Nova co-produced the New York Premiere in 2015.

Futurity won the 2016 Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, 4 other Lortel Nominations, and The Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical.

FUTURITY is available for licensing at Uproar Theatrics

Illustration by Adam Hayes

“César Alvarez is changing the American musical form, and the world.”

American Theatre

At its core FUTURITY is about imagination. It asks us to consider the point of dreaming up the impossible inside of seemingly hopeless circumstances. Growing up in the South as a child of organizers who were fighting for social justice, I often felt like I was in the same battle, but with a saxophone. This is mirrored in FUTURITY, as Julian’s regiment wields instruments instead of guns, and the peace making machine that is unveiled at the end is a massive kinetic sculpture that creates an outpouring of collective sound. FUTURITY proposes that music and storytelling themselves are the machines that create peace.

Listen

Press

Development

Photos

Collaborators

LISTEN:

The FUTURITY Concept album by The Lisps is on Soundcloud and Spotify

artwork by Emily Orling

PRESS for FUTURITY…

“Some of the most lovely and inventive music you can hear on a New York stage right now…folk-inflected ballads and anthems that manage to sound both entirely contemporary and eerily of the past… How refreshing to meet a musical that has too much on its mind, rather than too little. FUTURITY can only help advance an art form that often seems unable to imagine itself a new future.”

Charles Isherwood, Critic's Pick, The New York Times

“Indelibly human-made; no musical-making machine could ever achieve such an imaginative and singular result.”

Culturebot

“Positively gasp-worthy. Those who like their theater messy and beautiful are liable to fall in love with FUTURITY.”

Theatermania

“FUTURITY commands you to drop your arms and raise your hands. A celebration of music’s transcendent powers. Don’t worry about why you’re getting uplifted, just surrender.”

The Village Voice

César Alvarez Is Changing the American Musical Form, and the World American Theatre Magazine

The Lisps on their Outsider Musical at WalkerArt.org

Interview with César in At Length Magazine

A Musical Envisions the Impossible César Alvarez and Sarah Benson on NPR discussing FUTURITY

A Musical for People Who Don’t Like Musicals in The Economist

It’s Better With a Band American Theatre Magazine Cover Story April 2013

DEVELOPMENT:

2008
Concert reading as César Alvarez's MFA thesis at Bard College

2009
Concert staging at the Zipper Factory
Concert reading at Joe's Pub

2010
Concert Staging at the Rudyard Kipling in Louisville, KY as part of Motherlodge Festival
Concert Staging at HERE in NYC
Concert Readings at Ars Nova and Joe's Pub.

2011
Concert Reading at Joe's Pub.

2012
World Premiere at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MARestaged at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN.

2013
Concert Reading at Mass MoCA

2015
Two workshops with Ars Nova/Soho Rep.
New York Premiere co-produced by Soho Rep and Ars Nova at The Connelly Theater

photo by Paul O’Reilly | Assemblage by Emily Orling

PHOTOS:

Soho Rep/Ars Nova Production at The Connelly Theater in 2015

photos by Yi Zhao

FUTURITY at American Repertory Theater in 2012

photos by Evgenia Eliseeva

from the FUTURITY archive

Rehearsal at Bard 2008 - Photo by Emily Orling

Rehearsal in Brooklyn 2008 - photo by Dani Restack

Walker Art Center 2012 - Photo by Cameron Wittig

American Theatre April 2013 - Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

COLLABORATORS:

The span of time between when I hatched the idea of FUTURITY until opening night off-Brodaway was eight years. This is the community of artists and makers that brought FUTURITY into the world. Please send corrections!

FUTURITY was first developed as César Alvarez's MFA thesis project at Bard College the summer of 2008.

