ELLIPSES: The Cosmology Mythology Musical

ELLIPSES stars Singularity and their teenage Galaxies and follows their quest to undo the Big Bang, after their dog Gravity sets it off. The supermassive heart of this coming-of-age story is self-discovery in isolation.

In astrophysics, David Quang Pham seeks connections between the humanities and the galaxies. He noticed that galaxies were aimless while viewing them at the Michigan State University Observatory. During the pandemic, he virtually made connections with theatres around the world. When Atlanta’s Working Title Playwrights made him their second apprentice, he was granted a nurturing space with professional resources for the first time in a decade-long career as a musical writer. In WTP’s first-class instructed by
Addae Moon, he decided to craft a new musical after having worked on an opera for many years. He looked through an isolated lens but with family. Ever since, he strives to develop this original mythology about the origin of our Universe, devised through the musical theatre medium, that connects family to relativity and temporality to eternity.

This musical is developed in yearlong workshops at WTP between 15 professionals in Atlanta, Georgia, and the author in Wyoming, Michigan. Together, they recorded 9 demos. Stage manager Alexis ‘Lexi’ McKay maintained order. Dramaturg Jordan Alexandria Ealey consulted on the story. Director Aliyah Curry used her cinematography expertise to render this stage musical virtual. The concert reading visualizes production numbers through animation and impressionistic digital paintings. The visuals were made through the Adobe and Corel software. For an inside look at the creative process, visit: https://www.ellipsesplay.com