Photos from A GOOD DAY, a new musical playing at the Shawnee Playhouse

The new musical, A Good Day, opened on September 9th at The Shawnee Playhouse and will continue to run through September 24th. It is an original story by playwright/composer Eric B. Sirota, a long-time Flemington resident. A Good Day is an uplifting musical about a widowed artist who is thrust back into the life of his childhood girlfriend, his first love, his muse, a cellist who spurned him over 50 years ago, and now suffers from Alzheimer’s. Through a chance discovery, both their families’ journeys become woven together, and the heartfelt impact that it has upon everyone is simply cathartic and inspirational, where both families can dare to imagine the possibility of a good day.

The Shawnee Playhouse’s production of A Good Day features Dirk Marks as Sam, Maureen Card as Suzanna, Marissa Rachjaibun as Sophie, Erik Sparks as David, Ben Salinas as Paul, and Krista Hulsizer as Margaret. Supporting cast includes Julia Hodnik as Anne, Luke Swierczek as Michael, Laurel Cameron as Young Suzanna, and Gaetano Stone as Young Sam.

Midge McClosky (Executive Director of The Shawnee Playhouse) is the director; Todd Deen, music director and pianist,; Ethan Custard on cello; Jack Tang, choreographer; Krista Hulsizer, stage manager; Marie Steeger, assistant stage manager; Rachel McDaniel assistant stage manager; Marissa Rachjaibun, set designer and scenic painter; Cara London, specialty scenic painter; Eric Uhler, Grant Wagner, and Ryan Cook, set construction; and Samantha Cameron (publicity writer).

The painting on stage are by Hunterdon County artist, Cara London (website: CaraLondon.com).

Photography by Kenneth Card.

The book, music and lyrics were written by Eric B. Sirota, a long time Flemington resident. He studied musical composition in college and is also an established and highly published research scientist with a PhD in Physics. A Good Day is his fifth full-length musical. His first, Frankenstein, a sweeping romantic musical based on Mary Shelley’s novel, played Off-Broadway for three years, and was then adapted for screen and is now streaming on-demand. His musical Your Name on My Lips had two productions at Theatre for the New City in NY, where Sirota was a resident playwright. (website: EricSirota.com)

Eric Sirota’s father had Alzheimer’s, and in his last years, the only way to reach him was through music, singing songs he knew earlier in life. “I decided I wanted to write a musical touching on the power of music to rekindle memory and awaken the mind,” said Sirota. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Denis Diderot Artists-in-Residence grant to attend the Chateau Orquevaux residency, and there he wrote A Good Day. It was initially developed during the pandemic with virtual readings, dramaturgy and workshops, and this past December it had a staged-reading at the Actors Temple Theatre in NYC. Last year, A Good Day was the winner of the Shawnee Playwrights Series, where two of Sirota’s other musicals had been finalists in past years, and it continues its development with this production.

The remaining showtimes and dates are as follows:

2 pm: September 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th
8 pm: September 16th, and 23rd

$19.00 Adult, $16.00 Senior, $13.00 Children under 17 years old

For information or to reserve tickets, please call the Shawnee Playhouse Box Office at (570) 421-5093. For more information on show dates, times, and to purchase tickets online, please visit their website at Click Here.

The Shawnee Playhouse is located at: 552 River Road, Shawnee On Delaware, Pennsylvania 18356.

The show’s website is: AGoodDayMusical.com