Knocked me out... I was in awe.
— Writer's Retreat Attendee
world premiere
Alice Bliss
A new musical
July 12 - August 6, 2023
Book by KAREN HARTMAN
Music by JENNY GIERING
Lyrics by ADAM GWON
Based on a Novel by LAURA HARRINGTON
Directed by MARK BROKAW
How do you hold on to normal when life is anything but? Set in upstate New York during the Iraq War, this intimate and stunning new musical tells the story of a girl who hits rock bottom, finds her mom there, and begins to grow up. Full of humor, hope, resilience, and sheer teenage joy, Alice Bliss presents a breathtaking exploration of family and community coming together to find hope in the face of uncertainty. Developed as part of our New Works Festival!
At TheatreWorks we offer a variety of accessible programming with each production.
Cast
KIRSTEN DELOHR HELLAND
SIREN: Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland is a Seattle-based, award-winning performer and collaborator. Seattle Repertory Theatre: Lizard Boy. The 5th Avenue Theatre: The Sound of Music (Maria), Grease (Rizzo), Oklahoma! (Ado Annie), Elf (Jovie), Hairspray in Concert (Penny Pingleton), Pirates of Penzance, Rent and Titanic in Concert. Village Theatre: Les Misérables (Eponine), Trails (Amy), The Tutor (Hildegarde). Village Theatre Beta Series: String (Lachesis), Afterwords (Jo). ArtsWest: American Idiot (Whatsername). Film: Laggies. When she isn’t acting, Kiki enjoys True Crime Documentaries, singing with her lifelong best friend Justin Huertas and spending as much time in Disneyland as possible. She holds a B.F.A. from Pacific Lutheran University.
JUSTIN HUERTAS
TREVOR: Justin Huertas is an award-winning playwright, composer-lyricist, and actor. His original musical Lizard Boy world-premiered at Seattle Rep (4 Gregory Awards, Seattle Times Footlight Award), toured to San Diego’s Diversionary Theatre (Craig Noel Award), and had two staged readings at Playwrights Horizons. His follow-up fantasy The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion (with additional music by Steven Tran) premiered at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery. Lydia & the Troll is third in his series of Seattle-set modern-myth musicals. Justin wrote music and lyrics for Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Howl’s Moving Castle and for The Lamplighter with co-authors Sara Porkalob and Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland. Find him on social media: “Justin Writes Musicals.”
WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS
CARY: A California native, William A. Williams is a musician/actor now based out of New York City. Seattle Repertory Theatre: Lizard Boy (Cary), Of Mice and Men (Whit). Balagan Theater: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (Dr. Horrible). Contemporary Classics: …Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), Zanna, Don’t! (Steve, Arvin) Village Theatre: Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, The Gypsy King. Seattle Shakespeare Company: Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors. William played guitar in productions of Spring Awakening (Balagan), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (ArtsWest) and took on the bass guitar for The Iceman Lab at Target Margin in NYC. He can often be spotted rummaging through endless crates of vinyl records, singing standards in dingy bars, or producing funky tracks in his humble home studio. William received a B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts.