As crowd funding becomes a staple of more and more creative projects, I’ve been getting a lot of work helping artists find work! For this campaign, I shot a bunch of interviews for my friend Dane Ballard, the writer of an unconventional musical that he’s hoping to bring to Seattle after a successful run in San Francisco. Here’s the scoop:

The Story

For generations, the Grimaldi family has thrilled audiences the world over. From the opera houses of old Europe to America’s silver screen, they were the quintessential showbiz family. Now the last surviving member of the Grimaldis is dead and the auction house of Sutter and Son is liquidating their estate.

As our show begins, we meet Walter Sutter, a friendly and somewhat awkward young man who is the block clerk for the auction house, and the “son” in Sutter and Son. The auction business bores Walter and he dreams of a life in show business, a dream discouraged by his rather gruff and overly practical father Hiram Sutter.

When the ghosts of the Grimaldis start to haunt the auction house with their dazzling performances, Walter not only learns what it really means to be in show biz, but he also uncovers dark secrets about his own destiny.

The Grimaldis may be dead, but the show must go on.

The Show

“The Grimaldis” is a new story written by Dane Ballard and is directed by Kerry Christianson. The script celebrates the triumphs and tragedies of a life in show business from the eerie perspective of a family of performing ghosts.

Featuring original songs by John Woods, “The Grimaldis” is a mix of cabaret, circus, improv and musical theatre. The experience is immersive with the audience finding performances happening all around them. With the absence of the fourth wall, the characters interact directly with the guests, mingling with the audience throughout the show. Even the food and drink is presented as part of the story, a sort of “theatre amuse bouche” to pull the audience further into the experience.

The Goal

We need $30,400 to cover the cost of a TWO WEEK Off-Off-Broadway run of “The Grimaldis” (May 16th, 17th, 18th & May 23rd, 24th, 25th). Money needed includes theater rental; rehearsal space; the services of our creative team of artistic and musical directors, fourteen actors, and a four-person live band; costumes; props; lighting; sound; and set design.

An independent show this big can’t happen without the support of people who care about performance art.