Creation Timeline
1991—1993
MSMT produces two new musicals. Charles Abbott looks around for subject matter that could be musicalized as an MSMT original. He becomes interested in Chamberlain because of board members involvement with the Chamberlain house and the First Parish Church.
1993
JUNE — Sarah is cast as the Baker's Wife in "Into The Woods" at MSMT. She tours the historical sites of Brunswick including Chamberlain's home.
EARLY SEPTEMBER — Sarah and Steven receive a call from Abbott. He asks them if they think they can write a musical based on Chamberlain. (He is familiar with their writing having seen a reading of a show of theirs in New York.)
OCTOBER—JANUARY 1994 — Sarah and Steven go to Miami to do "Nunsense II" at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. They read "In the Hands of Providence" by Alice R. Trulock and decide it is wonderful material for a musical. Sarah begins sketching her ideas.
1994
JANUARY — The team pitch their concept to Abbott. MSMT applies for a writing grant from the National Alliance of Musical Theatre Producers.
FEBRUARY—JUNE — Sarah and Steven continue sketching. The NAMTP grant comes through. Steven Peterson and the authors' agents complete and sign contracts.
JULY — Sarah is cast in "Lucky Guy" at MSMT. She spends all her free time at the Pejepscot Historical Society and Bowdoin Special Collection.
JULY — Sarah and Steven make a visit to Gettysburg.
AUGUST—NOVEMBER — Steven begins to fill out the score.
NOVEMBER — Deadline is met to show six songs and 1st Draft to MSMT.
1995
FEB. 1—13 — Demo tape of four songs is recorded in New York. The musical is submitted to the prestigious New Harmony Project writers workshop.
APRIL Sarah and Steven participate in "Nunsense II," a fund—raising event for MSMT, held in Bath at the Chocolate Church. They perform a song from the score of "Chamberlain" for the Brunswick Rotary, and show some of the songs to Julia C. Oehmig and Erik Jorgensen of the Pejepscot Historical Society They are introduced to and have a meeting with James Trulock. Everyone seems very enthusiastic. "Chamberlain" is selected for the New Harmony Project.
MAY 1 —— Deadline is met to deliver completed draft to MSMT.
MAY — Two weeks of intense workshop in New Harmony. Many changes are made. Abbott attends the final performance along with Jim Trulock (who lives nearby in Indianapolis).
JUNE—SEPTEMBER — Rewrites after the New Harmony workshop.
JUNE 16—17 — Sarah and Steven visit Gettysburg. Hear Jim Trulock lecture and read from Chamberlain's Gettysburg speeches. .
JULY — Sarah is back in Maine doing Eliza in "My Fair Lady." Steven comes up to see the show, and the authors meet with Abbott.
MSMT Auction Fund Raiser is held. A page of music from Chamberlain signed by the authors goes for $900.
AUGUST —— Steven begins preliminary discussion with orchestrators Larry Hochman and Douglas Besterman.
SEPTEMBER — Record additional demo material.
OCT. 16 —— Meet with Abbott in New York. Discuss rewrites, casting and actor doubling possibilities for upcoming reading.
NOVEMBER — Steven's book, "Next! Auditioning for the Musical Theatre" is published by Heinemann Books, Portsmouth, N.H.
NOV. 5 — Fund raiser for "Chamberlain" is held at the Rooney's. Sarah and Steven (with help from friends and staff of MSMT) sing some songs from the show.
NOV. 28 — Meet with Abbott to discuss rewrites and other preparation for the reading.
DEC. 7 — Meet with Mark Jacoby.
1996
JAN. 29—30 — Meet with Abbott and musical director Douglas Coates to go over the score.
FEB. 6—12 Rehearse for the reading. Performances are held on the 11th and 12th at the Lambs Theatre, New York.
Meet with Abbott and Peterson to discuss what they all have learned from the reading.
FEBRUARY—APRIL —— The authors do extensive rewrites in response to the reading.
Late MARCH — Auditions are held for MSMT's 1996 season.
MARCH—APRIL —— Authors rehearse and perform their . previous musical "The Library" at Stamford Theatre Works in Connecticut.
MAY 12 —— Meeting with Abbott in Philadelphia after seeing him perform in the Walnut Street Theatre's production of "Cabaret." Discuss recent rewrites.
JUNE — More rewrites are mailed to Abbott. JULY 16 — First rehearsal of "Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance" takes place.
