it only takes five seconds, for a new beginning
| This story commemorates the feat of survival of a mid-western non-binary teen who wears their heart on their sleeve. Accounts of love lost, friendship against all odds and the harrowing story of abuse on campus. With imagery that bleeds striking surrealism and absurdism that mirrors the perspective of the mind. Five Seconds of Blue has been adapted from a two and half hour play into 90 minutes. The script was accepted into the New York Theatre Festival in 2026. With music composed by Brandon Marchand and co-written by MC Bodden. This story based on real events will leave you scorched. |
Set yourself ablaze, with this saga that unravels the absurdity of life. what happens in the dark will come into the light.
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A visual artist who takes five seconds to the next level
Jack Sully Swaney
artist he/they website
Jack Sully Swaney is a digital illustrator tasked with bringing the story of this production to canvas. Jack has translated his concept art and visual design skills to construct 7 unique works that encapsulate the themes of gender identity, unresolved traumas and distorted reality. His personal work often focuses on the creation of his own worlds, environments and stories all with introspective concepts and clever visual hooks.
| Home |
|---|
| Home was part of the first series of paintings for this set I started on for Five Seconds of Blue and by far the most complex. So many little details to make the home feel lived in and loved in, shattering at the end of the series when all that comfort is nowhere to be found. A day lit scene between two lovers in their quaint city kitchen. Nothing flashy but it’s theirs and it’s home. The whole piece is layered with rich yellows highlighting this blossoming relationship; which creeps along the full series of the set. |
| Looking, Reaching |
|---|
| The second in this series in simplest words is the start of the end. Our happy couple is now in a heartbreaking argument, with the silhouettes of the previous painting echoing in their less than ideal present. As the sun sets on this couple's happy life so to does the sun peering through the window, darkening happy yellows and in turn amplifying the drama of the work. |
| Say It Again |
|---|
| The third painting finds our blue figure now alone and devastated, Accounts of love lost, friendship against all odds and the harrowing story of abuse on campus. flanked by the cracking silhouettes symbolizing the remnants of her memories flooding through their mind. The sun is nowhere to be seen as the kitchen is now only starkly lit by the artificial embrace of the overhead light, with the aim of symbolizing the death of a romance. I wanted to emphasize the drama of this scene with intense contrast and a disheveled pose for the central figure. |
| Funhouse |
|---|
| This is the climax of the story between these two figures. The entire room is bathed in the blue; it's abrupt and uncomfortable mirroring the rape depicted. Initially removing the rest of the scenery forces your attention; unable to hide yourself in the rest of the painting. The only element left is the window which is cracked with intruding hands symbolizing the trespassing of the yellow figure onto the blue figure's body. Along with the plant pot that has been sitting on the back window in every painting wilting; symbolizing the state of the characters relationship ending with it pushed off the edge and left shattered on the floor, permanently scarred. |
| Boyland |
|---|
| This work captures the day to day after the events of the painting series. I wanted to capture the downward spiral of their mental state trapped in a gritty apartment bathroom. Looking in their cracked reflection symbolizing how they’ve been left shattered themselves. The deteriorating mental state is further emphasized by the wall tiles slowly disappearing into a black void representing the dissociation the blue figure experiences on a day to day. Lastly a yellow balloon can be found floating outside the back window calling back to the last of the painting series works. The yellow balloon representing the constant presence of the yellow figure in the back of their mind |
| Dance in The Dark |
|---|
| This painting depicts a twisted dance between our two figures draped in a lacy sheer fabric. I wanted to highlight a feeling of unwanted participation as if the blue figure is stuck in this dance. The clown theming that’s been subtly hinted at throughout some of the other paintings is in full effect which in turn emphasizes the uncomfortable performance aspect of the piece. |
Request prints of five seconds blue collection by jack sully swaney
Brandon Marchand
Composer they/them website
Brandon Marchand is a musician/composer/performer from Oak Creek, Wisconsin, who got their BFA in Musical Theatre from AMDA in Los Angeles, and moved across the country after graduating to pursue a career in musical theatre. They started the music and script for this in 2014 and completed the full two and a half hour script and score, with music underlying the whole show except one scene, in 2015. Read their story below The Origins of Five Seconds of Blue.
The Origins of Five Seconds of Blue This show started as a short 8-10 page short play Brandon wrote in 2014 in response to a sexual assault they had just experienced and survived in college. This short was written in heightened text in the theatre of the absurd and depicted a sexual assault through language and proximity, not just graphically portraying an assault on stage. This way it challenges viewers to intellectually conceptualize what is happening on all levels, focusing on the mental and emotional more than the physical. As Brandon expanded their music theory education they wanted to take on the challenge of turning their story into a musical that would spark the important conversations around sexual assault that were simply not being had. So much of assault gets pushed under the rug by educational institutions and the very criminal justice system that swears to serve and protect the people. Brandon reported this assault to their school. The school found the assailant guilty and the consequences were as follows: he got to graduate with honors, remain the lead in the MainStage musical and black box productions, his face would remain on the college’s publicity for years to come until Brandon cofounded a nonprofit organization that both challenged the school head-on and demanded accountability as well as protected and advocated for the current student body, faculty, and staff from 2021-2024. He, however, could not be an RA anymore and was not allowed on campus housing.
Brandon reported this assault to the LAPD on three separate occasions. The first time LAPD officers said they could not take a report since Brandon had already reported it to their school (which Brandon later found out is actually false and they should have still taken the report regardless of where else it was reported). The second time Brandon was given a detective and phone contact to reach for that detective. Eventually calls were ignored and Brandon never heard about their case again. The third time the same process happened- a detective was assigned, eventually calls went ignored and unreturned, and the case went cold (if there even ever was a case filed). This lit a fire in Brandon that would burn for 12 years to follow. Brandon worked indefatigably to complete a score they knew was going to take a considerable amount of time more to finish but Brandon chipped away as the years went on, crafting and creating a unique sound that combines all the sounds and musical elements that have shaped who Brandon is as a person and an artist and from that 8-10 page short Brandon developed a framework script for the show which was added to and shaped over the years. While still in college Brandon was fortunate enough to have been friends with Bryce Charles who was happy to provide the lyrics and vocal melodies for the opener,“Looking, Reaching” as well as the first main character solo, “Five Seconds” after having creative meetings to execute the vision of dissonance and weaving melodies Brandon was setting forth to achieve on top of the score Brandon had composed for the first two songs. Brandon wrote the opener first as a combination of musical themes and elements Brandon would later expand into a full score. Sometimes the score for the full show influences the opener for musicals but in this case it’s the opener that influenced the rest of the show. Brandon wrote the music first and then filled in the story for much of it.
