The new musical Yellow Rose: The Legend of Emily West will be presented for the first time to the public in a staged reading in Dallas. The music and lyrics are written by Dallas resident Terry Allen Langfitt and his writing partner Paul Gandolfi of McKinney, with book by Sarah Lawrence.
Yellow Rose will be presented at the Sammons Center for the Arts on Sunday, August 5 at 6 p.m. in Kurth Hall on the 4th Floor. Admission is free, and open to the public.
“We are grateful to the City of Dallas for providing a significant grant to help develop the project,” says Langfitt. “A staged reading, where we ask for feedback from the audience, is a vital part of preparing a musical for production.”
This “big-ass Texas musical” is set during the Texas Revolution in 1836. Heroic young Emily West—the legendary Yellow Rose—sacrifices her own freedom so that Texas can win its independence from Mexico. On the brink of war, Emily finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle between Santa Anna, President of Mexico, and Levi Gates, a noble dock foreman. The musical weaves together the rich confluence of cultures—Mexican, African-American, and white settlers—that made Texas the colorful and diverse place it is today.
Langfitt spent 16 years as an actor, music director, and concert entertainer, working with A&M Records, Dick Clark Productions, and later in Hollywood and Las Vegas with Merv Griffin Productions. He made his Broadway debut in the cast of Hair.
Along with Gandolfi, Langfitt has written scores for TV and film, as well as the successful musical Songs of Motherhood which premiered at the WaterTower Theatre in Addison. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/YellowRoseMusical.