“All For A Song,” New Musical Based on the Life And Career of Kansas City Jazz Legend Myra Taylor; Composer Conrad Pope and Screenwriter Alessandro De Gaetano Team Up For Theatrical Production
Santa Monica, CA: (PRWEB) July 25, 2013 -- "All For A Song," is a new musical based on the life and career of Kansas City Jazz Legend Myra Taylor, who wrote such hits as "Spider and the Fly," "Take It Easy Greasy" and "Still Water." She was also the first person to record the perennial classic "I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire," with Harlan Leonard and His Rockets.
Hollywood film scorer Conrad Pope will compose the original music and create new arrangements for Taylor’s hits. Independent filmmaker and screenwriter Alessandro deGaetano will be writing the book and lyrics.
"All For A Song" begins with the untold story of the first USO Black Entertainer’s Unit during WWII. Myra, musical director Eubie Blake, and her fellow performers find themselves fighting their own battles with segregation on the Home Front in the 1940’s, as they entertain troops at Army Bases and hospitals. It then follows Myra as she continues to tour military bases in Korea and Vietnam and eventually ends up owning her own nightclub beside the Rhine River in Frankfurt, Germany. After a string of bad luck and misadventures she finds herself back in her home town of Kansas City, at the age of eighty, living on Social Security. However, fate takes a hand, she is rediscovered and makes a triumphant come back as headliner for the 2001 Kansas City Jazz and Blues Festival.
Sadly, on December 9th, 2011, the music stopped for Ms. Taylor as she passed away at the age of ninety four.
Conrad Pope is well-known in Hollywood film circles for his work as a composer, orchestrator and arranger. Recent blockbuster, multi-nominated and award winning films include "Life of Pi," "Moonrise Kingdom," "Argo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl," to mention a few. A classically trained musician, he is extremely proud of his work on "My Week With Marilyn," starring Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh.
Alessandro deGaetano was a long time friend and colleague of Myra Taylor’s. His credits include writing and directing "MetalBeast" starring Kim Delaney and Barry Bostwick; the cult classic hit comedy "Butch Camp" starring Judy Tenuta and co-authoring the screenplay "Neowolf," a horror film distributed by Lionsgate Releasing. DeGaetano also wrote and directed "Scoring," with basketball legend "Pistol Pete" Maravich, in which Myra had a co-starring role.
The goal for the Kick Starter launch is to raise $14,000.00 to record five demo songs, with professional performers and finish the script. Upon completion a presentation package will becreated for industry producers and interested theatrical producing companies. The link is live and will run until September 3 at http://kck.st/17yxyb8.
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Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, a long-time fan of Myra Taylor’s, has graciously donated her time and taped a special introduction piece for the launch of the project. In it she speaks about Myra’s seventy-five year career, her appearances in television on “The Jefferson’s” and resurgence as the headline act and poster girl for the Kansas City Jazz Festival in 2001. Ms. Nichols is perhaps best known for portraying Uhura in the original "Star Trek" television series, but her illustrious career began as a singer performing with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton.
Composer Conrad Pope comments, "I am very excited to be working on "All For A Song," as her life story encompasses such a rich legacy of American music. From the jazz age to swing era to contemporary pop music she did it all and worked with luminaries that included Harlan Leonard, Eubie Blake and Eddie Durham. It is a wealth to draw from and create new songs for the show."
Continuing, Alessandro deGaetano adds, "Myra’s career, determination, perseverance and final triumphs are an uplifting story from which we can all learn. She traveled the world. She worked in juke joints and on the concert stage. She was a true female pioneer in the music industry and her songs continue to live this day. I’m only sorry that she won’t be here to see her outstanding legacy continue."
Follow the progress of "All For A Song" at http://www.allforasong-myrataylor.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AllForASongTheMyraTaylorStory.
Marcia Groff, [email protected], 310-721-1592, [email protected]
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