The first presentation of FUTURITY took place outdoors in the Avery Courtyard at Bard College on July 21, 2008. It was 9 songs and 45 minutes long. Cast: César Alvarez, Sammy Tunis, Eric Farber, Jeremy Hoevenaar, Kyle Forester, Stephanie Loveless, Samita Sinha, Abraham Gomez-Delgado, Brett Price and Dani Restack. Design by Emily Orling. Percussion Design by Eric Farber

FUTURITY was next performed at the Zipper Factory on January 9 and 10, 2009. Cast: Cesar Alvarez, Jaime Currier, Sheila Donovan, Eric Farber, Kyle Forester, Andrew Hoepfner, Jeremy Hoevenaar, Sam Kulik, Dani Restack, Elias Orling, Elmore Richmond III, Sammy Tunis and Emma Zander. Director: Melissa Firlit. Musical Director: César Alvarez. Stage Manager: Paula Kadanoff. Costume Designer: Jennifer Paar. Set Designer: Emily Orling. Percussion Design: Eric Farber. Prop Master: Kellam Clark. Publicity: Jeri Keimig.

FUTURITY was next performed in May of 2009 in four shows at Joe's Pub. Cast: Cesar Alvarez, Jaime Currier, Eric Farber, Maya Ferrara, Jeremy Hoevenaar, Grant O'Brien, Elias Orling, Aaron Schroeder, Caroline Tamas, Jillian Tully, Sammy Tunis, Luke Winslow-King. Director: Dyana Kimball. Musical Director: César Alvarez. Stage Manager: Paula Kadanoff. Costume Designer: Jennifer Paar. Publicity: Jeri Keimig.

Morgan Jenness attended a Joe's Pub performance, bought a hand sewn libretto for $5, and passed it on to Sarah Benson.

FUTURITY was next performed twice at the Rudyard Kipling in Louisville, KY and then three times at HERE in NYC during April of 2010. Music and Lyrics by César Alvarez with The Lisps. Book by Molly Rice. Directed by Meghan Finn. Cast: César Alvarez, Michael Cerveris, Chelsey Donn, Eric Farber, Maya Ferrara, Grant O'Brien, Aaron Schroeder, Ben Simon, Caroline Tamas, Sammy Tunis, Jillian Tully, Lorenzo Wolff. Costumes by Normandy Sherwood. Production Design by Emily Orling. Percussion Design by Eric Farber. Lighting Design by Paul Toben and Jeremy Cunningham. Production Manager Jennifer Caster. Presented by The Motherlodge Festival. Produced by The Lisps with Chris Maring and Toby Thelin.

The music from FUTURITY was next performed in concert at Ars Nova July 23, 2010. Cast: César Alvarez, Michael Cerveris, Chelsea Donn, Eric Farber, Maya Ferrara, Grant O'Brien, Sammy Tunis, Jillian Tully, Lorenzo Wolff.

FUTURITY was next performed in concert on August 27th, 2010 at Joe's Pub. Cast: César Alvarez, Michael Cerveris, Chelsey Donn, Eric Farber, Maya Ferrara, Grant O'Brien, Sammy Tunis, Jillian Tully, Ben Simon and Lorenzo Wolff.

FUTURITY was next performed in concert on December 16th 2011 at Joe's Pub. Cast: César Alvarez, Michael Cerveris, Chelsey Donn, Eric Farber, Grant O'Brien, Aaron Schroeder, Caroline Tamas, Sammy Tunis, Jillian Tully, Ben Simon and Lorenzo Wolff.

FUTURITY had its World Premiere at The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, MA, in March of 2012. Music By César Alvarez with The Lisps. Lyrics By César Alvarez. Book by Molly Rice And César Alvarez. Director: Sarah Benson. Developed in association with Christopher Maring and Rusty Thelin. Cast: César Alvarez, Milia Ayache, Matthew Christian, Chelsea Donn, Liza Dickinson, Eric Farber, Teri Gamble, Edwin Lee Gibson, Anne Gottlieb, Rose Hogan, Carl James, Michael Kane, Lindsey Liberatore, Aaron Schroeder, Ben Simon, Sammy Tunis, Lorenzo Wolff.

Choreographer: Annie-B Parson. Production Design by Emily Orling. Set/Costume Design by David Reynoso. Lighting Design by Austin R. Smith. Sound Design by Matt Tierney. Music Supervisor: César Alvarez. Music Director: Debra Barsha. Percussion Design: Eric Farber. Associate Director: Meghan Finn. Assistant Choreographer: Chris Giarmo. Stage Manager: Katie Ailinger. Assistant Stage Manager: Cassie M. Seinuk; Associate Sound Designer: George Hicks. Assistant Lighting Designer: Heather Smaha; Dramaturgy: Annie DiMario. Additional Casting: Jack Doulin. Vocal Coach: Nancy Houfek; Assistant Vocal Coach: Ron Carlos.