Musically Brandon knew the story they wanted to tell long before the actual content of the scenes were drafted. Then in 2023, Brandon had been struggling to find the right book writer and person who could take the framework script they wrote and score they composed and finalize it into a production-ready show... until Milly knocked on their door one day not to ask them about the show, not to ask if Brandon was looking or needed someone, but to tell Brandon why she’s the perfect person to be their book writer. This lead to hours of creative meetings where Milly spent hours asking difficult questions and getting to really paint a picture of who Brandon was and what they’ve been through to be able to add in the essential remaining scenes and songs to the story that would bring Five Seconds of Blue to its summer destination of the New York Theater Festival. They submitted the show in late February and were accepted March 5th of 2026 with the explanation being that this was an important story to tell and would make a wonderful addition to the festival. Auditions were held, the cast was set, and rehearsals began. The journey is far from over, but it’s certainly come a LONG way from its
origins. The Patchwork of Storytelling There’s a lot to be said about confidence– MC typically have a lot of it when it comes to storytelling. When she heard that Brandon was struggling to find a writer in the rumor field of our old apartment [lovingly dubbed 54-10 in common tongue]-- she knew they were looking for her. When she first read the script she laughed so much; there were lines in there that were so away from her; she would have never thought of them. She wanted to ensure the script still had that voice while she worked on it. There was a sense of nostalgia in the way Bryan and Jack talked to each other– the sickenly sweet nicknames and overbearing affection. It was like a capsule of being young, dumb and in love. She read most of the script on the subway and tried to sing songs she didn’t know the melodies for under my breath. She knew she was going to have some fun. She wanted to ensure the script still had that voice while she worked on it. She never stopped asking questions. Some moments during writing just felt serendipitous. Fair warning; this is not safe for work. In Bryan's nightmare, they are held down and forced to watch Jack masturbate himself; surrounded by TV Screens. This is a recall from a previous incident and made horrifyingly worse in the distortion of Bryan’s mind; the scene was crafted from her own imagination. This was written before another writing session where she prompted Brandon with questions on how they navigated addiction during that time. Specifically the very first instance. Brandon told me the story: a chance encounter with an Attractive Man. A ‘fuck it, why not?’ when they were led into this man’s apartment and the shocking scene upon entering. A man masterbating himself in the living room in front of the TV. She was astonished by the similarities of imagery. It truly felt just like fate. We wrote that scene verbatim from memory right there. A work like this is a feat. Merging our voices as one took time. It’s been a special experience creating this with Brandon; we learned a lot about each other and forged something entirely true to ourselves. This is a survivors story; fingerprints of herself and Brandon are present in this show.
MC Bodden
Book Writer and Lyricist She/Her website
MC Bodden is a poet and comic writer with a journalistic edge who tackled weaving this story together through a series of interviews and analysis. This is her writing debut featuring seven songs and script editing and autobiographical writing. She creates stories that edge on the line of drama, generational trauma and the inheritance of our legacies She has written a collection of poetry that has been submitted for publishing titled "i love you, i love you, i love you, tomorrow. And she is currently writing an anthology of short horror stories. Her story of this journey is above: The Patchwork of Storytelling
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
When I wrote the beginning of this show, I actually started with the base chords for Defying Gravity from Wicked because I loved the way those chords made me feel so I used the base chord and built a sound and progression that would be Bryan’s big gallery moment in the show. I had composed the score accompaniment for two songs- the opener/overture and the first main character solo. I desperately needed a lyricist who could properly depict the feelings and nostalgia I wanted to showcase in this song so I spoke to a few of my colleagues in college with me and they all pointed me to one person: Bryce Charles. We discussed things like how we are always being constantly pulled or “dragged” forward in life when we never get to go back to any moment to fix it or even just relive it; the fact that this was both a gallery and a high school reunion so I wanted all the gossip and nostalgia that comes along with that. What Bryce returned to me was an epic complete opener to the musical, a true reflection and testimonial of lessons learned and a roller coaster of emotions rushing us forward always.
ENSEMBLE
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN?[Musical Interlude]BRYAN
LOOKING BACK I WAS SO FUN, LOOKING BACK I WAS SO SMARTOther members of the ensemble echo BRYAN in introspection.BRYAN
LOOKING BACK, I MADE MISTAKES,
LOOKING BACK I WAS SO HARSH.
LOOKING BACK I WASTED LOVE AWAY–
[Musical Interlude]ENSEMBLE
(in a round)
STUCK, STUCK, STUCK, STUCK, STUCK, STUCK, STUCK
IN THE PAST!BRYAN
(BRYAN’S LYRICS overlapping Ensemble)
IN THE PAST!
LA, LA, LABASS ENSEMBLE
LOOKING, REACHINGBRYAN
I REMEMBER.ENSEMBLE
WILL I FIND THAT LOVE AGAIN SOME DAY.
LOOKING REACHING.BRYAN
STUCK IN FORWARD MOTION.[Musical Interlude]JACK appears amidst the clamorous cacophony.BRYAN (CONT’D)
Do you remember?JACK
Maybe.BRYAN
You remember.REMEMBER WHEN WE LOVEDJACK
I TRY TO FORGETBRYAN
REMEMBER WHEN WE SMILEDJACK
SO I DON'T REGRETBRYAN
HOLDING HANDS AND WE WERE KISSING IN THE RAIN;
WE WERE SO INSANE.[with Jack]
LOOKING BACK I SEE THE THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE,
BUT I CAN'T CHANGE.LOOKING BACK I SEE THE CHOICES I MADE,
THEY WERE SO STRANGE.BRYAN
MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK.
REACHING FOR WHAT I LACK.[with Ensemble]
BUT I CAN'T TURN BACK.ENSEMBLE
(in a round)
I'M LOST IN TIME (x3)
JUST FIVE SECONDS (x4)BRYAN
REMEMBER WHEN I SAW YOUJACK
REMEMBER WHEN I CHEATEDBRYAN
REMEMBER WHEN HE LOVED ME
REMEMBER WHEN HE BETRAYED MEALL ENSEMBLE
I'M LOST IN TIME
I'M LOST IN TIMELOOKING
REACHINGLOOKING
REACHING, TRYING TO HOLD
LOOKING REACHINGBRYAN
THE MOMENT THAT I SAW
All action stops andBRYAN SPOTLIGHTBRYAN
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS,
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS TO LOVE,BRYAN
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS TO LIE,
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS TO HURT AND CRY AND WANNA DIE.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Five Seconds was in the first two songs I wrote for this show. I gave this song with score accompaniment only and it had no drums that the final rendition of the song has, it has no added guitar, it was simply an arpeggio repeated on piano for the verses with some syncopated chords for the chorus. Bryce saw the vision, though.
BRYAN
Five, four, three, two, one.IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS FOR A NEW BEGINNING.
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS
FOR THE WORLD TO START SPINNING ROUND AND ROUND.I DIDN'T KNOW TIL I SAW HIM
NO, I CAN'T WAIT TIL I SEE HIM TONIGHT.
FIVE SECONDS TO GO.IT ONLY TOOK FIVE SECONDS TO KNOW I LOVED HIM SO.FIVE SECONDS FOR THE WIND TO BLOW THROUGH HIS HAIR
AND FIVE SECONDS FOR ME TO FALL.
FIVE SECONDS TO LOSE TRACK OF IT ALL.CAN I GO NOW? CAN I GO- I GOTTA GO- I NEED TO GO NOW.
FIVE SECONDS AND IT FEELS LIKE MY LIFE HAS ALREADY BEGUN,
LIKE I'VE ALREADY WONCUZ I HAVE HIM, AND I LOVE HIM,
AND HE IS MINE. FIVE SECONDS TO GO.ENSEMBLE
FIVE SECONDS TO GOBRYAN
FIVE SECONDS OR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Say It Again’s score accompaniment was written before the lyrics came into play, which can be said for most of the songs in this show. I developed the score over twelve years but always knew the story and always knew what was going to happen in the show for each scene and song. This song was part of the group of songs I composed in full before I graduated college. I wrote the song, and then was stumped on what the lyrics should be past the beginning lyrics “I love you too, I do…” and I brought it up to my group of friends in college and my friend Emory Gray responded why doesn’t he sing “Do me a favor, say it again” and sung the melody for that part as well and it fit perfectly in the score, and from there I was able to continue with the lyrics and melody lines for that song and it became my favorite song for a long time… until I wrote the score for InnoSins and Colors…
BRYAN
I LOVE YOU TOO.JACK
I DO.BRYAN
DO ME A FAVOR, SAY IT AGAINJACK
(In the cutest way possible, mocking a wolf howling to the moon)
I LOVE YOUBRYAN
YOU LOVE ME.
