Shorter, however, has undergone a change in administration and is now making headlines with a new and upsetting policy that requires employees to sign a “lifestyle” pledge that rejects homosexuality, adultery, and premarital sex. After thoroughly researching the issue, we have decided that we cannot go to Shorter and have cancelled our engagement.

This is the email we sent to the president and the board of the university this afternoon.

Dear President Dowless, Dean Wingard, and Shorter Board of Trustees -

My writing partner Brian Lowdermilk and I are engaged to come to Shorter University to lead a master class with the your musical theater students on November 21st, 2011. Due to Shorter’s recent policy shifts requiring all employees to sign a “Personal Lifestyle” pledge agreeing to reject homosexuality and premarital sex, we cannot attend.

As long as this policy is in place we will not be able to work with Shorter University. Furthermore, we will encourage our large fan-base of teenagers to avoid your school and encourage other theater artists to avoid working with you as well.

We believe that all men and women have the right to marry, date, and have sex with any consenting adult they choose and we believe that it is none of your business nor is it any of ours. We hope that you will recant this truly backwards policy.

Please consider this correspondence a termination of our engagement.

Sincerely,
Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk

From President Don Dowless, we received this response:

Dear Kait and Brian,

Thank you for letting us know.   I agree that working together would be incompatible.

Don Dowless

If you are as horrified by this as we are, please take a look at the facebook groupSHORTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI UNCENSORED for ways to express your outrage including a petition and contact information for the university board.  If you would like to contact President Dowless directly, his email address is ddowless@shorter.edu.

By Celia Wren, Published: October 17

The science geeks have all the fun in “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog!,” a jauntily educational children’s musical at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater. Featuring a book and lyrics by Lauren Gunderson, with a perky pop-show tune score by Brian Lowdermilk, this hour-long world premiere (recommended for ages 6 and up) launches its eponymous schoolgirl heroine on a quest to solve a cosmic mystery. A subsidiary goal for Dr. Wonderful: to keep Newton, her canine sidekick, from hoarding all the household butterscotch.

The sleuthing takes place against the backdrop of a cozy bedroom-and-laboratory decorated with handmade drawings of Einstein and other thinkers and furnished with an enormous telescope. This is the home base of Dr. Wonderful (Jessica Frances Dukes), a youngster who likes to sing the praises of the scientific method, and who would probably rather attend a NASA planning meeting than hang out with Justin Bieber.

After Dr. Wonderful’s hyper-cool mom (Gia Mora) poses a high-stakes puzzler involving the imminent disappearance of a star, Dr. Wonderful and Newton (Jason Lott) set off on an investigatory trip through the solar system. Accompanying them is Ben (Nickolas Vaughan), the nerdy dreamboat who lives down the street. By the time the trio has successfully solved the whodunit and returned to Earth, they have mastered basic facts about visual perspective, atoms and fusion, and have learned the salient characteristics of all the planets.

Director Sean Daniels and his creative team deliver some cheeky humor with their science lessons. The rundown on the solar system, for instance, takes the form of a colorful pageant, complete with signature music for each celestial body. (Move over, Gustav Holst!) When Dr. Wonderful and her team voyage past Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, for instance, composer Lowdermilk delivers sultry Caribbean tones and rhythms, and the spirit of the planet (Mora again) prances onstage in a Carmen Miranda-style fruit-bedecked headpiece. Another mini-scene — about the moon — showcases Mora in a fedora, moonwalking like Michael Jackson to a “Thriller”-esque beat.

Like a particle accelerator in action, the performances are expertly calibrated. Wearing jeans, pink sneakers and a lab coat, Dukes displays fine comic timing, especially when admiration for Ben turns Dr. Wonderful into a tongue-tied klutz. Vaughan’s Ben exudes dorky charm, and Lott is hilarious as a smart-alecky pooch who would prefer to be playing with his Xbox but who settles for saving the world and learning astrophysics.

Sadly, at the opening performance, the musical accompaniment tended to drown out Gunderson’s lyrics. But the kids in the theater didn’t seem too distressed by this acoustical failing. In the moments after the curtain call, one youngster was heard to gush to his parent: “That was awesome!”

The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog!

