Survey Says (2)...

Here's more more audience reaction from our table reading of “The Last Days of Buster Drumwright."

Question #5: Can you name a favorite or memorable song or songs from the show?
 
"The opener, 'Lament,' is real catchy and stayed with you."
 
“I thought all the music was terrific and really followed the story. Very memorable songs. My favorite was ‘Kathleen’ because it was so moving."
 
"I liked the different kind of beat of ‘One Minute More.’ “
 
“ ‘Bath Time’ and ‘Nothing.’ "
 
“ ‘A Preacher’s What I’ll Be.’ ”
 
“I loved the quilting song, ‘Common Thread,’ between Kathleen and Mary. I also loved ‘Bath Time,’ So funny! Much needed comedic relief and very well placed within the story.”
 
“ ‘Nothing’ and ‘Kathleen.’ ”
 
“ALL OF THEM!”
 
“ ‘Kathleen,’ ‘Common Thread’ and ‘Give Me Your Hand’ were my favorites.”
 
“The opener, ‘Lament,’ ‘The Price,’ ‘Bath Time,’ ‘Nothing’.”
 
“Not my gift to remember names of songs but loved the songs. Beautiful.”
 


Final Question #6: Any other comments or suggestions?
 
“I have found myself thinking about the story and the songs over and over. It truly seemed like a 'Les Miserables' to me. Gripping story, gripping songs...wow!”
 
“The music and lyrics were incredibly well done and the story is engaging, suspenseful, and entertaining!”
 
“To me, the musical seemed very character- driven. I feel like it would be easy to fall into stereotypes like 'the murderer' or 'the disheveled wife,' but it helped to see BOTH sides of every character’s story. I cared about Drumwright even though it felt wrong to care about him. Really brings out the moral lessons we learn at the end.”
 
“It was fabulous. Music was incredible.”
 
“Gripping and beautiful musical score.”
 
“Each character in the play read their parts so well you could actually picture in your mind the play as it might be onstage. VERY well done. The writing, producing, music....all were excellent."

“Keep going. Exciting to see where this show goes. It has a future.”

Thanks, audience!

-- Nan, Wayne, Jim and Billy

SURVEY SAYS (#1)...

After our recent table reading of “The Last Days of Buster Drumwright," we asked our audience to respond to a survey and tell us what they thought about the show and its music.

We were gratified to receive such high marks!

Here are some results from the survey...

The first three questions were based a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being weak and 5 being excellent.

Question #1:  How would you rate the “Drumwright” story?

Answers:
64% gave the story a 5
36% gave the story a 4
(No 1s, 2s or 3s)

Question #2:  How would you rate the “Drumwright” music?

Answers:
91% gave the music a 5
9% gave the music a 3
(No 1s, 2s or 4s)

Question #3: Were you emotionally affected or moved by the “Drumwright” story?

Answers:
64% said the story moved them at the 5 level
27% said the story moved them at the 4 level
9% said the story moved them at the 3 level
(No 1s or 2s)

Question #4:  Did you have a favorite moment in the show?

Answers:
“That’s a tough one - I liked it all!”

“I was gripped by the story and honesty did not want it to stop at intermission. I thought “Bath Time” was so very clever and memorable. Also, the song, "Nothing," was sobering. I have tried to tell friends about this experience and found it hard to describe. I really enjoyed the whole experience. The actors were very believable.”

“How Ocie so quickly became a man of the cloth and was so adept at pulling it off.”

“I loved the quilt-making song (“Common Thread”) between Mary and Kathleen! What beautiful imagery! It was definitely one of my favorite parts! I also loved the ending - it’s unexpected and has a great moral teaching.”

“The song, “Kathleen,” was beautiful. All the music was great and I loved the variety of tunes. The consternation and conflicting emotions Ocie felt after becoming the Preacher was so impacting.”

“Bath Time” with Dan and Rance and the song, “Say Yes.”


More results in a future post!

-- Nan, Wayne, Jim and Billy

 

Welcome to our blog!

We're pleased to announce the launch of our new musical...
 
“The Last Days of Buster Drumwright.”

Nan Gurley and Wayne Gurley have written the book/script. Nan, Jim Weber and Billy Sprague have written the music. Together, we've created a powerful and passionate score that will amaze and move you in the finest tradition of classical musical theater.

Visit our "Music" page to listen to samples of songs from the show.  And our "Media" page to see our teaser video.

Even though the initial development phase for this show is complete, we’re actually just getting started. In the near future, we’ll been adding more information about our show as it becomes available.

Here are a few things you may find interesting about "Drumwright" the musical...

  • It was adapted from a 1-hour television program that appeared on CBS in 1960. 
  • It features a rock-infused “Country Americana” score.
  • It has a redemptive, life-changing story. 

One more thing...

It's a a commercial theater project. In other words, we’re be seeking investors to move it forward and take it as far as we can. Our ultimate goal is to put it on stage in New York.
 
We know it’s a big dream. But we believe this show has what it takes to be a commercial success.
 
Interested in learning more? Then stay tuned.
 
All we ask is that you join us in cheering on this project in whatever way you can. 

  • You may wish to be an “ambassador” for this project and like our pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  
  • You may merely wish to encourage us as we move through the process of publicizing the show to a wider audience.
  • You may know someone who you think might want to invest in the project.
  • You may wish to invest in the project yourself.

Regardless of how you would like to be involved, we will sincerely and deeply appreciate whatever you are able to do.
 
We know one thing…
 
A project like this will require a large collaborative community of people who love theater and want to see great, redemptive stories told. So, the bottom line for us is – we’re grateful for all the friends we can get.
 
Until next time, thanks for reading. We look forward to updating you further in the coming weeks and sharing more about our plans for this project.

- Nan, Wayne, Jim and Billy