YOU KNOW I COULD TELLJACK
What?BRYAN
BY THE WAY YOU HELD ME THAT YOU WERE FALLINGJACK
No you couldn't.BRYAN
I SAW SOMETHING CHANGE FROM WHERE YOU WERE
FINALLY NOW IT'S JUST YOU AND ME CLIMBINGJACK
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHTBRYAN
WE'VE GOT THE STRENGTH TO FIGHTJACK
THERE’S SOMETHING NEWBOTH
I'VE GOT THIS CONNECTION WITH YOUJACK
IT'S SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FORBRYAN
IT'S SOMETHING WORTH DYING FORJACK
FOR YOU AND IBRYAN
THIS IS JUST THE START(musical break)TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS, JUST HOLD MEJACK
YOU'LL NEVER NEED TO ASK A SECOND TIMEBRYAN
JACK, I NEED YOU I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECTJACK
LET'S NOT TELL LIES,
WE'RE GOING TO HELL BECAUSE WE'RE GAYBRYAN
Oh shut up.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
JACK
I’M SORRY, I’M NOT PERFECT.
I’M SORRY MY DARLING, I’M NOT PERFECT.I’M ASHAMED I CAN’T BE WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO BE.I’m sorry. I was drunk but all this shit is on me.BRYAN
IT’S OKAY, I SEE YOU,
WHO YOU’RE AFRAID TO BE.I LOVE YOU, and I accept you unconditionally.I HAVE LOVED YOU AND I FEEL A LUMINOSITY SPRING FROM WITHIN.C’mon, you can tell me baby, you can tell me anything.JACK
I didn’t get accepted to USC.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Sung by Lexi Rosenbaum
* BIOGRAPHY,
Lexi Rosenbaum is thrilled to take part in Five Seconds of Blue! Previous theatre credits include Always Young (Off-Broadway), Pinkalicious! (Off-Broadway), Good Morning New York (Workshop/Off-Broadway), Smile (NJACT Perry Nom.) and Runaways (Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at Bucks County Playhouse's Theatre Festival). She also can be seen in the short film Shidduch (Anastasia Fetisova) and was a part of the podcast play A Christmas Fart (Jacklyn Thrapp). She is so grateful to AMDA for her training and her family for their constant love and support!This is one of those stories where you take it as it is. It’s messy, scary, beautiful and empowering. It doesn't shy away from the ugly and features so many facets in the characters.
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Musically I also wanted to depict the dissonance in the score under them, there’s parts that are all major and bright, and then parts that are dissonant and “crunchier,” if you will. Dissonance is something I depict throughout the entire show, except in those occasions when I switch everything into major chords to showcase a positive change or person in Bryan’s journey. The song ends with a swelling three-part conclusion-- all surrounding the love they feel for each other, the love Bryan feels for them and for Jack (can’t forget that little fucker), and the pride and support David and Susan show for their child
DAVID
CALM DOWN, MY LOVE. YOUR KETTLE’S BOILING.TEA actually is boiling in the kettle on the stove.NO, MY LOVE. LET ME BRING YOU TO A SIMMER.
I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT,
LET'S NOT LOOK AT OUR PANTS AND SEE THAT WE'RE SOILING.SUSAN
Oh David, that was terrible.DAVID
The best for you, my love. I like when you give me that side-eye.SUSAN
Oh stop it!DAVID
HUSH NOW, MY LOVE. YOU'RE STEAMER'S STEAMING.There is actually a STEAMER sitting on the floor in front of a DRESS and it is steaming.NO, MY LOVE.
LET ME MAKE YOUR OUTFIT SHIMMER.I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT,
LET'S NOT STRESS OURSELVES!
INSTEAD LET’S LOOK AT OUR CROTCHES TO SEE THAT WE'RE.....
CREAMING.SUSAN/BRYAN
Oh come on, Dave! / Come on, DAD!DAVID
LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO WHEN WE WERE YOUNG,
AND WILD AND FIERCE AND FREE!DON'T YOU REMEMBER!
WE MADE LOVE IN THE KITCHEN,
ON THE TABLE, AND OUTSIDE IN THE PARK,
SHALL I GO ON?SUSAN/BRYAN
NO!DAVID
Then come here!SUSAN
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU, SON!
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
LO-O OVE I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHENBRYAN
I'VE FOUND LOVE!
SOMEONE TO CALL MY MAN!
I CAN SEE A SILVER LINING UP AHEAD, UP AHEAD!DAVID
I'VE KNOWN LOVE THANKFULLY ALL MY LIFE.
SEEING LOVE I LOOK BACK, WAY BACK WHEN.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
JACK
I CAN'T THINK ABOUT WHAT I WANNA THINK ABOUT,
WHEN I GOT YOU YAP YAPPING, UP IN MY EARJACK FRIEND #2 pretends to hump the back of JACK’S chair playfully, while SIMMONE makes exaggerated moaning noises as JACK goes into Triple Sec; hands in his pants.JACK
I GOTTA REALLY FOCUS ON THIS TEXT,
'CAUSE IT MIGHT BE A SEXT,
I WANNA GET WITH HIM, MY BRANDED STEERJACK FRIEND #1
Branded steer? That sounds kinky...JACK
Hold on a sec.///SUSAN
So, we gotta talk about some plans for school.BRYAN
Ok, shoot.SUSAN
We’ve gotten the tickets all situated but there’s a limit to what your dorm--A TEXT comes into BRYAN's PHONEBRYAN
Oh, wait. Hold on a sec.SUSAN
Bryan, this is your fu--BRYAN
Please, ma, hold on a sec.SUSAN
You can't keep avoiding the topic.DAVID
Relax, relax! Let him finish, it'll take just one more--BRYAN
(clearly not considering his surroundings)
SEX.SUSAN
WHAT?!BRYAN
Sec. I meant sec. Chill out, mom.SUSAN
Are you two having--///JACK
Sex.JACK'S FRIEND #2
What?///BRYAN
(whispers)
Sex.LET ME LIVE WHILE I'M YOUNG.
LET ME AT LEAST HAVE A TRY.I AM DRUNK ON THIS LIFE,
I'M STUNNED AND I CAN'T START TO FLY 'TIL I FIND MY SUPPLY OF LOVE.JACK
I'VE GOT HIM NOW.
I NEVER BELIEVED A PERSON COULD MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I DO.
ALWAYS STICKING OUT THE CROWD,HE TAKES ME FOR WHO I AM AND FREELY
FLEETINGLY TAKES MY HEARTAND FILLS IT THROUGH AND THROUGH.SIMMONE
That’s gay.JACK
Shut up, Simmone///
BRYAN
HE TURNS ON MY LIGHT AND EXCITES MY MIND,
I'M OUT OF THE DARK NO LONGER MISUNDERSTOOD.
///JACK
MY FOREVER FOR JUST THIS SECOND IS IN HIS EYES.
HE IS THE ZESTY STING OF TRIPLE SEC
ON MY TONGUE, THE WARMTH BETWEEN MY THIGHS.I'LL TAKE HIM BY STORM,
INTRODUCE HIM TO THE LAY OF THE LAND
AND IN AND AMONG THE KITTENS,HE WILL RISE TO BE MY LION,
OR MY LAMB.///BRYAN
(internally)
I NEED YOU I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT. MARRY ME.///JACK
Hold on a sec.///BRYAN
Hold on a sec?