Book and lyrics by Lauren Gunderson; music by Brian Lowdermilk. Directed by Sean Daniels; music direction, Christopher Youstra; scenic design, Misha Kachman; costumes, Kathleen Geldard; lighting, Brian J. Lilienthal; sound, Veronika Vorel; properties artisan, Dreama J. Greaves; orchestrations, Charlie Rosen. One hour. Through Oct. 29 at the Kennedy Center Family Theater. Call 202-467-4600 or 800-444-1324 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

Comment on the review here.

by Andrew Beck

August 9, 2011 – Just as Samantha Brown, the heroine of a new musical now being workshopped at Goodspeed Musicals, waits with trepidation and anticipation as she prepares to leave home for college, the writing-composing team of Brian Lowdermilk and Kait Kerrigan wait with equally bated breath as they prepare to see their show take flight through August 28 on the stage of the Norma Terris Theater in Chester, CT.

“The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown” reflects a major step forward for the young composing team who in recent years have developed an avid following in New York music and cabaret circles. Although they have written a popular children’s musical, “Henry and Mudge,” that is now touring the United States by the New York based troupe Theaterworks USA, and their first CD, “Our First Mistake” has just debuted, “Samantha Brown” represents their first “grown-up” musical to receive a fully-stage production. Yes, they have written other shows that have been workshopped at various venues including the New York Musical Theater Festival and Goodspeed’s own Festival of New Artists, but their fan base has grown largely because of their own appearances in the City and through performances by any number of popular singers who have included covers of Kerrigan-Lowdermilk music in their acts.

In fact, many knowledgeable New Yorkers look to Kerrigan-Lowdermilk as the leading rising musical theater team now writing. That’s quite a burden for a young team to bear, but their admirers claim that the quality of their prodigious output justifies that claim. Both Kerrigan and Lowdermilk are much more down to earth than such acclaim may indicate and, while genuinely grateful for their following, just seem pleased that their work has touched a particular, special audience: younger professionals who understand and relate to the issues and rhythms explored in their work.

“We are very committed to a generation that to an extent has had a hard time taking action,” Kerrigan explains. ” A lot of people our age or younger have had things spelled out for them, from parents’ expectations to test scores, with a lot of pressure to do what other people say they are supposed to do. One’s own identity can get lost in this shuffle and not know why you are doing things.”

That appears to be the dilemma faced by their title character in the Goodspeed work. The musical finds Samantha Brown sitting in her driveway in her fully-packed car on the morning she is supposed to be leaving for college. As she reviews the events of her senior year, from the loss of a close friendship, the discovery of first love and her relationship with her parents, she realizes that she is now faced with making the first crucial decision of her life–is college the direction in which she really wants to go?

According to Kerrigan, 30, she knew a lot of young people who went to college who never really belonged there. “I wanted the opportunity,” she stressed. “I really wanted to go. I was determined to go somewhere very academic. People who didn’t want to pursue academics perhaps could have better benefited from taking a year off to learn more about themselves and see how the world really worked.”

Lowdermilk, 28, cites his own story as an example of someone needing to figure out what they want to do. He spent a year at Harvard University, but dropped out in order to actively pursue a musical and theatrical career in New York. I was able to work for free with composers and learn about the theater in that way and spend time with actual musicians, which I found very valuable.”

The collaborators believe ultimately that the story of Samantha Brown has universal appeal for all audiences. “It’s really a coming of age story,” Lowdermilk explains. “It’s about a moment that everyone experiences in their lives and one that people will experience over and over again as they try to take control of your future. Sam is trying to make a decision that is not truly popular with her family and that is something that everyone can relate to. We are taking a specific situation and by the end it takes on greater significance.”

Kerrigan and Lowdermilk both hail from Pennsylvania, he from the greater Philadelphia area and she from the northeastern Wyoming Valley. Their paths first crossed at a summer theater camp where they appeared in some of the same productions, but they really didn’t reconnect until both were living in New York. By then, Kerrigan had graduated from Barnard College and was writing plays, while Lowdermilk was working on musicals. Kerrigan’s step-mother, who was Lowdermilk’s mother’s masseuse, suggested that the two should get together. Impressed with each other’s work, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk started collaborating with the result being “The Woman Upstairs,” which itself paved new trails in the musical genre in that its main character never sings.

Although Kerrigan tends to focus more on the words and Lowdermilk on the music, Lowdermilk points out that “we go back and forth, supporting each other. Kait sometimes will take the lead; sometimes I will. Since we’re in the same room, we’ve figured out different ways to work together.” Kerrigan is quick to pipe in and stress that “we’ve learned to trust the process and let it work out.” Lowdermilk is a self-taught pianist and has written five musicals, including “Reds” with Marcus Stevens, which won both of them a prestigious Alan Mencken Award. Kerrigan has written several plays, including one which was nominated for a Princess Grace Award, and has played the violin since she was three years of age. In addition, they both have proven to be quite adept at performing their music live, garnering them a loyal and devoted following.

