Denise Marsa’s The Pass Musical Official Selection 2021 United Solo Festival November 18, 9PM

Press Announcement/KeyMedia Public Relations/Music Industry

Contact: Jordani Sarreal, publicist@keymediapublicrelations.com

A Story about Songwriting and the Human Spirit

(New York, New York, Tuesday, October 12, 2021) – In September 2018 The Pass premiered in London at The Playground Theatre. Journalists who attended the two performances expressed their strong support for the piece. London Theatre 1 Chris Omaweng wrote, “A nuanced and fascinating show. It all fits like a glove.” Encouraged by the glowing reviews the author of the show, singer-songwriter Denise Marsa was invigorated and gained the momentum she needed to stay on track with the project. She explained “I set out to tell my story about an artist who never quite gets to where she wants to be, although she comes close. She applies focus, tenacity, and determination. Though her talent was continuously praised, she still never really hits it big. There are many shows about artists and bands that have reached the pinnacle of success, this is a story about not getting to the top. About doing what you love, no matter what the consequences, and staying relevant in a constantly changing industry. This show is more about me coming to terms with my long, winding, and often frustrating career path and exposing my vulnerability.” 

The Pass was initially developed in 2017 with theater legend Gretchen Cryer mentoring Denise every step of the way. The show is a compelling series of autobiographical vignettes incorporating songs and stories penned and performed by award-winning singer-songwriter Denise Marsa, featuring renowned New York musician Tracy Stark on keys. Denise recounts her career spanning the decades – beginning at the end of the 70s, pushing through the highly volatile and emotional 80’s, continuing through the start of the tech-driven 90s, and on into the 21st century. The show is a testament to the human spirit, a raw biographical performance, comprised of life-defining moments, humor, heartbreak, and self-discovery, accompanied by beautiful music. Tickets are on sale now: https://unitedsolo.org/shows/the-pass-musical/.  For more information about Denise Marsa please visit: DeniseMarsaMusic.com. 

Team The Pass Musical: 

About Denise Marsa: Denise is best known internationally for the UK #3 hit, “Lucky Stars,” a duet she performed with Dean Friedman. She went on to become the lead voice on The Flirts international Billboard charting dance record, “Helpless” (You Took My Love). Marsa has been under contract as a songwriter with Warner Bros. London and Warner/Chappell in Los Angeles. Marsa has released two solo albums, Self and Live Forever on her own label, KeyMedia Music Group. Her song “Steady,” from her second release, won Best Song and Production in the Adult Contemporary category at the 2013 New Mexico Music Awards. Her Marsa Music catalog is currently being administered by BMG Rights Management. They are co-producing her new solo show The Pass Musical. 

About USTF: The United Solo Theatre Festival is the world’s largest solo theatre festival held at Theatre Row on 42nd Street in New York City. Omar Sangare is both the founder and artistic director. The festival features many categories of solo shows, including storytelling, puppetry, dance, multimedia, improvisations, stand-up, magic, drama, and comedy. Since its inaugural edition, the festival proceeds have been used to raise money for The Actors Fund.

SWIMMING

Another new song “SWIMMING” and it will open up Act 2 of THE PASS Musical, 11/18/21! Rehearsed it this past Monday with Tracy Stark, it’s working…

“Close your eyes

Let’s breathe

And get over here and love me

Get over here and love me

Come on over here and let me love you

You’ve drowned, I’ve drowned

Now we’re both swimming…”

Matza Ball Soup

As a Jewish woman, it is in my blood to nurture. I was surrounded by nuturing women my entire childhood and my teen years. Some might say, a bit too nurturing leaning towards bossy, at times. Whatever. The intent was/is always to care for those we love. The Yiddish saying Balabusta (Yiddish: בעל־הביתטע‎) is a Yiddish expression describing a good homemaker. And I was called that by my dad, during his final years on earth. He thought it meant bossy. Yup, I got a bit bossy with my dad (desperate times call for concise measures!) –I wanted to be sure he was comfy during his final years. Love.

I believe I started writing songs out of love, to nuture listeners or to bring a respite from everyday life, to express feelings in a song to those that might not be able to expess themselves as freely. To entertain. That is how I started my singing career, as Baby June in Gypsy, with the famed song “Let Me Entertain You.” Well I guess I took it literally! Thank you Jule Styne (music) Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) for the inspiration.

Now you may be wondering why the title of this blog is Matza Ball Soup, well here we are with the answer. Today I sent a sick friend in Los Angeles, Matza Ball soup, from Canter’s in LA and delivered feverishly by Uber Eats (Odi) and ordered from my West Village apartment. Nurturing has never been easier and if I could, I’d send a quart of Matza Ball soup to allthe people I am close to. It is good for the soul. We all need some nurturing these days!!