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Mother’s Goodbye was written relatively early in the writing process as far as music goes. The airport scene music was my own take on Inferno by Robert W. Smith because I wanted it to feel like Bryan’s own personal hell. The Mother’s Goodbye is a song of comfort, but also a song of warning. This is Susan’s moment right before Bryan boards the plane to tell them the amazing things they’re going to experience and accomplish, but also to let them know that they will experience “some things blue,” and that through it all she will be waiting at home for them through it all. The song then ends on an extremely dissonant chord in the strings right before a chromatic ascending scale that leads to the explosion of sunlight and chaos that Los Angeles brings with it. The progression is hell→security→warning→chaos. The audience is once again being dragged through it all.
SUSAN
SON, WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHAT SHOULD I DO?
SON, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
AS MY HEART BREAKS AWAY FROM YOU.WHAT SHOULD I SAY, AS YOU WALK AWAY;
NO, I DON’T WANT YOU TO.BUT YOU MUST GO,
YOU HAVE TO GROW
NO MATTER HOW I DON’T WANT IT SO,HEED MY CALLING
DON’T BE AFRAID OF FALLING–BRYAN
(OH I’M FALLING)SUSAN
AND MY HEART IS CALLING OUT TO YOU;
WE’LL EXPERIENCE SOMETHING OLDCHORUS
SOMETHING OLDCHORUS AND SUSAN
SOMETHING NEWSUSAN AND BRYAN
MY HEART’S IN TWOCHORUS
SOME THINGS BLUE,SUSAN
AND I’LL BE WAITING HERE FOR YOU.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Sung By Emily Cannon Brown
* BIOGRAPHY,
Emily Cannon Brown Emily is a New York based actress, singer, writer, and producer originally from the foothills of Northern California. She has been making up and acting out stories for friends and family since she was a little girl. Now she actually writes them down and acts them out for strangers too. Roles in regional theatre stretch from stages in California to Scotland. Her first feature film “Amador County Has No Coroner” is set for release in the fall of this year.I was so happy to get the script for an original production and when I read it I was surprised that I needed to take a break. Putting this onstage is BOLD! You’d typically expect this content for a film. It’s impactful, for sure.
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
The theme for Dance in the Dark is actually featured earlier in the show as well in the breakup scene underscore. It’s a theme I found on piano one day in my writing process and I really enjoyed playing with anticipations and crunchy chords and it was exactly the sound I needed for the urgency in this part of the show. It’s right after the breakup and the audience sat with Bryan in their breakup for quite some time, and I intentionally made the breakup languid, monotonous, difficult to sit in. Lucy's urgency screams “BRYAN WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING,” throughout this song. Which gave me a sound I can rely on, it felt like this was a message coming from someone I trust in the chords so it fit perfectly that Lucy would be the one singing this song.
LUCY
I don't give a fuck, you're going. You have an hour to get ready.YOU SMELL LIKE SHIT.
IT’S TRUE.
AND I’M SICK AND TIRED OF WORRYING ABOUT YOU.YA GOT DUMPED.
BOO HOO, TOO BAD.
THE IDIOT THAT HAS LEFT YOU ISN’T HALF THIS SAD.IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE A STEP
BEFORE I WASTE MY BREATH;
LIFE’S A TEST. AND YOU’RE FAILING,
BRYAN DON’T YOU KNOW THE WHOLE DORM CAN HEAR YOU WAILING,GET UP. GET DRESSED.
FIND A LAUGH INSIDE YOURSELF
AND GET OUT OF YOUR MESS.I MEAN–
JACK IS A UGLY SON OF A BITCH
WHO’S GOT THREE STD’S
HE SCRATCHES HIS BALLS AND THEY HANG TO HIS KNEESHE’S STUPID AND DISGUSTING AND HIS ASSHOLE STINKSENSEMBLE
STUPID AND DISGUSTING ASSHOLELUCY
But not like your’s baby, ‘cuz your IBS reeksBRYAN
HEY!LUCY
(LUCY helps him find an outfit from his closet,
throwing clothes at him.)YOU'VE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG TO FIND HAPPINESS.
YOU'VE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG TO BE A HUMAN.
WHO ARE YOU? DO YOU EVEN KNOW?
I MISS THE SWEET BOY WHO WAS SO FULL OF BLISS AND VIVACITY.
YOU STILL HAVE YOUR HEART, HAS IT LOST ITS CAPACITY? I LOVE YOU.BRYAN
YOU LOVE ME... Ok.LUCY
Bryan, WE’VE ALL DANCED IN THE DARK.BRYAN
What’s that supposed to mean?LUCY
THE SHITTY PART ABOUT LIFE IS
WE’VE ALL SWAM WITH SHARKS,
TORN FROM THE INSIDE AND FALLING APART.LISTEN, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO START—
LIVING YOUR LIFE INTO ITS NEXT ARC
SO, LET US LIGHT THIS SPARK
WATCHING OUR SHADOWS GET DOWN IN THE DARKBRYAN
Fine, fine. Wait outside.Bryan gets dressed, looking at his skinny body in the mirror he grimaces, he sings softly.
BRYAN
WE’VE ALL DANCED IN THE DARK.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
BRYAN
IT ONLY TOOK FIVE SECONDS FOR ME TO GET
THIS DRUNK THIS DRUNKI NEED TO SIT DOWN BEFORE THE ROOM BEGINS TO
SPIN ROUND SPIN ROUNDWATER MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA.
A SIP
JUST LET ME GET ONE OF THESE SOLO CUPSENSEMBLE PERSON 1
IT ONLY TOOK FIVE SECONDS FOR ME TO GET
THIS DRUNK THIS DRUNKI ALSO SMOKED A TOKE OF THAT BEAUTIFUL GREEN
GANJA GANJANOW THE ROOMS SPINNING ROUND AND ROUND IN CIRCLESI THINK I’LL SIT DOWN RIGHT IN THIS BIG CHAIR.ENSEMBLE PERSON 2
IT ONLY TOOK FIVE SECONDS FOR ME TO GET
THIS DRUNK THIS DRUNKI CAME HERE TIPSY AND NOW I’M COMPLETELY JUST
SHIT FACED SHIT FACEDI AM GOING TO PEE ONCE THAT BATHROOM DOOR
OPEN UP IN THERE I GOTTA GO NOWENSEMBLE PERSON 3
I CAN TELL IN FIVE SECONDS WHO WANTS TO
TAKE ME HOME ME HOMEI CAME HERE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO GET INSIDE
MY PANTS MY PANTSMAYBE THIS JOCK ON THE SOFA WILL TRY
DO YOU WANT MY NUMBER, I’LL WRITE IT DOWN.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Lullaby was written probably about halfway through the process in about year 5 or 6 of writing the show. I knew this song had to be the precursor to that crisis and I knew it had to, like the assault scene, depict the total dissociation and fractured psyche Bryan was experiencing. This song had to be the opposite of what its title is. MC came up with the title and I thought it was the perfect antithesis to the song.
THE KIDS IN BOY AND ... BOY LAND
HEED TO THE CALL OF THE RA'S HAND
BUT WHEN THE HAND HAS ITS OWN PLANAND THE BOY CAN NO LONGER STAND
THE RA GRINS HIS EVIL GRIN
AND TAKES A PLUNGE DEEP WITHINTO TAKE GULPS FULL OF THE POOR BOY'S SOUL
AND RIP HIS LIFE AWAY FROM HIM.LUCY
BRYAN...BRYAN
ME, AND MY SHADOW… Where’s my shadow, Luke?
