notes from a house

in the trenches of new musical making

Apr 15, 2026

photo by michael brosilow, set by andrew boyce and lauren m. nichols, lighting by lee fiskness

greetings from chicago, where i have been since mid-february with the first production of the new musical OUT HERE, for which i designed the concept, wrote the lyrics and music, and orchestrated. my colleagues on the project are concept designer, bookwriter and co-lyricist leslie buxbaum and concept designer, dramaturg david levin.

making a new musical is hard work - every day a new problem, or 20. there are personalities, technical issues, and timelines to manage. and then more personalities! even though i work in theater, i will always be a musician first and foremost. but i am just one animal in a zoo with actors, designers, directors, stage managers, who all have their own habits and needs. it’s a real noah’s ark of learning to live together.

i love to complain about how awful it is to make a new musical. in the last month or so, i’ve sent numerous texts to friends who have also made musicals that all read somewhere along the lines of “i can’t believe i signed up for this hell-realm again.”

they always reply with something wonderful, validating, and unique to their artistic voices. one of my former collaborators reminded me that musicals are the hardest form of all the arts: “an unkind industry, a million moving parts, an unreasonable timeline.” AMEN!

another simply texted me this:

also AMEN!!

i’ve just got a few days left to get this puppy to the finish line of opening night, april 18. and i am trying to put aside my fatigue, stress, annoyance, despair, more fatigue and put my head down and do the work.

i haven’t had a baby, but i wonder if this is perhaps like birth - it’s awful but i won’t remember how awful it was, and will sign-up to do it again, despite my best efforts.

i’m staying in printers row, south loop. and i’ve got carl with me, which is the best. the other morning on our walk i saw this motto over the doorway of an old publishing firm that is now an apartment building:

so, for the next 5 days, i am focusing on the complete accomplishment of my purpose. after that… who knows? it’s always unclear with a first production of a musical what happens next. will we get another shot? will someone with some money join the team so we can take the production elements to another level? or is this it? i have to be satisfied and feel complete with what goes up on chicago’s court theatre stage this saturday night.

i texted this photo to my group chat with my co-writers leslie and david, as a sort of wry inspiration for us to push through the last few days of difficult work.

leslie immediately texted back: “i used to live in that building”.

*chills*

i don’t believe in coincedence, so there is only one conclusion: everyone is right where they are supposed to be!

x erin

ps - here are some more production photos from our director chay yew and house photographer michael bresilow