Ali MacLean has tapped indie-rock stalwart Craig Finn, frontman for The Hold Steady, to pen original music for the new mounting of her play This Will Be Our Year.
This grunge rock-n-roll story follows the star-crossed, ten-year love affair between Gen (a struggling New York jewelry designer) and Hugo (a fledgling British rock star). In this modern tale of love and longing, Hugo and Gen play havoc with each other’s lives.
We follow Hugo and Gen from the ’90s to the early aughts, as they criss-cross through the eras of grunge and riot grrls, Brit-pop and boy bands, Lilith Fair ladies, and rap-rock. This musical Greek chorus serves as a time marker and their emotional soundtrack.
During the play, Hugo writes new songs which describe his mental state and relationship with Gen. Hugo’s band, May Day, will perform these songs in upcoming productions. The show has brought on Craig Finn to write those songs.
Craig Finn has released 8 albums with his band, The Hold Steady. Described by Pitchfork as “a born storyteller who’s chosen rock as his medium,” Finn has also released 6 solo albums with his trademark ‘author of degenerate lit-major lyrics set to bar-band power chords'(GQ).
Based on true events that occurred when MacLean worked as an on-air personality at a punk rock radio station, This Will Be Our Year was workshopped at the Antaeus Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and She NYC Arts Festival (at the Zephyr Theater), where it played to sold-out crowds.
The show picked up five Broadway World Award nominations, including nods for Best Play, Best Director, and Best Performer.
Keep up with news about This Will Be Our Year here.
Ali MacLean 