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
what the fuck
LUCY
WHAT’S THAT THAT I'VE JUST HEARD?
COULD IT BE TRUE, NO. NOT A SINGLE WORD.THAT'S AN RA THAT BRYAN SPEAKS SO HORRIBLY OF,
WITH SUCH LARGE CLOUTHOW CAN I POSSIBLY DOUBT
THE LEADING MAN, THE GO TO.
THE ONE WHO PEOPLE TRUST- WHO WILL PULL THROUGHWHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK?
NOW BRYAN'S STUCK IN THIS MISERABLE LIFE TUCKED, TUCKED, TUCKED
AWAY IN THAT COMPLETELY SHATTERED PSYCHEI CAN'T ASK HIM QUESTIONS NOW WHILE HE'S BLIND, THE KEY
WILL BE FOUND IN THE MORNING WHEN EVERYTHING'S UN MUCKED.
WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Breathe
LUCY
(WHISPERING)
COME ON BRYAN, LIGHT THE FLAME,
BREATHE PLEASE LORD GOD ANYBODY PLEASE–BRYAN, NO NO NO NO NO,
DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF,DON'T LOSE YOURSELF
(Beat)BRYAN PLEASE PLEASE
PLEASE COME BACK TO ME,DON'T GO SPIRALING.
I PROMISE,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO,
THROUGH THIS ALONE(quietly, HER VOICE BREAKING)I HAVE DIED IN THE DARK,
YOUR SHADOW WILL COME BACK TO YOU;Once again the visceral, guttural voices resembling death overlap while LUCY lets out a panicked shriek:LUCY
PLEASE
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
touch me
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
I wanted it to have minor progressions and have some notes even be bluesy to showcase how smooth he thinks he is. There’s also a lyrical nod to Rocky Horror if anyone picks up on it. This was to reference Nate’s “sexual exploration” while maintaining the dark undertone and aggressive drumbeats underneath.
NATE
WHEN HE LEANED OVER THE BOWL,
HE TURNED UP TO LOOK AT ME
HE SAID: "TOUCH-A TOUCH-A TOUCH-A TOUCH ME,
I NEED TO FEEL YOUR HANDS ON ME”SO I PROCEEDED TO PERFORM FELLATIO ON –LUCY
(cutting him off)
Cut the shit, Date Rape Nate. I swear I'll make you carry your jaw home tonight.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
innosins
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
I wrote this song in its entirety (just without lyrics) early in the process. There’s also a lyrical nod to Rocky Horror if anyone picks up on it. I had the most fun composing this because it actually didn’t live in my head it lived in my hands. I was playing around on piano and finding different chord progressions I liked, so then I started playing with different syncopations for these progressions and eventually ended up with InnoSins. The only thing I had to go back and do were melody lines on Sibelius
LUCY
LITTLE BOYS, LITTLE GIRLS
LINED UP LIKE DOLLS ON A SHELF
PICK ONE UP, TAKE HER CLOTHESDO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH HERTHERE’S NO VOICE BOXSHE’S NOT CRYING
IF YOU CAN'T HEAR HER WHEN
SHE’S SCREAM-ING; BEGGING, “PLEASE”.(LUCY and ROOMMATE)
THE MONSTER IN MY SKIN;
OUR LITTLE SECRET I CAN’T SAYTEARDROPS AS LULLABIES
I’M LEFT ALONE BY MYSELF
WHAT CAN I DO BUT JUST DANCE IN THE RAIN
AND WASH MYSELF CLEAN OF YOU CUZ I-I AM NOT YOURS
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Sung By Sami Sutcliffe
* BIOGRAPHY,
Sami Sutcliffe is a performer and content creator (Smiles AG on YouTube) based out of New York City. She primarily performs onstage- some credits include Little Women (Beth March), Irma Leopold (Picnic at Hanging Rock @ Joe's Pub with Katrina Lenk, Taylor Trensch, Helen J Shen, etc.), Into the Woods (Little Red Riding Hood), Glory Ride (New 42nd Street Studios with Gregg Edelman, Desi Oakley, etc.). She has multiple new works/workshop credits and experience doing background work for commercials, television and feature films. She is a graduate of the Institute for American Musical Theatre, where she studied Acting, Singing, Film/TV and Dancing. She’s currently train under Amanda LaMotte in dance (+ mentorship), Marianne Wells in voice, and Hayley Podschun in acting. Her YouTube channel "Smiles AG", specializes in writing, unboxings/reviews, voice-over, etc. (30k+)This show pushes boundaries and sheds light in the darkness.
Dance in the dark (bryan's Version}
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Dance in the Dark 2 was composed in the last half of the composing process probably around month 6 or 7 and was the conclusion to the nightmare scene which encapsulated many musical elements I loved from my childhood- the dueling drums, the guiro and syncopated rhythms from the Fosse musicals, the antithesis of a bright major open chord followed by its minor alternative on piano. I wanted to incorporate the feeling from Evil Dead Rise when Ellie was being trapped in the elevator by all the wires and she just sobbed. I wanted that feeling for when all the blue paint rains on Bryan
BRYAN
(a broken melody)
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS FOR A NEW BEGINNING
IT ONLY TAKES FIVE SECONDS FOR THE WORLD TO
START SPINNING,ROUND AND ROUNDHe begins to dance in the blue rain. He holds himself as he moves gracefully mad throughout the stage, pulling himself in two directions.BRYAN
A DANCE IN THE DARK.
A CHANCE FOR A START.He holds an outstretched position towards the sky.BRYAN wakes up from his dream and picks up his phone. He is calling JACK.BRYAN
I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I SAW HIM
NO, I NEVER SUSPECTED IT WOULD BE HIM
PLEASE, JUST GIVE ME FIVE MORE SECONDS OF LOVE.BRYAN
I—I was raped, by my RA.IT ONLY TOOK FIVE SECONDS TO KNOW I LOVED YOU SOFIVE SECONDS FOR THE WIND TO BLOW THROUGH YOUR HAIR
AND I NEED FIVE SECONDS TO KNOW YOU'RE THEREPLEASE.(spoken)
I'm so scared.(sung)
JUST GIVE ME FIVE MORE SECONDS
TO TRY AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT AGAIN,(spoken)
I miss you baby
I need to know you're there for me,(sung)
AND I NEED TO KNOW YOU'LL HOLD ME, POOKIE.
Just please, PLEASE! TELL ME YOU'LL BE HERE.I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!JACK hangs up the phone Bryan throws his phone against the wall.Musical shift to a reprise of "I love you, too"I LOVE YOU, TOO.
I DO.
DO ME A FAVOR. SAY IT AGAIN.
I'VE LOST YOU(spoken)
I just want things back to how they were. I just want to forget that this happened...BRYAN
I'VE LOST THE STRENGTH TO FIGHTLUCY comes in.BRYAN
IS THIS WHAT MAMA MEANT;
WHEN SHE SAID BLUE—
I NEVER KNEW THAT THOSE AZURE SORROWS COULD BE SO PITCH.I’M SORRY MAMA,
I AM NOTHING, I AM BROKEN,
I’M NOT PERFECT, I THINK I’M DYING–LUCY
YOU’RE NOT DYING.BRYAN
I’M NOT BREATHING,LUCY (BRYAN)
YOU’RE STILL BREATHING, (I’M STILL BREATHING),
YOU’RE NOT BROKEN, (I’M NOT BROKEN)
YOU ARE SOMETHING, (I AM SOMETHING),
YOU ARE SOMEONE, (I AM SOMEONE)YOU’RE NOT DIRTY,(he breaks.)
