Creative Team

photo credit Wende Ann Donahue

About the Author

Kathryn Denney (Composer, Lyricist, Playwright) is a professional singer, an amateur French horn player, and a musical theater music director and composer. She was the recipient of the DASH-EMACT Best Music Director in 2014, and nominated again in 2020. She also taught elementary school general and instrumental music for many years before making this kernel of an idea into a fully-staged production! She wrote the story, the music, and the lyrics for Connected the Musical, and directed the premiere production in 2022. She came to write about the topics explored in this story by researching the most common positive and negative effects of social media on our society. She has sought the input of dozens of transgender people and victims of narcissist abuse, in an effort to tell their stories with accurate, authentic compassion. She feels so fortunate to have many more wonderful people in her life, through her work on this life-affirming project.

About the Orchestrator

Brandon Jackson (Arranger/Orchestrator) is a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor. Based in NYC, Jackson has worked and collaborated with some of the best creatives in the industry and has an expanded reach across theater/stage, film, concert, and general music. He has written and conducted with acclaimed artists such as Juan Kleban, Mia Asano, Larry Klein, James Newton Howard, and J. Sylvan. Jackson has been praised for his energetic rehearsal style, clarity on the podium, and the life and meaning he finds on an otherwise blank white page.

The Creative Team

Kathryn Denney - Composer, Lyricist, Playwright
Brandon Jackson - Orchestrator, Arranger
Simón Wilson - Incidental music, additional orchestration
Sandy Gooen - Transgender consultant, additional orchestration
Rachel Ohnsman - Additional orchestration
Lou Jones- Additional lyrics
Russ Gannon - Additional lyrics
Kristen Penner - Editor, writing coach

Advisors, Consultants, and
Sensitivity Readers

Brian Cutler Karen Bishop Larry Millner
Elizabeth Hoermann Jessica Whiting Simran Johar
Amanda Denney Elisabeth LaBarre Scott Lutz
Timothy Farnsworth Donny Landers Adam Shaw

Ambrose Lichtenstein Teague Shattuck Alexis Pilo

To schedule a presentation at your library, church, or town hall,

or to purchase rights for a production of Connected, the Musical in your theater or school,

please contact Kathryn@thedenneys.org.

A Glimpse into the Creative Process

by Kathryn Denney

Many projects start with a question. My children were born in 2003 and 2006. They are in the generation that never knew a world without smartphones. Their social lives have been built around technology, social media, discord servers, online assignments, Google, Zoom, livestreams and selfies. Some long for the simpler times before smart phones were in every pocket, but they are here to stay. What are the positive and negative effects of social media on adults and teenagers? What is the responsibility of each user of social media? Has social media actually ruined a generation, or are there tools available to us that can save lives? What does it mean to be a truly authentic human being?

When I started to explore these ideas, I wanted to find one positive example and one negative example of a person's use of social media. I thought that Jeremy could show us the dangers, and Gabriel could show us the powers, of the online world. An intergenerational cast can explore the issues that affect both teens and adults. The highly relevant content of this show helps people of diverse backgrounds to understand each other better.

Come and explore the powerful parallel stories of a teen caught between maternal expectations and a growing sense of his true identity, and a mother of teens struggling to find freedom from her abusive husband. This poignant, hopeful, timely tale of connection and friendship will capture the hearts of generations, and generate valuable conversations about growing up, and parenting, in the Internet Age.

We also have a school edition available, and it runs about an hour and 10 minutes without an intermission.

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