‘Larry The Musical’ crowdfunding underway ahead of March debut
Crowdfunding campaign for “Larry The Musical” underway ahead of March 2024 debut | Photo from @larrythemusical/Instagram
As a nation with a long history of and undergoing liberation and labor movements, it’s unsurprising that Filipinos have a penchant for historical shows—be it on stage or on screen.
It’s high time a Filipino-American activist’s story gets the spotlight, and now you can help make this happen.
The creative team behind the upcoming “Larry the Musical” based on the first book about Filipino-American labor organizer and civil rights activist Larry Itliong has called for a crowdfunding campaign.
“‘Larry the Musical’ is a labor of love, created for and by the Filipino-American community. We’re a 100 percent Filipino-American creative team committed to telling this important and untold story of Larry Itliong and the Filipino-American farm workers who were pivotal in forming the United Farm Workers union,” a post on the musical’s page reads.
“We made a conscious decision to hire union actors and crew. This means while we stay true to Larry’s story, we also stay true and support union wages and a living wage for all our creatives. However, to meet payroll for fair wages, housing, and transportation costs, we need your help,” it continues.
“We’re reaching out to you with a heartfelt plea to support our ‘Pay Our People’ campaign—a final push to get ‘Larry the Musical’ on stage in March 2024 at Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.”
In an update shared today, the team happily announced that they’ve raised $15,491 as of Jan. 31, which is 31 percent of their $50,000 goal. As a thank you, donors will receive “Larry The Musical” merch and a concept album of new and original songs sung by the cast. Donations can be made through their website.
“Early donations supported three developmental workshops, film shoots in San Francisco and Delano, extensive interviews and historical research, and the talented cast, crew, and musicians involved,” the team said about their progress.
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With musical rehearsals now underway, the team promises incredible performances of songs by composer and executive producer Bryan Pangilinan with co-composer, orchestrator, and music director Sean Kana.
While there’s still a long way to go before “Larry The Musical” premieres, its team is determined to make it happen. In the words of Itliong, “The horizon of victory seems to be lost in the thick fog, still there is no skepticism in their hearts. They will see the light at the end of their journey soon.”
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