Hailey Strader is featured in the behind the scenes look at Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood. Richard Linklater remarks “everything about this was fun, creative exciting” - cut to Strader in her home office!
KVUE: Human Resources the Musical: Live musical experience goes virtual →
Author: Brittany Flowers
AUSTIN, Texas — Putting on a live musical is no easy feat. Putting on a live musical virtually seems nearly impossible, but somehow creative people will always find a way to create.
Mallory Schlossberg is one of those creatives who found a way to express her art in 2020. She wrote, directed and produced a campy musical comedy called "Human Resources."
"I felt sort of overwhelmed with the desire to tell a story about how women are treated in the workplace," said Schlossberg.
She started writing it in March of 2019 and took a break for a little bit, but with her time at home and help from musical director Alexandra Smith, she finished it.
Their intention wasn't for the musical to be virtual. It was meant for the stage, but they were able to figure out how to make the experience live with some help from other Austinites.
In the performances, the songs are prerecorded, but the acting is all live.
"We have not seen anyone else accomplish this feat, and the problems we have solved in the last eight months are not what we're seeing anywhere, and we're really proud of that," said Smith.
They've seen other productions with edited performances, but from what they can tell, theirs is the only with live elements.
Everything they did to prepare for the musical was done virtually, from rehearsals to choreography. It's a full-length musical with an intermission. The shows are a full production that relies on technology.
Mallory hopes someday her musical will be in-person, on a live stage. For now, she's just thankful she has an outlet for her art.
"More than anything, I want people to feel like they're at the theater again," said Schlossberg.
To learn more about the musical, or to find tickets, click here.
Sets: Behind the Scenes @ Human Resources the Musical! →
Set designer Hailey Strader walks through the process of creating digital sets for Human Resources the Musical! It's performed live and virtually from across the US!
Tickets for livestreaming shows December 18th and 19th at https://www.humanresourcesmusical.com/
Be a part of something bigger than you.
Human Resources is a brand new musical with book and lyrics by Mallory Schlossberg, music by Mallory Schlossberg and Alexandra Smith, and arrangements/scoring by Alexandra Smith.
The plot: Emily Silverberg is a writer who is down on her luck after losing her job at a pseudo-health startup. Her job was supposed to cover IVF and infertility treatments, and now she can't afford them. (She's got a lot of debt from her MFA program.) Her supportive husband, Max, encourages her to apply to work at a bigger and better company—the health food empire Greener Pastures—but before Emily can even apply, she gets a mysterious message from the company's recruiter, who asks her if she wants to be part of something bigger than herself. Once Emily starts working at Greener Pastures, she begins to suspect something’s not quite right. The company's mission is to "to feed the earth," and...let's just say they do that very literally.
Human Resources takes a twist from work-place satire to full-on B-horror comedy. It's a campy, over-the-top musical with original songs that asks us what we'd be willing to give up for purpose and a place, while simultaneously tearing down the systems that prevent us from truly succeeding.
CBS Austin: Take a holiday stroll in the 2nd Street District to support local art students! →
Beautiful, creative, and seasonal! The 2nd Street District's annual Holiday Window Walk is a place for St. Edward's University students to show off their artistic skills and compete for a scholarship. Alex Westermann from 2nd Street District and St.Ed's student Hailey Strader join us with all the details.