(I’M NOT DIRTY),YOU’RE JUST SCARED, (I’M SO SCARED)IT’S ALRIGHT, MY LOVE. I’M RIGHT HERE.BRYAN
My skin’s on fire; it hurts so much.I FEEL HIM
I FEEL HIM
WHAT DO I DO?
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Burn Ablaze (Lucy's Version)
LUCY
BURN ABLAZE, MY LOVE,
THAT’S THE MOTHAFUCKIN ONLY WAY!BECOME A WICK AND DANCE A FLAME,
A DANCE OF LIFE THAT HAS NO SHAME, THAT HAS NO SHAME,
THE DARK WILL SHIELD YOU,
IN TIME, THERE WILL BE COMFORT,LUCY & ENSEMBLE
IN THE TWILIGHT SOAKED EMBRACE.LUCY
HEED MY CALLING–ENSEMBLE
DON’T BE AFRAID OF FALLINGBRYAN
I’M FALLINGLUCY
WE’VE ALL DANCED IN THE DARK.
TORN FROM THE INSIDE AND FALLING APARTBRYAN
(I’M FALLING APART)LUCY
I HAVE STUMBLED INTO THE DARK
THOSE MOMENTS WILL HAUNT ME AND HAVE SHATTERED MY HEART.
I BLED AND DROWNED ALONE IN DARKNESS
NO HAND TO HOLD ME, OR SHOW ME MY PART.I LIT THE MATCH–
SCREAMING! BURNING!
BRINGING LIGHT TO MY DARK,
I DOUSED MYSELF IN BLAME AND LET IT [BURN ABLAZE].BRYAN
A DANCE IN THE DARK–LUCY
A CHANCE FOR A STARTBRYAN
What if I do it wrong?LUCY
It’s your life you’ll fit where you belong.BRYAN
PUZZLE PIECES, JIGSAWED BLACK
TWISTED OBSIDIAN, WELL HOW ABOUT THAT?
A pas de une dans le noir.LUCY
I’m sorry, what was that?BRYAN
French.///LUCY
IF YOU DON’T LAUGH YOU’LL CRY
IF YOU THINK IT’S WRONG, THEN YOU’LL BE FINE
SOMETIMES, DANCING IS CRAMPING FROM ALL OF YOUR LAUGHING
SOMETIMES, YOU NEED TO SEE THINGS IN A FUNNIER PERSPECTIVE.TRUST ME NOW, I KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING BITCH.
TAKE THAT PAIN AND YOUR FROWN AND ALL YOUR DECAYING
MASH IT INSIDE OUT AND TURN IT AROUND,
THOSE THINGS CAN’T HURT YOU IF THEY CAN'T BRING YOU DOWNYOU’RE TOUCHED, BRYAN
IT’S OKAY YOU WERE TOUCHED
AND YOU DIDN’T SHIT YOURSELF;
SO THAT WAS A PLUSYou’ve been touched, just own it. You gotta live with it, don't just give into it.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
lifeline
Commentary by Brandon Marchand
Lifeline was also written in the second half of the journey, around the same time Dance in the Dark 2 was composed. This song needed to be a reprise of Lullaby and I wanted the next part of it to have a similar feel as the “You’re still breathing/I’m still breathing” part earlier in the show but I also knew I wanted a different sound. I loved Lippy Kids by elbow, I love the nostalgia that song gives, so I started with a basic piano part of a single note repeated and built a melody line of my own on top of that. I couldn’t help myself, though, I did one nod to the song if anyone can catch it. And the single note turned into a rhythm at halftime in comparison, then ending on the lower octave to finish the call.
BRYAN
Dad…Bryan begins sobbing.DAD
Hey, hey, it’s okay, you can tell me… Take a breath, take you time. I’m right here.BRYAN
IN THIS DREAMDAD
IN YOUR NIGHTMAREBRYAN
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE
I CAN BARELY BELIEVE IT WAS REALDAD
WAS IT REAL?BRYAN
IT WAS A REAL NIGHTMARE–
DAD I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DOI WAS DRINKING, PEOPLE WERE SMOKING
I DIDN'T TAKE MY MEDS.DAD
Okay, son, that’s okay–BRYAN
PLEASE FORGIVE MEDAD
Okay Son, I FORGIVE YOU, YOU’RE YOUNGBRYAN
I'M YOUNG BUT I THINK THAT
I’M BROKEN,
I COULDN’T TAKE IT
I NEEDED THE BATHROOMDAD
Okay Son, that’s okay–BRYAN
HE FOLLOWED ME IN THERE.DAD
Who?BRYAN
MY RA.DAD
Okay.BRYAN
HE WANTED TO HELP ME.THAT’S WHAT HE SAID.
BUT THEN HE STARTED TO STRIP ME.
AND TOOK MY HEAD AND PUSHED IT AGAINST HIM;
AND I WAS LAID BAREHOW WAS THIS HELPING?
I FEEL LIKE I’M DEADDON’T KNOW, DON’T KNOW IF I FOUGHT BACK OR NOT,
BUT I TOLD HIM TO STOP.NO ONE COULD HEAR ME
BUT DAD, I WAS SCREAMINGIT PASSED LIKE A DREAMWHEN I WOKE I WAS BLEEDING,IF YOU KNOW WHERE I MEAN.DAD
I do, love.MOM
Darling, what is he saying?DAD
(crying)
Our son has been hurt.MOM
In a dream? Honey please–DAD
I’M LISTENINGBRYAN
WHEN HE TOOK ME
I COULDN’T BREATHE.
WE DIDN’T HAVE– YOU KNOW
THE USUAL THINGS.IT HURT–
IT HURTS–
I STILL HURT-IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY–MOM
What is going on?DAD
Our son was raped.MOM
What?DAD
By his RA.BRYAN
DAD CAN YOU FORGIVE ME?DAD
THERE’S NOTHING TO FORGIVE.MOM
YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN DRINKING–BRYAN
Mom–DAD
HE HAS ENOUGH TO RELIVE.BRYAN
I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY!DAD
DON’T BE SORRY,
YOU’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG.DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER
THANK YOU. MY SON, THANK YOU, FOR CALLING.THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING YOUR DUMB OLD DAD
DON’T BE SORRY,What do you want to do?BRYAN
I don’t know– What do you think I should do?DAD
YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU–
YOU NEED ADVICE,
I'M AFRAID THAT ANYTHING I SAY WOULD NOT SUFFICE
NOTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION IS RIGHT
I’M SCAREDBRYAN
Why are you scared, Dad?DAD
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE SAFE,
I JUST WISH I COULD PROTECT YOU
I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAYSON, I LOVE YOU
YOU’RE NOT BROKENYOU'VE BEEN HURTI CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT TO DOJust know that I will support youTHE ONE WHO DID THIS IS WRONG
THE ONE WHO DID THIS IS AT FAULT
DON’T BE SORRY
SON, DON’T BE SORRYJUST BE SAFE.I’M RIGHT HERE SON,
I’LL GO THERE–BRYAN
No Dad, don’t–DAD
Just know then, I'm on your side.I BELIEVE YOU. I’LL PROTECT YOU.
WHATEVER YOU DECIDE.BRYAN
Thank you… For listening.DAD
If you need me, I’m always here. You can call me, you can cry, you can tell me when you aren’t fine. I’ll protect you, don’t be afraid. I’ll stand by you, and keep you safe.BRYAN
Dad, I love you.DAD
I love you too.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
colors
STUDENTS
I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE THIS GOOD.
SO INSPIRED. THE ARTIST SO MISUNDERSTOOD.