They cite as influences the musical writing teams of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime,” “Once on This Island,” “My Favorite Year”) and Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford (“I’ve Got My Act Together and Am Taking It on the Road”), who served as mentors and guides into the musical theater world of New York.

That’s perhaps one reason why Kerrigan and Lowdermilk relate so well to young people and indeed have accumulated a great many younger fans. The two are well known (and much appreciated) for their willingness to take the time to respond to their young fans, especially those who are interested in pursuing careers in music. “I’ve taught at Young Playwrights,” Kerrigan indicates. “I have four students with whom I have developed a recurring, long-term relationship with. All are talented playwrights and I am enjoying watching them grow and getting better. They are all smart writers and I’m looking forward to see what happens.”

Lowdermilk also tries to help younger artists out, just as he was helped by composer Jason Robert Brown (“Parade,” Goodspeed’s “13″). “I like meeting the next generation of theater artists,” he says, ” and help connect them to other eager artists, just as Kait and I came together.” One notices that on their message boards, both Kerrigan and Lowdermilk spend considerable time with prospective artists, responding at length to questions and offering appropriate encouragement.

Their first CD, “Our First Mistake,” was developed in part in response to fan requests for more of their music. A formidable cast of up and coming Broadway professionals, among them Kelli O’Hara of “South Pacific,” Matt Doyle who is currently in “The War Horse,” and Meghann Fahy who stars in “Samantha Brown” at the Goodspeed, cover a number of songs from the Kerrigan-Lowdermilk canon, including several from “Samantha Brown.” A sample of some of the music is available on their website.

Kerrigan and Lowdermilk are also pleased with the work of director Dan Goldstein who they consider an equal collaborator in the further development and refining of their work as it is readied for a full-scale professional production. The two writer/composers have been busy tweaking and making adjustments to the show as it prepared for the start of its month-long engagement.

As an example of the type of following that Kerrigan-Lowdermilk enjoy, a number of their New York fans have been making the trek up to Chester to view the latest version of “Samantha Brown.” The duo hopes that they’ll be obtaining even more followers from the Connecticut audiences that come to see the show. At least Connecticut audiences will learn what all the hub-bub is surrounding this team, who Talkin’ Broadway has called “perhaps the most important young writers in musical theatre today; they have a gift for connection and emotional insight not matched by many of their colleagues.”

Performances are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., Saturday afternoons at 3 p.m, and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For tickets, call 860.873.8668 or visit goodspeed.org.

It is dawn. Samantha Brown is supposed to leave for college today. She sits in her car with her bags packed, but she can’t turn the key in the ignition. She is filled with doubts as the defining moments of her senior year flash through her mind. Somehow Samantha has to come to terms with her parents’ expectations, her first love, and a lost friendship before she can turn the key and make the first decision of her adult life. With a compelling and contemporary score, Samantha Brown is a fresh new musical that you must see.

Samantha Brown features Music by Brian Lowdermilk and Book and Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan. The dynamic young writing team won the 2006 Jonathan Larson Award and a Richard Rodgers Award. Kerrigan and Lowdermilk have collaborated on Tales From The Bad Years, which appeared in Goodspeed’s 2008 Festival of New Artists, The Freshman Experiment, Henry and Mudge, and The Woman Upstairs.

Goodspeed Musicals, the first two-time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, enthusiastically reveals the complete Samantha Brown cast led by Meghann Fahy, who will play Samantha. Ms. Fahy starred in Broadway’s Next To Normal. Kelly will be played by Melissa Benoist. Ms. Benoist will appear in Showtime’s upcoming drama, “Homeland.” Dad will be played by Stephen Bogardus whose numerous Broadway credits include Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Man of La Mancha, High Society, Falsettos, Les Misérables, and West Side Story. Adam will be played by Andrew Durand of Broadway’s Spring Awakening. Mom will be played by Catherine Porter who played Betty Schaefer opposite Hugh Jackman in the West End’s Sunset Boulevard.