The A.R.T production travelled to Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN. in April of 2012. It was restaged by Meghan Finn. Lighting Design by Paul Toben. Additional MN Cast: Shannon Forney, Joanna Harmon, Parker Genné, Nick Vlcek. Produced by Chris Maring

FUTURITY was next performed at Mass MoCA during April of 2013 in a cabaret reading of a new version. Music By César Alvarez with The Lisps. Lyrics By César Alvarez. Book by Molly Rice And César Alvarez. Cast: César Alvarez, Matthew Christian, Liza Dickinson, Eric Farber, Lindsey Liberatore, Aaron Schroeder, Ben Simon, Sammy Tunis, Lorenzo Wolff. Emily Orling Production Design. Eric Farber: Percussion Design. Joseph Thompson: Lighting Design. Nick DeFrange: Production Stage Manager.

FUTURITY was developed in a week long workshop workshop May 2015 at Ars Nova. Director: Sarah Benson. Cast: César Alvarez, Jen Baker, Eric Farber, Noah Garabedian, Anne Gridley, Andrew Hoepfner, Jo Lampert, Haruna Lee, Ian Lassiter, Mara Mayer, Jessie Shelton, Lester St. Louis, Sammy Tunis and Storm Thomas. Associate Musical Director: Madeline Smith.

FUTURITY was developed further in a week long workshop August 2015 at New 42nd st. Studios. Director: Sarah Benson. Cast: César Alvarez, Andrew R, Butler, Fred Epstein, Eric Farber, Eamon Goodman, Karen Kandel, Haruna Lee, Jessie Shelton, Kamala Sankaram, Darius Smith, Tanyaradzwa Tawenga, Storm Thomas, Sammy Tunis. Associate Musical Director: Madeline Smith.

FUTURITY had its off-Broadway premiere October/November of 2015. Produced by Ars Nova and Soho Rep in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays at the Connelly Theater. Music By César Alvarez with The Lisps. Book and Lyrics By César Alvarez. Additional text by Molly Rice. Director: Sarah Benson. Cast: César Alvarez, Andrew R, Butler, Fred Epstein, Eric Farber, Eamon Goodman, Karen Kandel, Haruna Lee, Kamala Sankaram, Jessie Shelton, Darius Smith, Mia Pixley, Storm Thomas, Sammy Tunis.

Choreography: David Neumann. Set Design: Emily Orling and Matt Saunders; Costume Design: Emily Orling. Percussion Design: Eric Farber. Lighting Design: Yi Zhao. Sound Design: Matt Tierney. Props Design: Noah Mease. Blood Design/Fight Choreography: J. David Brimmer. Dramaturg: Jackie Sibblies Drury. Associate Director: Meghan Finn. Production Manager: Jes Levine. Production Stage Manager: Terri K. Kohler. Assistant Stage Manager: Alisa Zeljeznjak. Associate Music Director: Madeline Smith. Associate Costume Designer: Ashley Rose Horton. Assistant Scenic Designer: Colin McIlvaine. Assistant Lighting Designer/Programmer: Brian Abbott. Assistant Sound Designer and Sound Supervisor: Stowe Nelson. Assistant Director: Brandon Woolf. Assistant Choreographer: Ivy Baldwin. Production Assistant: Veronica Lee. Technical Directors: Ian Guzzone and Tim Jarmon. A1: Alex Huerta. Light Board Op: Savannah Edgar. Wardrobe Supervisor: Adrienne Perry. Master Electrician: Laura Schoch. Script Assistant: Jacob Brandt. Casting: Jack Doulin and Sharky. Box Office: William Burke

Produced by Soho Rep and Ars Nova. Soho Rep, Artistic Director: Sarah Benson. Producer: Meropi Peponides. Executive Director: Cynthia Flowers. Ars Nova, Artistic Director: Jason Eagan. Managing Director: Renee Blinkwolt. Associate Artistic Director: Emily Shooltz. General Manager: Casey York.

THANK YOU to each and everyone one of you !!!!

FUTURITY is available for licensing at Uproar Theatrics