A DANCE IN THE DARK,STUDENTS
HE SO AMAZING
HIS WORK IS GREAT
THIS GALLERY, I’M NOT SURPRISED IS GOING TO NATE.Bryan stiffens as he hears the name.BRYAN
FUNNY HOW THESE COLORS BLEED
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU MANAGED THAT?
MUST HAVE BEEN SOME TECHNIQUE.TO CREATE A RED THIS UNIQUE
WHAT ONE MIGHT MISTAKE
FOR A ONE NOTE COLOR— ISEE THE DEPTH OF THIS RED.IN THE LIGHT;THIS RED DAZZLES
IN THE LIGHTI GUESS I SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISED.
MEN LIKE YOU ARE NEVER SATISFIEDI’M SICK OF DANCING IN THE DARK.
LETTING YOU TEAR AND RIP ME APART.I love this red. Bury me in it when I'm dead.The more he stares the more emotional he becomes. He sings to himself and then directly to the RA.NO–I’M GONNA LIVE. I SAID I’M GONNA LIVE.
(YOU CAN’T STEAL MY HEART ANYMORE)
IT’S MY HEART TO GIVE.IT’S MINE! YOU’RE MINE!
I’LL YELL IT FROM THE GRAPEVINE.
(MEN LIKE YOU ARE NEVER SATISFIED)FUNNY HOW THESE COLORS BLEED
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU MANAGED THAT?YOU WANNA TAKE MY HEART AWAYBUT YOU SIR DON’T GET A SAYI’M GONNA TAKE BACK WHAT’S MINE
YOU CAN’T WIN THIS TIME.
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
burn Ablaze
BRYAN
OOOO I'M GONNA SET MYSELF ON FIRE
IN FRONT OF YOUOH GRAB ME A LIGHTERI'M GONNA BURN ABLAZE
BURN ABLAZE
BUUUURN ABLAZE! YEAH!I WONT KEEP YOUR SECRETS ANYMORE
I'M GONNA DRAG YOUR PRIDE ACROSS THE FLOOR
I'M GONNA SPARK YOUR FLAME
AND SHOW EVERYONE YOUR SHAME;YOU CAN’T KILL ME
I’M NOT YOURS
YOU DON’T GET TO PUSH ME
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.I'M GONNA LIVE, I'M GONNA LIVE
LIVE,
LIVE!AHHHHHHHHHH!AND BURN ABLAZE!I HOPE YOU FEEL ASHAMED.
YOU’RE GONNA CHOKE ON MY NAME
CUZ I FOUND STRENGTH IN MY PAIN.I’M GONNA SET MYSELF ON FIRE
IN FRONT OF YOU!
Written by MC Bodden and Composed by Brandon Marchand
in the light
LUKE
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DANCE IN THE DARK
I WATCHED YOU CAST YOUR SPARK
YOU DON’T HAVE TO LAUGH
YOU DON’T HAVE TO MINIMIZE
I LIED.STAY IN THE LIGHT.
YOU ARE SO BRIGHT.
YOU’RE FIREI’m sorry I didn’t see that soonerSTAY IN THE LIGHT
I’LL BE BY YOUR SIDE.
I CAN BE BRIGHT.
TOGETHER, WE WILL SURVIVE…Bryan, I'm scared.He comes into the light with her.BRYAN
YOU’RE SCARED, BITCH ME TOO.
BUT I COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU, LUKE.TRANSITION TO LIVING ROOM.EVERYONE
IN THE LIGHT,
IT COMES UNDONE,NO MORE DARKNESS.
LIFE HAS BEGUN.LUCY
LOOK!
THERE'S SOMETHING NEW.LUKE pulls out a letter addressed to Bryan.BRYAN
(it is hard for him to smile.)
That's great.LUCY/FACULTY
WE CAN SEE IT WELL.
THIS PIECE THAT YOU MADE
I CAN SEE IT’S YOURS
HOW YOU’VE CONNECTED YOUR PAIN.YOU WERE BARELY COHERENT
STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION.WE DIDN’T LISTEN
WE CAN SEE NOW YOUR AFFLICTION.WE’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
I’M SORRY.
Looking Reaching (Reprise)
ENSEMBLE
LOOKING BACK THINGS WERE SO COMPLICATEDLUCY’S ROOMMATE
LOOKING BACK I WAS SO YOUNG AND NAIVE///
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
///BRYAN
REMEMBER WHEN WE LIVEDLUCY
I’LL NEVER FORGETBRYAN
REMEMBER WHEN WE THRIVEDLUCY
STUMBLING TO THE TOP.
BRYAN
WE MADE IT HERE TOGETHERLUCY AND BRIAN
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.LUCY AND BRYAN
Après la pluie, le beau temps.LOOKING BACK I SEE THE THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE,
BUT I CAN'T CHANGE.LOOKING BACK I SEE THE CHOICES I MADE
THEY WERE SO STRANGE.BRYAN
MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK.
REACHING FOR WHAT I LACK.BUT I CAN'T TURN BACK.Spotlight on Brian and Lucy.BRYAN
WON’T LOSE THIS TIMELUCY
COULDN'T DO THIS ALL WITHOUT YOU;
QUEERS, DYKES, AND ROCK AND ROLL WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL!BRYAN
YOUR WORLD AND MINELUCY
SO ALL THAT I’LL HAVE TO SAY IS THATBRYAN
HEARTS INTERTWINEDLucy
YOU COULD HAVE DONEBryan
SO WE CAN FLYLUCY
THIS AND MOREBRYAN
BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU,
I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D DO.
Written and Composed by Brandon Marchand
Five Seconds of Blue // Tracklist
* "LOOKING, REACHING"
I began the show’s compositions with the opener, or overture, if you will, because it really is a bit of both. I started just compiling sounds that I knew I wanted to expand on later in the show but would create the pathos and sense of nostalgia, grit, and dread. A friend of mine who listened to the show said it felt like he was being “dragged forward no matter how much he wanted to look back and sit in a moment” and that sat with me because that’s exactly the feeling I wanted to create.
* "Five Seconds"
This show starts and ends with the same scene; following the opener time rewinds to where the main character was in high school in the peak of his love and social life, and artistic journey. Bryce created the perfect “I want” song for the main character that brings out the longing for love, the total dependence on their lover, and sets them up for total failure down the road and sets up the hero’s journey while maintaining the sense of innocence and purity of heart the main character has before it all gets ripped away.
* "SAY IT AGAIN"
This song I enjoy because the audience or listener sees the love between Bryan and Jack, the intimate parts when other people aren’t around. Jack’s distance and jocular nature also should tell the viewer something. In later discussions with MC when we were adapting the song I remember us talking about how it’s really important that Jack says the relationship is “something worth fighting for” and Bryan then says that it’s “something worth dying for” which tells the audience differing levels of investment in the relationship and depth of the feelings therein.
* "PERFECT"
This was an addition to the show within the last three years. I had the score accompaniment already composed but there was no actual lyrical song there, it was a score accompaniment for more scenes. When I was composing the score, I knew I wanted a quiet, sensitive moment between the two in that moment, coming together after the accusations and the arguing and manipulation. I was also enjoying the effects of a simple current going on piano, sort of like the audience is treading water with the characters at this point in a steady current.
* "QUIBBLED TANGO"
I knew I wanted our dear Dad, David, to be silly and fun-loving and also Bryan’s go-to person and also to offset the anxious, cautious, sometimes caring-to-a-fault mother Susan is. David is warm, funny, someone you can see why Susan fell in love with and he takes her out of her stress-inducing state. This song starts with the anxiety of Mom followed by the calm, cool and definitely needed to be dad-like humor to wash away the stress.