Samantha Brown will be directed by Daniel Goldstein, who is scheduled to direct Broadway’s upcoming revival of Godspell. The set will be designed by Walt Spangler (Desire Under the Elms and Hollywood Arms). Costumes will be designed by Tony-nominated David C. Woolard (West Side Story, Dividing the Estate, All Shook Up, The Rocky Horror Show, Damn Yankees, and The Who’s Tommy). Lighting Design will be by Jason Lyons (Rock of Ages, The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park, and Good Vibrations). Sound design will be by the Tony Award-winning Tony Meola (Pal Joey, Les Misérables, Wicked, Man of LaMancha, The Lion King). The Music Director will be Gregory M. Brown who was Dance Arranger for Goodspeed’s Half a Sixpence and Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter.

Exclusively for this production, a special student ticket deal of just $20 with valid student ID will be offered for all performances.

Samantha Brown will run August 4 through 28, 2011. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m.*, Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (*Thurs. 8 pm only on August 4th).

Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or on-line at www.goodspeed.org.

Continue Reading.

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When it comes to young love, sometimes it’s not easy to let go even long after the music dies. Memories of shared first experiences, passionate times and intertwined lives can make it hard to move forward. The subject of young love is one that has long inspired writers — from poets to scriptwriters to playwrights — but rarely has it been examined in such a fresh, of-the-moment manner as in Kait Kerrigan’s “Imaginary Love,” which premiered on stage at the Nick Rodriguez Theater in Antioch on June 3. With Hapgood Theatre Company’s artistic director Josy Miller at the helm, Kerrigan’s smartly written “Imaginary Love” emerges as a hip, well-paced production that transcends time and space to captivate its audience. Read More.

Kait and Brian will be sharing some of their favorite songs and will be joined by an amazing group of singers from Broadway to Broad Street. Cast members from SPRING AWAKENING, WICKED and MAMMA MIA, will be performing along with a few of
Philly’s brightest stars, including:

Jennie Eisenhower (Reefer Madness), Danielle Herbert (Philly Rocks!), Alex Keiper (Reefer Madness, Little Shop, Rooms), Carly Brooke Pearlstein (Trailer Park) and Marcus Stevens. Presented by 11th Hour and Drexel’s MPiRP.



THIS EVENT IS OVER. Read a review of Saturday’s Philly performance here :: http://superawesomebroadwayninjas.blogspot.com/2011/04/you-made-this-tour-strath-haven-high.html

Doors will open at 9:45 PM for the 10 PM concert.

The evening will showcase the team’s songs, as performed by a lineup set to include Farah Alvin (Nine, Grease), Michael Arden (The Times They Are A-Changin’), Jenni Barber (The Bridge Project), singer-songwriter Joanna Burns, Miguel Cervantes (American Idiot), Katrina Rose Dideriksen (Jerry Springer: The Opera), Meghann Fahy (Next To Normal), Mandy Gonzalez (Wicked), Greg Hildreth (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Natalie Joy Johnson (Legally Blonde), Theresa McCarthy (Titanic), Lindsay Mendez (Everyday Rapture), Andy Mientus (Spring Awakening), Dee Roscioli (Wicked) and Michael Winther (33 Variations).

Daniel Goldstein will direct, and Michael Cassara and Rachel Routh will produce.

Kerrigan and Lowdermilk have written the musicals The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown and Henry and Mudge. Their debut album Our First Mistake hit No. 1 on the Itunes singer/songwriter chart and is currently available for downloading on Itunes.

Le Poisson Rouge is located in Manhattan at 158 Bleecker Street. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/2133.

Here’s how you enter:
1) Download the karaoke track for RUN AWAY WITH ME.
2) Find the biggest group of friends, KL fans, celebrities or the like, and SING! HAVE FUN! BE CREATIVE!
3) Record your (tasteful) video, upload it to your YouTube/Vimeo page listing “Run Away With Me Contest” with your name or the name of your group.
4) Post the link to your fabulous, amazing video on our FACEBOOK PAGE, and that’s it. You are entered!

This is SUPER BIG guys. Good Luck!

CONTEST DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23rd at MIDNIGHT

Note: By uploading a video, you agree that Kerrigan-Lowdermilk have the consent of all your video participants and the right to use your contents in the K-L music video. Any videos deemed tasteless or offensive will be disqualified.

THE GRAND PRIZE: The most fun and creative entries will be featured in K-L’s FIRST music video ever! The video will premiere at our concert at LPR on the 27th. But, that’s not it…Entries with the largest groups of people will automatically be featured in the video and you get a bonus prize, and entries with celebrities are also automatically featured in the video and you get a bonus prize as well.

So what’s the BIG BONUS PRIZE? An ah-mah-zing K-L Grand Prize Package with so many awesome things you won’t know what to do with them!