NYC alumni form Emerson Sings

A consortium of Emerson College alumni living in New York City have banded together to create Emerson Sings—a musical theater performance group whose first show is on Monday, March 23, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in Manhattan.

Abigail Gillan ’09 said she helped form the group after networking with fellow alumni and discovering the untapped musical talents of her former classmates.

“I just noticed too many people who needed to be recognized for their work,” she said.

Abigail Gillan '04 (Courtesy Photo)

Thus, she set about creating an outlet for recognition. She teamed up with Caitlin Doyle ’08 to form Emerson Sings, a “celebratory cabaret” exhibiting the work of Emerson-based composers and singers. The two used their own Emerson networks to obtain performers, crew, and musicians.

“It’s like a big reunion,” Doyle said.

Caitlin Doyle '04 (Courtesy Photo)

Doyle and Gillan said they had a difficult time narrowing down what they wanted to showcase in the cabaret since they received a massive response from alumni. But eventually, they assembled their entourage: Doyle and Gillan serve as co-producers, and obtained Ethan Paulini as a director. Steven Cuevas ’08 became the musical director. Garrett Bell, Nathan Chang ’11, Blake Pfeil ’10, Gregory Jacobs-Roseman, and Camille Harris ’08 signed on as musicians. Finally, Emerson Sings procured Jessica Phillips, Jim Schubin ’11, Emily Afton ’07, and Rob Morrison ’05 as its performers. Several other alumni are also participating.

Finding times for rehearsals proved difficult as each member of the Emerson Sings team was tackling their own independent endeavors. However, the opportunity to reconnect with old classmates as new professionals motivated them to come together.

“Some of our rehearsals actually ran longer because so many of us were finding each other again,” Doyle said. “There was a lot of ‘Wow, I haven’t seen you since graduation!’”

Even though the workload required to put on Emerson Sings is rather large, Gillan and Doyle are satisfied with the efforts of the entire team, and look forward to exhibiting the various musical styles and talents of these alumni.

“This has been a great learning experience. We’re very excited,” Gillan said.

The performance will be presented at New York’s Laurie Beechman Theatre on Monday, March 23, at 9:30 pm. Advance tickets can be purchased through West Bank Cafe.