Rebekah M. Allen is a tour de force. Rebekah conceived and wrote book, music, and lyrics for WE ARE THE TIGERS, A NEW MUSICAL (Hudson Backstage Theatre, L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation winner for Best Lyrics/Composition, nominee for Best Production and Music Direction), REMISSION (NYMF Developmental Reading Series), THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY (Feinstein’s/54 Below), and MY GAY KILLER HUSBAND: A LIFETIME ORIGINAL MUSICAL (Boo Festival Award Winner). Additional projects include book/lyrics for FRANKLIN PIERCE: DRAGON SLAYER (composer Will Buck, Sound Bites 4.0 Selection), music/lyrics for BRADICAL AND THE PINK SOCKS (Diverging Elements), and a collaboration with composer/lyricist Rob Rokicki. I’m thrilled Rebekah has participated in our Music Magic Q&A Series, and equally as thrilled to say that she and I will be working together on Women of the Wings: A Celebration of Female Musical Theatre Writers at Feinstein’s/54 Below on August 4th!
MM: When did you first realize you wanted to be musical theatre writer?
RA: Throughout college, I was split between musical theater performance and TV writing. I had recently learned with TV that I likely wouldn’t be able to be in control of my projects – that they’d get sold or I’d get replaced as showrunner – and that was bumming me out. I also have no concept of TV production – it feels very overwhelming to me to get something on tape. But theater makes a lot of sense to me, so I kind of melded the two interests of musicals and writing something I could control and decided to see what I could make happen. I had this musical I’d been working on throughout college as what I considered a rather invasive hobby called WE ARE THE TIGERS that was pretty much ready to go, so a month-ish before graduation I asked the student theater group if we could do it. We threw it together in a couple of weeks and I was really overwhelmed by how positive the experience was and how exciting it was to explore new work with a team. The night of the presentation, I knew I knew this was going to be what I had to pursue. 
MM: Of all the roles you’ve written thus far, which ones is closest to your heart?
RA: Character exploration is easily my favorite thing about writing, so all my kiddos are close to my heart – especially in my latest show which is basically just a character study. But in the long-term, the lead character in WE ARE THE TIGERS, Riley, has stuck with my the most. Riley’s just become captain of the worst team in the state, and she’s super ambitious about getting it right this time. She’s going through so much trying to control this very unfocused team and also trying to cope with her own flaws. We certainly have our differences, but what she’s struggling with means a lot to me and certainly did as I was going through college and learning how to accept that I was going to come up short for myself sometimes and others were going to come up short for me. In time, I’ve learned a lot about taking pressure off myself when I’m doing the best I can, but Riley’s always going to be stuck in the heart of trying to deal with that.
MM: When one walks into your home, what books are permanently on your bookshelf?
RA: Oof, they’re now on my iPad. But definitely Ella Enchanted, The Song of Ice and Fire series (though I’m still on book 5 and might be forever), Gregory Maguire’s Wicked, and the score of American Idiot because that’s how I learned to play guitar. And also the score of Once cause it’s super fun to play through.
MM: If you were stranded on a desert island, what television shows and/or movies would you want available to you, (assuming of course you have a television and Internet connection?)
RA: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, obviously. Then I guess Moulin Rouge, E.T., all the Harry Potters. I also think I’d bring all of Law and Order: SVU cause it’s so endless and I’ve only seen like 20% of it, so that would be a great way to pass the time whilst stranded. And Lost to be ironic.
MM: What’s the best piece of advice you’d want to offer aspiring musical theatre writers?
RA: There are epic ups and shattering downs. Don’t let the downs drag you under. Hold onto every moment of pride, happiness, and fulfillment that you can cause those are worth every tough moment, and there’s going to be a lot of both. And write stories for yourself, stories you’d want to see, characters you want to know and explore. More than anything, stay honest to the story you’re telling.
MM: What sound do you love? What sound do you hate?
RA: I love the sound of my cat purring when we’re chilling cause that’s just the best and she’s my best friend. I hate people snoring in movies. Do I wake them up? I don’t know? I paid a lot for that movie. I hate confrontation. I can’t win.
MM: What literary or musical theatre character is most like your personality? Least like your personality?
RA: I know it’s cliché but I have a lot of love for Pippin and what he’s going through in terms of chasing short-term glamour vs. long-term happiness. I think my relationship to some of the content really inspired me to check in on myself and make sure I was ok, which ended up being very effective. Least like my personality is probably Mrs. Wormwood from Matilda. Every single one of her values in that show I think are different from mine, but she’s also delightful to endure onstage.
MM: In today’s economic state, arts education programs are being cut. What reasons would you give to a school board or politician for preserving arts education programming in schools?
RA: What people don’t take as seriously as they need to is that art is a legitimate form of therapy. It allows a person – and young people, especially, in school – to take time to explore themselves, to understand and connect with parts of themselves they might not normally activate. Creative self-expression can be actually life-saving. The arts can also provide incredible lessons in empathy. Not only reading other peoples’ stories but being a part of the telling of them is an experience that’s irreplaceable. Art is therapy, teamwork, and the chance to understand the experiences of others. Cutting that is just dangerous.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher? (Can absolutely be more than one!)
RA: My dad writes plays and musicals and took me to shows at every opportunity, so I saw how writing them myself could be possible pretty early on. I am always incredibly proud to see his work and he tries to come to everything I do, so we’re constantly swapping experiences and advice. I’m so lucky to have such a dream support system with him. Also, I’ve been working with composer/lyricist Rob Rokicki over the last couple years and it’s been incredible getting to know him and his work. He’s a rock star and one of the best collaborators I could imagine. He’s set the bar so high for both how working with a partner should feel and how I want to work as an artist myself. Super excited to keep up that teamwork in the future!
Thanks, Rebekah!
Write Teacher(s) Readers – be sure to come down to Feinstein’s/54 Below on August 4th to celebrate Rebekah and her fellow musical theatre female writers! Tickets and additional information are available here.