And check out my next performance where I share all kinds of stories and songs during the United Solo Theatre Festvial 2021 of THE PASS Musical: https://unitedsolo.org/shows/the-pass-musical/

Time for some soup…

The Pass Musical & West Hollywood

Our first NYC stage, Theatre Row, United Solo Festival: https://unitedsolo.org/shows/the-pass-musical/

We are going to be presenting The Pass Musical on November 18, 2021 @9PM. I hope you can attend, if you are in NYC and if we go live.

I am currently in West Hollywood, and the 12th vignette of the show is entitled West Hollywod. It is good to be back however it is also bringing up lots of the past. Which funny enough, is also sometimes what people think the title of the show is, when I say The Pass, they ask, The Past? I do recall in the show, and often, so in essence there is a direct connection.

The past is a very tender part of life. We have lived it and it gathers meaning as time goes on with or without us knowing it. The skill is to know when to let the past navigate our present and perhaps our future and when to close that door, and keep it closed. We are all travelers, time is our map, and what we choose as our compass, is up to us.

I am focusing right now, in this moment, on love as my compass. I sometimes forget that, it is with love, I carry on. Other emotions can taint the windows or cloud the water, I swim forward with my heart; as it has led me wisely thus far.

“Either Way” new song

Songwriting is in my blood. I know exactly when it started, and how much I wanted to write songs as a young girl and play the piano. I taught myself how to play so that I could write songs. My songwriting continues and I am so grateful.

I explained to a friend, about this new song. I was standing in my bathroom a few days ago – mid-morning and a towel was hanging on this hook…and the first line came. “Your towel still hangs on the hook where you left it, the morning I told you my truth.” I rushed to one of the many pads I keep around, to write it down. Then I sat at the piano, with excitement and fervor, as if this song was bottled up in me for 6 years. It came out. As if I was just the vehicle. The song took shape, I fumbled on chords, notes, the melody, until it sounded how I wanted it to sound. After a few hours — it was a song.

The next morning I woke at 6:15 am and by 7:00 I was recording it with my home-studio equipment. By 1PM I had my first demo of “Either Way.”

And that is what happened…oh and after I listended to the simple, raw demo, with a few production elements added, for the first time, I began to cry. It was the 3rd time I cried for a new song.

It has been such a journey for me, and yet, the songs keep finding me. I guess it is my destiny to be a songwriter.

Happy

Think about what makes you happy. One of my grandest and certainly most long-term moments of happiness, which is thankfully on-going, is sitting at the piano and creating songs. I sing, I explore, I scribble words, and it feels like my soul and my feet, meet. Grounded and yet soaring.

I am reading a book and today’s segment refers to an old American proverb: “If you can’t be grateful for all the things you don’t have and want, be grateful for all the things you don’t have and dont want.”

That just hit a chord for me. Wanted to share. Major C?

And talk about sharing, a new song arrived, ALL THIS TIME ALONE. In production and will be released forthwith.

Soar on…

Concrete Noise

Sirens, screams, laughing, shouting, gun shots, horns, windows opening and closing and air conditioners. Mine is too loud. It’s like living in a film noir at times, at night. With the birds coming in earlier and earlier as they too are unsettled, to add their two cents. What’s up? They ask. Yes I have birds in my courtyard. They echo as their trepidation eventually turns to bird-tunes. This city has its own soundtrack, that changes in level and timber each hour each year and we are here. And I sleep.

City Noises Sound Effect | Free Sound Clips | City Sounds

My secret editor

I think she means…no wait, that makes no sense.
Ridiculous, what is she talking about?

As I run a small boutique PR & marketing firm, @KeyMediaGroupPR (plug ha!) one of my favorite tasks is writing press releases. I have been complimented on my writing and being a songwriter I understand how to write stories and how to create an arc.

I have recently been working with a friend who is now my unofficial editor. And she is brutally honest with me, and I am so pleased she is. She kicks my butt everytime I send her a new release. And I write more and I learn and I change and it all makes better sense. I am writing even better releases since she stepped in to help.

So what if I carry on with my daily life, as if I am my own editor. What if we all do that? Living a day, really editing what we say, do, think, making each day a piece to be “thoughtful” about. What would I leave out, what would I change? What would each day look like, having a well intended arc, a beginning, a middle, an end. We are all our own editors, afterall.

Kiss me in the rain

Working on my newest song, which is about coming out of the storm and moving into a place of trust and comfort. Two very important elements to a happy & creative life and even perhaps a content life. Trust & inner comfort.

Reflecting on the question from the Lesflicks Q & A 5/4/21 who could I see playing me in the movie The Pass. A few surprising suggestions people have shared with me since:

  1. Scarlet Johnasson
  2. Miley Cirus
  3. Anya Taylor-Joy ( 2x’s)
  4. Emma Stone

I was coy about the question…hell yes, let’s do a movie!

ps rocking the boat…