the mommy avenger

Last night I got to do something I’ve never done before. I got to see a new show debut in Utah, with Utah talent, on a trajectory to go all the way to New York City. It was the first time I’ve seen a show at origination. The first time I’ve seen a musical that wasn’t actually a musical. The first time I’ve heard songs for a theatrical production written by a 14 year old girl. The first time I’ve ever experienced a show that focused on tackling the discussion of generational trauma.

First, let me give you a little back ground. Back when I lived in New Jersey, I was introduced to Kjersti Long. I remember going to a local showcase of kids wanting to break into the entertainment business in the small town where I lived. While there was undeniable talent on stage, it was still amateur and, I’ll be honest, somewhat annoying at times. Lots of kids trying to out-sing each other belting out show tunes from Annie or Disney songs. The ages of the kids ranged quite a bit, mostly middle school through high school. An hour into it, I was squirming in my chair because I’d had my fill. Then they announced Kjersti. At the time, she couldn’t have been older than 10 years old. By far the youngest there. Her entire look was different. She walked on stage and looked at everyone. She seemed a tad timid at first, but then she started singing and a flood of confidence and control washed over her. I have never, ever heard a voice like hers before and I think my jaw literally dropped. Every single person in that crowd did, too. She began singing a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. First of all, I’ve never been a fan of Led Zeppelin. Like at all. Here we had been inundated with bubblegum, saccharin sweet music and then Kjersti comes forward with Stairway to Heaven and is an absolute powerhouse singing her own rendition and interpretation of it that I wish I had a recording of because it was beyond amazing. It actually made me love the song. She gave us all chills with how incredible her voice was. I wish you could have seen the looks on everyone’s faces. We were all in shock. I feel really bad for the person that had to go on stage after her, because there was no competing with that.

I started watching her after that. We went and saw her concert debut at the legendary venue The Bitter End in New York City and got to hear even more music from her. The experience I had at the showcase was actually accelerated because she brought so many songs out with the same force she had sung with before. It was not a fluke, she was really that incredible. Her take on music was so unique and left a lasting impression.

Fast forward a few years and both Kjersti and I have relocated to Utah. So, you can imagine how excited I was to find out that her latest project was going to debut locally and I would get a chance to see her live again. Kjersti is anything but ordinary, so when I heard about the premise of her latest project, I knew it would be something to once again blow me away.

Through the years, she and her father, Jeremy, have been a song writing team. Constantly collaborating together to create new sounds of their own, which even landed her a record contract. With some of these songs that weren’t quite fitting into the mold, they discovered that it was a perfect opportunity to create something on the stage using their music to tell the story. From there, meeting the right people in the theater and music business helped forge the path to create Relative Space: An Atypical Musical.

Jeremy was very familiar with the business and decided to do something different to help them stand out of the crowd. Produce the show here in Utah, using local talent. The show, without even having been seen, but with hearing the music, has created quite the buzz and already the show is on its way to New York this fall.

Last night, some very special guests arrived on the red carpet to see the world premiere of the show in Pleasant Grove. I was very excited to see what the show was about. We find ourselves in a suburban household in present day. A mom, a father, and a daughter interact on a typical day. We immediately are alerted that there are some issues here that probably a lot more people recognize in their own homes than anyone ever talks about. This show delves into mental health and generational trauma and how it impacts the lives of each person living in a family that experiences those issues. It is brave and upfront, doesn’t skirt around the issues, and definitely brings the topic to the forefront, which is crucial in today’s world.

There is music throughout the show, but rather than having the actors sing the songs, Kjersti sings them with a live band from the attic of the home. I would say it acts as a soundtrack to the play, which I loved. The songs are raw with emotion and beautifully written. Kjersti packs her signature punch in the delivery of the music and I found myself immediately wishing I had the recordings to listen to on my way home. The music is definitely music you would listen to over and over again. But, set to the story, delivers an even more powerful message.

The cast of the show was small, but mighty. I was extremely impressed with the main actors, Elizabeth Golden and Leah Carr, and how they were able to transform before our eyes into women in the family’s past. While I was initially most interested in hearing Kjersti’s music, I found myself engulfed in these women’s performances in no time. An interesting aspect to the show was the Movement Ensemble. At first I thought of it as a creative way to change scenery and pass time in the show, but I quickly realized that the ensemble was a palpable “character” in and of itself. Interestingly, everyone I talked to after the show interpreted the ensemble completely differently. I choose to think that they represented emotions, highs and lows and everything in between. But you may think of it differently than I. Regardless, it was clear that they got everyone thinking about the topic at hand, which was an important aspect of seeing the performance.

The set of the show was really impressive. It enabled us as an audience to move with ease from the 1970’s, 1990’s to present day as we explored the family dynamics of the main characters. It was so well-done.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show and see great things in store for it. It’s got the right people backing it, Tony and Grammy award winning executives, and all the elements–music, acting, story–align perfectly. I am so excited to see how far it goes and hear the message delivered to the masses.

While you are able to see something great at the beginning, I urge you to go see Relative Space: An Atypical Musical while it is live in Utah. It runs today through Saturday, July 1st. You can learn more about the show and get your tickets online. You will not want to miss out on this!