* "TRIPLE SEC"
I composed triple sec pretty early on. It actually was a part of another show I was going to write but it just didn’t feel right to make a musical out of the piece I was thinking of adapting so I decided to see if it would fit into my main musical I was writing, and with some adapting and tweaking it fit perfectly and was the perfect fit for this moment in the show. Dissonance between Bryan and Jack, but also the heat of the passion Bryan feels for Jack and the win that Jack feels because they have Bryan in their grasp.
* "MOTHER’S GOODBYE"
I wanted this song to highlight the grief and hope of sending your child away from home. Susan was written as such a loving and doting mother that I wanted to give more space for her love to shine through. This song was a little promise between mother and child that no matter how far; mommy’s always here. Commentary by MC Bodden
* "Dance in The Dark (Lucy's Version)"
This song is a great pick-me-up. It starts with the knock at the door in ⅞ time which automatically shifts the audience out of the depression they were sitting in with Bryan and allows for some urgency in Lucy’s tone. When MC wrote the lyrics for this part it was exactly the message I wanted Lucy to be saying. There’s humor there, but also genuine concern. Lucy is trying new and bolder tactics to shake Bryan out of it. This song also sets Bryan up for the party. They’re hoping for a night where they can just get out and have fun. Another false positive on Bryan’s hero’s journey that will send them down the spiral until they hit rock bottom.
Five Seconds of Blue // Tracklist
* "This Drunk"
The theme for This Drunk was one of the first things written for this musical and one of the sounds I played with and kept in the opener and knew there would always be an expansion for it later. It was in 9/4 and it sort of already had the whimsical back and forth feel in the guitar part and piano part. The theme from the opener was written in 6/8 I knew this would make a seamless transition with the intro I had written and it fit within the staves and time signature. I initially intended for a morose song for Bryan to lead into the climax of the show.
* "Lullaby"
When I went through my assault, right afterward when my friend was taking me back to my dorm he said I told him what just happened to me in a really sing-song voice and he had to ask me if I understood what just happened to me. It was at that point that everything broke and shattered for me and I went into a complete episode of screaming, throwing myself on the floor, telling everyone I’m worthless and that my life meant nothing, whatever you can think of as the worst reaction to an assault- that was how I was… completely inconsolable.
* "What the fuck"
This song was written around the same time as Lullaby and was definitely a reprise of part of the opener and the end of the song was another constant set of notes on the piano, I wanted it to feel like we’ve just experienced total shipwreck, but there’s a little bit of hope- there’s a boat in the distance and now we just have to paddle our way there. Lucy is making sense of a shipwreck in a really fucked up sea.
* "BREATHE"
The music for this song was written in the earlier stages as well around the time Lullaby and What the Fuck were written and it had no lyrics but when MC came onto the project she added lyrics to the melody line I had and it was turned into a song. This moment was to indicate Bryan’s state and Lucy’s desperation in keeping him afloat. The shipwreck has definitely taken its toll and Lucy is paddling for the both of them at this point.
Five Seconds of Blue // Tracklist
* "Touch Me"
This song starts with the same knock on the door that was used in two previous songs. I wanted to keep things uniform, and keep a theme for the show. We have the heartbeat drumbeats, we have the knock on the door drumbeats, we have the repeated moans from the backstage cast resembling death, we have the sound of the clock repeated. I wanted to create a sound for the show that was significant for and specific to the show. This song then turns into a performance piece for Nate, a manipulation tactic.
* "Inno-sins"
I created the melody for Lucy and harmonies for Lucy’s Roommate to sing with her eventually that would contribute to the intense loss of innocence and feeling of rising above the despicable nature of men and the crimes they’ve enacted against us and I arrived with what would later be aptly titled InnoSins- MC came up with the lyrics and the name and perfectly encapsulated the tone and emotion that was needed for a song of this nature.
* "DANCE IN THE DARK (BRyAN’S VERSION)"
Dance in the Dark is the conclusion to the nightmare- a reprise of Five Seconds and an antithesis to the hope Bryan felt in the beginning. It then goes into the scene with Jack where any sliver of hope he had was ripped away by Jack saying they don’t love Bryan anymore and Lucy then stepping in to remind Bryan they are still breathing, they are someone, they are here.
* "Burn Ablaze (Lucy's Version)"
This one is MC’s and my favorite song. It is the combination of her genius in writing lyrics and my passion for Janis Joplin. Yup, you read that right. I wanted a Janis moment in this show for Lucy, and I wanted to do a similar instrumental structure as Janis’s Summertime, so I did a 5/4 time signature and wrote a bass guitar progression that still maintained the hazy but fiery passion of the song. MC and I discussed how the vocal part should be, and I went to work on writing one that matched the structure of the guitar part and still had all the vocal flairs and screams built in.
Five Seconds of Blue // Tracklist
* "LIFELINE"
This is one of the only moments in the show that explicitly states what happened in the bathroom. When Bryan calls their father; there is a collapse into reality. Bringing David out of his typical fun-loving rapport into the heavy weight of the confession. This moment is vulnerable, poignant and tempered by my own memories of calling my own mother in a similar situation. Opening with Bryan sobbing before explaining to one of their only safe havens left was taken from a real moment of release.
Commentary by MC Bodden
* "COLORS"
At the beginning of this song I knew I wanted to write a true choral part for the ensemble, I knew the sound I wanted and had the whole choral part in my head. The song proper, though, lived in my hands much like InnoSins. This song is in my personal top favorites just because of how much fun I had creating it and it came through that MC put all her energy into these lyrics as well and the whole song is kind of the 11 o’ clock number for me for this show. This song is the start of Bryan deciding to take back their self-worth and power and for that reason it’s the pivotal song in the show.
* "BURN ABLAZE"
Five Seconds is Bryan’s first solo song and I wanted to keep the grunge rock theme going with them so I gave it more electric guitar in this one, make it more edgy, and make the vocal range greater- the stakes are higher. Bryan’s rise from the ashes was what I aimed to depict in the music with the racing eighth notes in the guitar parts, the ascending syncopated pattern in the bass. Then at the end with the a capella part Bryan has I wanted him to have a Janis scream moment as well, symbolizing that Bryan’s learned from Lucy and grown.
* "In The Light"
This song starts as a conversation between Bryan and Lucy and then shifts to the ensemble, faculty, and Lucy as Bryan gets the letter awarding them the gallery and also apologizing for not accepting that the painting was theirs to begin with. I wanted to keep it choral and keep it in the same tone that the student/faculty had before- everything has a theme and a tone. I had fun playing with anticipation with this again and using different musical elements to my advantage.
* "Looking, Reaching (reprise)"
Lucy and Bryan coming together to reprise the opening theme of the show to show how far they’ve come; instead of the original Bryan and Jack. Bryan ends the show single and I did that for a reason. I wanted Bryan to win without the dependence of a man because this whole show is really depicting the crimes and horrific nature of men against Bryan. Men were the learning lessons along the way and by the end of the show Jack is merely a part of a reflection of the past.
* "Five Seconds (reprise)"
Bryan taking their Five Seconds in a new beginning. A sober beginning, a strong beginning, a beginning that Bryan can be proud of because of the foundation built. This is Bryan’s final reflection of their journey and a chance to give the world something beautiful with their art. It’s refined, it’s raw, it’s pure. It only takes five seconds for tragedy to occur, but it only takes five seconds for a new beginning to arise out of the tragedy. Five Seconds and Colors are centripetal-- the beginning of Bryan’s journey and the beginning of his newfound power and voice.