{"id":96453,"date":"2023-05-30T10:53:52","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T14:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=96453"},"modified":"2023-05-30T10:53:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T14:53:52","slug":"interview-britta-johnson-sara-farb-talk-kelly-v-kelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2023\/05\/30\/interview-britta-johnson-sara-farb-talk-kelly-v-kelly\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Britta Johnson And Sara Farb Talk About Kelly V. Kelly"},"content":{"rendered":"
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L-R: Britta Johnson, Sara Farb (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You could say composer\/lyricist Britta Johnson is one of Canada\u2019s most successful writers of original music theatre. Her show, Life After, has had successful productions in the United States, while another of her musicals, Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life, is also slated to be mounted south of the border.<\/p>\n

Book writer Sara Farb is best known as a true Canadian musical theatre star. She was a stalwart at Stratford, but has latterly performed the role of Delphi Diggory\u00a0in both the Broadway and Toronto productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.<\/p>\n

Their intriguing new musical, Kelly v. Kelly, is inspired by an outrageous 1915 court case that took place in New York City. When the 19-year-old heiress, Eugenia Kelly, had an affair with her married tango teacher, Al Davis, her mother, Helen Kelly, had her daughter arrested and charged with incorrigibility, which is equivalent to being declared a juvenile delinquent. Quel scandale! The case was a national cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre.<\/p>\n

Produced by The Musical Stage Company, Kelly v. Kelly is currently in previews, and officially opens on May 31 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, running until June 18.<\/p>\n

Johnson, 32, and Farb, 36, found time during tech week to join me in a Zoom call.<\/p>\n

How did you two meet?<\/h3>\n

Britta Johnson:<\/strong> It was an instantaneous connection. We were first paired together during The Musical Stage Company\u2019s NoteWorthy development program, which matches playwrights and composers together to experiment with the musical theatre form.<\/p>\n

Sara Farb:<\/strong> We also created a piece, He Is Coming, for the company\u2019s REFRAMED program at the AGO in 2016.<\/p>\n

Where on earth did you hear about this bizarre court case?<\/h3>\n

SF:<\/strong> I heard it on a storytelling podcast called The Memory Palace which focuses on anecdotal events in history. I thought it had great potential so I brought it to Britta. She listened to the podcast and was hooked.<\/p>\n

You have this supposedly well bred, wealthy young woman, Eugenia Kelly, partaking in this new craze \u2014 the tango \u2014 this seductive and disturbing new dance, and getting entangled with her dance instructor, which her widowed mother Helen finds intolerable.<\/p>\n

BJ:<\/strong> I thought about how much fun it would be to score because the music could have multiple realities. A courtroom drama. Underground dance halls. A choral element. An emotional mother and daughter story. Also, cool music to borrow from \u2014 the jazz age.<\/p>\n

I found precious little on the case when I tried to do some research.<\/h3>\n

SF:<\/strong> Our research came mostly from books and articles in the New York Times. In a way, we don\u2019t mind that there was so little information out there, because we could play with the facts and do our own dramatic retelling. And we do take liberties with the story. For example, in our piece, Eugenia waives her right to counsel.<\/p>\n

BJ:<\/strong> You could say we were inspired by true events.<\/p>\n

What happened to Eugenia in real life?<\/h3>\n

SF:<\/strong> At first, Eugenia was under house arrest. The trial lasted three days. The judge was known to Helen and ended up giving Eugenia a stern lecture on her need to obey. I think that what really worried Helen is that when Eugenia turned 21, she was going to inherit $1 million left to her by her banker father.<\/p>\n

After the trial, Eugenia ran off with Al Davis, and they were together for six years. She ultimately married a Peruvian diplomat. She and Helen sued and counter-sued each other over the estate.<\/p>\n

BJ:<\/strong> Eugenia seemed to enjoy the press and attracting attention. For example, she showed up at the trial in an emerald green coat. In fact, in the 1920s, she became one of New York\u2019s leading flappers. She was her own person.<\/p>\n

What approach have you taken to Eugenia and Helen\u2019s story in your piece?<\/h3>\n

SF:<\/strong> It\u2019s the collision of generations, and how the relationships manifest themselves, and how they are able, or not able, to meet challenges. It\u2019s an age of rising feminism, and women in search of autonomy, and how they fit in to that.<\/p>\n

BJ:<\/strong> I agree. The main theme is the generational divide and the desire on the part of Eugenia for more freedom \u2014 to break loose from her gender and station. The point is that even a woman of status didn\u2019t have control of her own life. The world in 1915 was changing, however. It\u2019s the conflict between a Victorian mother and a flapper daughter.<\/p>\n

What about the structure of the piece?<\/h3>\n

SF:<\/strong> I\u2019d say our structure is big and bold. We\u2019ve taken risks. It\u2019s not predictable nor linear. We\u2019re inviting the audience to come on a ride. It\u2019s challenging but there will be a tremendous pay off at the end. We deal with big themes of the human experience, yet the show is also intimate and personal.<\/p>\n

BJ:<\/strong> I should add that Sara understands living inside a musical story. That\u2019s why her book is so strong.<\/p>\n

Love And Money, from Kelly v. Kelly, music & lyrics by Britta Johnson, performed by Britta Johnson (Creative Consultation by Tracey Flye; Arrangement by Lynne Shankel; Filmed at Preto Loft)<\/p>\n