Exclusive! Native American Musical Distant Thunder Readies for the Stage – See and Hear It First | Playbill

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News Exclusive! Native American Musical Distant Thunder Readies for the Stage – See and Hear It First Tony Award-nominated director-choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett and her son, actor-writer Shaun Taylor-Corbett, are at work on the new musical Distant Thunder.
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Marisa Quinn, April Ortiz and Desiree Davar

The story follows attorney Darrell Walters, a mixed-race Native American who, as a child, was taken from the reservation by his white mother and raised in Chicago. Upon her death, he returns to the tribe to seek reconciliation with his father. Book is by mother/son duo Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shaun Taylor-Corbett; music and lyrics by Chris Wiseman and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

With this project, Shaun Taylor-Corbett explores his paternal Blackfeet heritage. This is his foray into writing for musical theatre after performing in In The Heights, Altar Boyz and the national tour of Jersey Boys.

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Spencer Battiest, Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Nicolas Dromard

The next step along the way in the musical's development is a recording of songs from the show featuring Grammy winner Joseph Firecrow, Seminole recording artist Spencer Battiest, Courtney Reed (Aladdin), Tony Chiroldes (In The Heights), Desireé Davar (West Side Story), Nicolas Dromard (Oklahoma!, The Boy From Oz), Ryan Duncan (Shrek the Musical), Matt Gumley, Shayna Jackson (TV's "The Hub"), Christine LaDuca, April Ortiz ("Father of the Bride"), Marisa Quinn ("Twilight," "Longmire") and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

Listen to a sample of the show's finale.

The story has also been adapted as a screenplay, which is currently in the second round of competition at Sundance. In July, the Taylor-Corbetts shot a mini documentary in support of the screenplay. Watch it below.

 

 
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