Yesterday evening was the second and final performance for the Musical Cafe’s 2016 Winter Showcase.  Everything was spot on and so much fun to watch.  The casts for all four plays were terrific and the energy from the audience was warm, excited, engaged, and ready to be pleased.  It felt like we were part of something incredibly special.  I can’t wait to see where things go from here for all of the plays, but since I am not – as Jane Austen would put it – disinterested, I am of course biased to The Right Note.   There’s the opportunity for some depth along with the fun and the music is just so beautiful.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

THE RIGHT NOTE Books and Lyrics by Jerome Joseph Gentes, Music and Lyrics by Rice Majors, Directed by Laylah Muran de Assereto Shown: Joseph Alvarado, Chris Maltby, Kyle Pretty Cool Stoner, Ayelet Firstenberg, Cabiria Jacobsen, Jesse Cortez, Beebe Reisman, Shannon Kealey photo by Marc Sternberger — at PianoFight.

I’ve learned many things about myself in this process and hope that this is just the beginning of a longer journey.  Most rewarding of the whole process was how happy Jerome (Joseph Gentes, book and lyrics) and Rice (Majors, music and lyrics) were with their piece.  The entire cast hit each of the various moments they needed to, distinguishing themselves and the story.  It was fulfilling the showcase promise in every way.

Richard, Jerome, and Sandy have really hit on a niche that needed filling.  As popular as musical theatre is, and as resource heavy development of that work is, it is great to have that forum for presenting work in progress the way non-musical works have in abundance.  Their Spring showcase submission period is open until Feb 15th and I strongly recommend going to see the show when it comes around (next time at Flight Deck in Oakland in March).