Kevin Wong announced as third resident artist at Musical Stage Company
iPhoto caption: Courtesy of Musical Stage Company
The Musical Stage Company has announced Kevin Wong as the third artist to participate in its Crescendo Series residency program.
First introduced in 2017 as part of the company’s expansion, the residency program offers Canadian musical theatre composers the opportunity to see their work produced by Musical Stage, plus financial and dramaturgical support on the way to production.
During his residency, Wong will receive an annual bursary, dramaturgical and promotional support, as well as a guarantee of seeing his work produced by the company. Audiences can catch a sneak peek of his musical In Real Life, co-created with Nick Green, at Musical Stage’s Festival of New Musicals in May 2024. Wong is also developing his musical Soft Magical Tofu Boys with the company.
“I first came to Musical Stage Company in 2014, right after quitting the practice of law to pursue a full-time career in musical theatre,” said Wong in a press release. “The company embraced me wholeheartedly, fostering my training as a young composer, lyricist, dramaturge, and arts administrator. It is a beautiful culmination to now be the incoming Crescendo artist at this theatre company that I artistically ‘grew up’ with.”
“Kevin has an uncanny ability to tap into the collective human experience and create musical works that profoundly speak to the complex layers of contemporary life,” added artistic director Ray Hogg. “His music and artistry are a compelling blend of intellect and emotion that awakens both mind and heart, leaving those who experience his work forever changed. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join our Crescendo Series residency program and for future audiences to experience his original works for the first time.”
The first two Crescendo Series artists were Britta Johnson and Anton Lipovetsky, whose works have been produced at Musical Stage and beyond while part of the program.
You can learn more about the Crescendo Series here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's senior editor and an award-winning arts journalist with bylines including the New York Times, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, CBC Arts, and Maclean's. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
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