THE GOLDEN SPIKE
Libretto by Don Nguyen
Music & Lyrics by The Lobbyists
Directed by Seonjae Kim
The Golden Spike borrows elements of the Monkey King legend to tell an epic love story of Sun Wu and Jiao Zhou spanning 13 years, from the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad to the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Sun Wu, a Chinese railroad worker pursuing equal rights for his fellow laborers, finds himself caught in the machinations of America’s largest infrastructure project. While his head is steadily focused on negotiating fair working conditions for him and his fellow workers, his heart yearns for a young Chinese laundress. Weaving strong emotional narratives of Chinese and Irish immigrants, The Golden Spike explores the pursuit of love, family, truth, and the sparkling light of equality under the otherwise dark shadow of America’s history.
The Golden Spike has been developed with the support of BRIC Arts Media, Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, Ma-Yi Theater Co., The Playwright’s Realm, Musical Theater Factory, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, The Flea Theater, and The Public Theater.
Miss Mitchell
A collaboration with Kristin Slaney about Maria Mitchell. A native Nantucketer and pioneer in women’s education in the 19th Century, Maria Mitchell is celebrated as the first professional American female astronomer, and renowned for her discovery of “Miss Mitchell’s comet.”. We were inspired by her story while performing SeaWife on Nantucket in 2017. The Lobbyists (lead artists Tommy Crawford and Alex Grubbs) are teaming up with Kristin Slaney to write a musical delving into her legacy.
Miss Mitchell’s Comet
Miss Mitchell is a recipient of the 2019-2020 Ensemble Studio Theater Company / Alfred P. Sloan Project to develop new plays exploring science and technology.
The Westside Cowboys of Death Avenue
Fully written, scored, and performed by The Lobbyists, The Westside Cowboys is a raucous story that takes place in the Meatpacking District of turn-of-the-century New York City, when cowboys raced ahead of trains to keep passers by off the tracks.
The West Side Cowboys of Death Avenue was recently invited by the Johnny Mercer Writer’s Colony at Goodspeed Musicals for a week long residency in January 2020.