Lotta’s Fountain, a one-act musical —2009

Lotta’s Fountain is a 20-minute musical drama, with music by Robert Maggio, book & lyrics by Kristin Maloney. It received its first reading at the York Theatre Company, New York City.

Lotta’s Fountain is set in April 2009 at an early-morning ceremony held to commemorate the anniversary of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake. A troubled young student, Amber, along with her boyfriend, Eric, attend the ceremony to meet Rose, the oldest living earthquake survivor. Against a backdrop of historical performers associated with the Great Quake (Enrico Caruso, Luisa Tetrazzini, Jeanette MacDonald and the fountain’s namesake, Lotta Crabtree), Amber’s past and future converge in a piece about memory, family and the communities that form out of tragedy.

Presented as part of 4@15, the Off-Broadway York Theatre Company’s unique collaboration with NYU’s Steinhardt School. Four musical writing teams met 32 student actors and wrote four mini-musicals specifically for their talents. After a fast and furious rehearsal period, the new shows were presented as staged concert performances on York’s Off-Broadway stage. York’s Associate Artistic Director, Brian Blythe directed; Tammy Holder music directed the premiere.