BMG Country Musical ‘May We All’ Makes Its World Premiere
On June 7, “May We All,” BMG’s newest musical, made its world premiere in Nashville. A musical for the entire family, it features 24 well-known Country songs, many of them from BMG’s rich Country music catalog. “May We All” is set to run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center through July 17. It is BMG’s third musical after “Ku’damm 56” and “Punk Rock Girl!”
“May We All” is the title of BMG’s newest musical, which celebrated its world premiere in the U.S. on June 7. Bertelsmann music subsidiary co-produced it with the New York theater company Lively McCabe and the well-known country duo Florida Georgia Line. And since it is a country music stage musical, the only possible premiere location for “May We All” was, of course, the U.S. country capital Nashville, which is also the home of BMG’s BBR Music Group. “May We All” features many country hits from BMG’s extensive catalog and can be seen at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center through July 17. The musical is BMG’s third after “Punk Rock Girl!” the company’s first musical production in the U.S., and its wildly successful first-ever musical, “Ku’damm 56,” in Germany.
“May We All,” billed by BMG as a musical for the whole family, is set in Harmony, Tennessee, “the town that sings.” Music used to flow through every part of town like the water supply, but lately hope is drying up - partly because when four years ago, local sensation Jenna Coates left Harmony to pursue her dreams of stardom in Nashville, her family and friends saw nothing but success for her. But Jenna never lands her hit and returns home without a record deal or a dime to spare. Now the young singer will need to face the music, reconnect with those she loved and make peace with her past to save herself and the small town she loves.
The new musical features a score of 24 Country hit songs, including many from the BMG catalog such as the longest-running chart-topping Country song “Meant To Be,” co-written by BMG songwriter Bebe Rexha, “I’ve Been Everywhere” written by BMG publishing client Johnny Cash, “We Were Rich” by BBR recording artist Runaway June, and “One Big Country Song” written and performed by BMG’s own country duo Locash. Additional upcoming musicals from BMG and its production partner Lively McCabe include a New Wave themed musical, and a Holiday-themed musical, with several more BMG productions in early stages of development.
As reported, “Punk Rock Girl!,” BMG’s debut developmental theatrical production in the U.S., has been running at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village, Long Island, New York, since the middle of May. It features a score of popular songs written and made famous by female artists and female-fronted bands from the BMG catalog including Blondie, P!nk, Avril Lavigne, Pat Benatar, and Sleater-Kinney. The title song, “Punk Rock Girl,” is by the Dead Milkmen. And in the European cultural capital of Berlin, BMG is still celebrating the resounding success of the musical production of “Ku’damm 56,” which has had its initial run extended following more than 100 performances, selling over 120,000 tickets.