MSMT produces two new musicals. Charles Abbott looks around for subject matter that could be musicalized as an MSMT original. He becomes interested in Chamberlain because of board members involvement with the Chamberlain house and the First Parish Church.
1993
JUNE — Sarah is cast as the Baker's Wife in "Into The Woods" at MSMT. She tours the historical sites of Brunswick including Chamberlain's home.
EARLY SEPTEMBER — Sarah and Steven receive a call from Abbott. He asks them if they think they can write a musical based on Chamberlain. (He is familiar with their writing having seen a reading of a show of theirs in New York.)
OCTOBER—JANUARY 1994 — Sarah and Steven go to Miami to do "Nunsense II" at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. They read "In the Hands of Providence" by Alice R. Trulock and decide it is wonderful material for a musical. Sarah begins sketching her ideas.
1994
JANUARY — The team pitch their concept to Abbott. MSMT applies for a writing grant from the National Alliance of Musical Theatre Producers.
FEBRUARY—JUNE — Sarah and Steven continue sketching. The NAMTP grant comes through. Steven Peterson and the authors' agents complete and sign contracts.
JULY — Sarah is cast in "Lucky Guy" at MSMT. She spends all her free time at the Pejepscot Historical Society and Bowdoin Special Collection.
JULY — Sarah and Steven make a visit to Gettysburg.
AUGUST—NOVEMBER — Steven begins to fill out the score.
NOVEMBER — Deadline is met to show six songs and 1st Draft to MSMT.
1995
FEB. 1—13 — Demo tape of four songs is recorded in New York. The musical is submitted to the prestigious New Harmony Project writers workshop.
APRIL Sarah and Steven participate in "Nunsense II," a fund—raising event for MSMT, held in Bath at the Chocolate Church. They perform a song from the score of "Chamberlain" for the Brunswick Rotary, and show some of the songs to Julia C. Oehmig and Erik Jorgensen of the Pejepscot Historical Society They are introduced to and have a meeting with James Trulock. Everyone seems very enthusiastic. "Chamberlain" is selected for the New Harmony Project.
MAY 1 —— Deadline is met to deliver completed draft to MSMT.
MAY — Two weeks of intense workshop in New Harmony. Many changes are made. Abbott attends the final performance along with Jim Trulock (who lives nearby in Indianapolis).
JUNE—SEPTEMBER — Rewrites after the New Harmony workshop.
JUNE 16—17 — Sarah and Steven visit Gettysburg. Hear Jim Trulock lecture and read from Chamberlain's Gettysburg speeches. .
JULY — Sarah is back in Maine doing Eliza in "My Fair Lady." Steven comes up to see the show, and the authors meet with Abbott.
MSMT Auction Fund Raiser is held. A page of music from Chamberlain signed by the authors goes for $900.
AUGUST —— Steven begins preliminary discussion with orchestrators Larry Hochman and Douglas Besterman.
SEPTEMBER — Record additional demo material.
OCT. 16 —— Meet with Abbott in New York. Discuss rewrites, casting and actor doubling possibilities for upcoming reading.
NOVEMBER — Steven's book, "Next! Auditioning for the Musical Theatre" is published by Heinemann Books, Portsmouth, N.H.
NOV. 5 — Fund raiser for "Chamberlain" is held at the Rooney's. Sarah and Steven (with help from friends and staff of MSMT) sing some songs from the show.
NOV. 28 — Meet with Abbott to discuss rewrites and other preparation for the reading.
DEC. 7 — Meet with Mark Jacoby.
1996
JAN. 29—30 — Meet with Abbott and musical director Douglas Coates to go over the score.
FEB. 6—12 Rehearse for the reading. Performances are held on the 11th and 12th at the Lambs Theatre, New York.
Meet with Abbott and Peterson to discuss what they all have learned from the reading.
FEBRUARY—APRIL —— The authors do extensive rewrites in response to the reading.
Late MARCH — Auditions are held for MSMT's 1996 season.
MARCH—APRIL —— Authors rehearse and perform their . previous musical "The Library" at Stamford Theatre Works in Connecticut.
MAY 12 —— Meeting with Abbott in Philadelphia after seeing him perform in the Walnut Street Theatre's production of "Cabaret." Discuss recent rewrites.
JUNE — More rewrites are mailed to Abbott. JULY 16 — First rehearsal of "Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance" takes place.
