ONTD

"The Fourth Messenger" not only asks what if the Buddha were a woman, but also what if she could sing?

A new musical with book and lyrics by Tanya Shaffer and music by alt-folkster Vienna Teng, "The Fourth Messenger" has its world premiere at Berkeley's Ashby Stage, and it's a first-time musical for both creators.




Shaffer first had the idea for a musical about a female Buddha more than a decade ago when she let her mind wander during a nine-day silent meditation retreat.

"I was thinking about the life of the Buddha and the story of his enlightenment, and I knew it should be a musical," Shaffer says. "As the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree waiting to be enlightened, all these temptations came to lure him away. I could easily imagine that as a grand song and dance of existence."

As Shaffer continued developing the musical, the next step was to find the right composer for the show. After a few false starts, Shaffer met with Teng.

"There was an immediate connection," Shaffer says. "It was fun working with her, and I loved what she came up with. I was after something fresh, and she was definitely the one."

South Bay native Teng studied computer science during her undergrad work at Stanford, then fully invested in songwriting, recording and touring. She left the Bay Area five years ago and is now in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she's doing graduate work in environmental science at the University of Michigan.

"I find it creatively energizing to work on things unrelated to my music," Teng says of balancing studies with music.

Known for her "chamber folk" vibe infused with pop and jazz elements, Teng says this musical project has pushed her out of her comfort zone. "I'm not usually collaborative, but this process is extremely collaborative and intensely revisional. Writing for different voices and characters is scary but exhilarating."

Shaffer, who shares an El Cerrito home with her husband and 9- and 4-year-old sons, is producing the show herself.

"What's happening in the rehearsal hall with our director (Matt August) and cast is incredible and I love it," Shaffer says. "On the producer side, there's a crisis every day. This show is killing me, but it will be fantastic."

If you go:
The Fourth Messenger: 8p.m. Thursday (Feb. 7), 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; check website for full schedule. Through March 10. The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby St., Berkeley. $23-$35. www.thefourthmessenger.com.

[Source]

Any bay-area ONTDers, please see this and report back.  Because I know most of you don't know who Vienna Teng is, but everyone needs to know.  Because she is a perfect incredible phenomenon and must become famous immediately.



tyvm.