''The Woman Upstairs'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

Bree Lowdermilk Bree Lowdermilk (formerly Brian Lowdermilk) is an American musical theater composer and lyricist. Biography In addition to writing music and lyrics, Lowdermilk is also a music director, arranger, vocal coach, and pianist. They are an alumnus of ...

(music and lyrics) and

Kait Kerrigan Kait Kerrigan is an American playwright and musical theater lyricist and book writer. Biography Kait Kerrigan is a playwright and a lyricist and composer of musicals. Originally from Kingston, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Wyoming Valley West ...

(book and additional lyrics) that premiered in 2004 at the inaugural

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual three-week summer festival that operated from 2004 to 2019. It presented more than 30 new musicals a year in New York City's midtown theater district. More than half were chosen by leading theate ...

(NYMF). The plot concerns the romance between a

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

professor named Helen Morton and a blind violinist named Milo who lives in the apartment below her.

Original Production

The original NYMF production of ''The Woman Upstairs'' opened at the

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is a theater company based at the 47th Street Theater in New York City. It was founded as El Nuevo Círculo Dramatico (The New Drama Circuit) by Míriam Colón and Roberto Rodríguez. It was one of the first Pue ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

on September 23, 2004, and played for five performances, closing on October 3. It was directed by Kerrigan, conducted by Lowdermilk, and starred Deb Heinig (Helen), Aaron Ramey (Milo),

Alison Fraser Alison Fraser (born in Natick, Massachusetts) is an American actress, voice actress and singer who has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in television and film. In concert, she has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, The White Hou ...

(Gracie), and

Kate Shindle Katherine Renee Shindle (born January 31, 1977) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and AIDS activist. She is currently serving as the President of the Actors' Equity Association. She was Miss America 1998 in 1998 and Miss Illinois in 1997. ...

(Prof. Kassan).

Josh Young Josh Young is an American actor best known for appearing on Broadway in the revival of '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' as Judas and ''Amazing Grace'', originating the role of John Newton. Early life and education Young was raised in Wallingford, Pen ...

played a variety of ensemble roles, including a student and a beatboxer. Casting was by

Michael Cassara Michael Andrew Cassara (born April 14, 1981 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio) is an American casting director, educator, and genealogist. His casting work spans musicals, plays, and films and he has been nominated for two Artios Awards by the Casting S ...

Musical Numbers

; Act 1 * "The Number One Complaint" — Gracie, Company * "Me and Jackie D" — Gracie, Milo * "Lady, Lady" — Student 1, Student 2, Company * "Options" — Prof. Kassan * "You Will Bloom" — Mother, Child * "Me and Jackie D" (Reprise) — Gracie * "Of Course" — Milo * "Will You Come With Me" — Phil * "I'll Still Be" — Nurse, Company * "Oh Now" — Milo, Student 2 * "Options II" — Prof. Kassan * "When I Take" — Chorister, Company ; Act 2 * "A Crowded Downtown Train" — Student 1, Mother, Company * "Go On" — Milo * "His Arms" — Gracie * "You Will Bloom" (Reprise) — Child * "Fusion" — Hippie, Company * "Big, Big World" — Girl 1, Girl 2 * "Five and a Half Minutes" — Prof. Kassan * "These Days" — Father, Milo * "Before I Go" — Milo * "How It Sounds" — Helen Morton

Critical response

In his review of the original production,

Matthew Murray Matthew Murray (1765 – 20 February 1826) was an English steam engine and machine tool manufacturer, who designed and built the first commercially viable steam locomotive, the twin cylinder ''Salamanca'' in 1812. He was an innovative design ...

of Talkin' Broadway wrote, "Sometimes, a musical comes along that announces itself from its first few notes as something very, very special. ''The Woman Upstairs''...is just such a musical" and called the show "one of the year's most exciting musical dramas." David Finkle of TheaterMania.com agreed, writing that "Lowdermilk and Kerrigan are the real thing, and ''The Woman Upstairs'' is as promising as a musical in the developmental stage can get."Finkle, David. "NYMF Roundup #3." October 1, 2004. http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/10-2004/nymf-roundup-3_5185.html

Neil Genzlinger Neil Genzlinger is an American playwright, editor, book reviewer, and theatre and television critic who frequently writes for ''The New York Times''. Family Genzlinger is a grandson of the late ''The Philadelphia Bulletin'' columnist Don Rose. ...

of the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

wrote that "this modern-day romance... is not ready for prime time. In fact, it's a confused mess. But the intermittent moments when it actually finds its footing provide some reward."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woman Upstairs 2004 musicals Off-Broadway musicals