Yorkey-Spangler-Taylor Musical Play It By Heart to Be Developed at Human Race

By Adam Hetrick
15 Sep 2009

Tony Award-winning lyricist and librettist Brian Yorkey will develop his new musical Play It By Heart in a residency at Ohio's Human Race Theatre Company.

Yorkey (Next to Normal) is collaborating with songwriters David Spangler and Jerry Taylor on the show that traces the life of a female country singer who must cope with her family and the changing world of the music industry.

The September residency allows the writers time to continue work on the aborning musical by testing their material with a company of actors. It is one of the first projects developed through the Human Race's newly founded "Musicals in Development" arm.

Co-creator Taylor described the work as "the quintessential story of a family in country music," in a statement.

"This musical was previously developed at the Village Theatre in Washington and has had a production in Nashville," said Human Race executive director Kevin Moore in a statement. “The team all moved on to other projects. This will be their first chance to get back together to work on the show, with hopes for a production in the near future.”

An earlier version of Play It By Heart premiered at the Village Theatre in 2005. The Village also served as the breeding ground for Yorkey's Broadway hit Next to Normal, which was developed under the title Feeling Electric.

Human Race Theatre Company has developed and premiered musicals including Snapshots, Was, Wild Blue, Harold & Maude, Convenience, Green Gables, Moby Dick, The Ambition Bird, Voice of the City, 24 Hours, Nefertiti and Tinyard Hill.

Visit HumanRaceTheatre.