Our Creation Story

by George Howe

Everything in its own time. 

When I was approached by my friends and collaborators Christina Calvit and Heather Currie back in August 2018 about writing a rock musical based on Norse mythology, I had no idea how appropriate that adage would become.

The three of us took the better part of two years creating the show which was then called Loki: The End of the World Tour. The musical was set to premiere at Lifeline Theatre, an exceptional company in Rogers Park that Christina, Heather and I have strong connections to going back many years. 

One of the best theatre experiences I had when I moved to Chicago in the early ’90’s was seeing Christina’s adaptation of Jane Eyre at Lifeline. It was entirely sublime. I wrote my first TYA musical for them in 2001; The Emperor’s Groovy New Threads, directed by Elise Kauzlaric. Elise would later star as the title role in the musical, Queen Lucia which I wrote with Christina in 2005. It was our first collaboration and we followed it up with Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile in 2007. 

Heather Currie and I first met in the mid-00’s working together at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret. Heather would sling drinks and belt out showtunes and pop-rock songs while I accompanied her at the piano and raised my voice along in harmony. In 2008, she was cast in my musical Duck for President, once again at Lifeline Theatre and over the years I have been fortunate to work with her on many of my shows where she’s been both an actor and a director.

I knew that in writing Loki, I would be among friends whose talent  and artistic visions I trusted and respected. They helped me immeasurably when I reached creative road blocks and suffered self-doubt along the way. My biggest concern was that I had never written a score that seriously needed to ROCK!. My most recent show at that time was Northanger Abbey in 2017, a lyrical, more traditional musical theatre piece, based on an early novel by Jane Austen. Yeah - Jane Frickin’ Austen. Loki had to sound like the polar opposite of Jane. 

So, I set about aurally surrounding myself with all things rock. My AirPods never left my ears. I discovered an unbridled passion for Led Zeppelin. 

I made  a demo of each song as I wrote it and excitedly emailed them to Christina and Heather, usually at 3am. I’d then try to get some sleep which would prove to be difficult because I was anxious to hear their critiques.

Many songs stood the test of daylight. A few became trunk songs. One song I particularly liked the music to was repurposed with a completely new lyric for a different character. (Waste not, want not.) The opening number itself seemed to undergo dozens of revisions. At one point, it involved an ancient cow drowning in a river of blood, giants born from smelly arm pits and full-on foot fetishism. 

Mind you, this was all taken directly from Norse mythology. Those freaky Vikings were drinking some mighty potent mead. 

After hours of meetings and countless drafts, we were finally ready to go into production. We had a design team in place and actors eager to jump into the rehearsal process. Our excitement was building as we counted down the days until our first rehearsal, March 20, 2020.

And then Covid happened. Bummer. 

At first, we thought we’d simply push rehearsals back a few weeks and open only slightly later than scheduled. It soon became apparent that Covid had other plans. Loki: The End of the World Tour was cancelled.

So, that was it. There was nothing to be done. Loki would not open. All the work and sweat, the joy and laughter we shared in writing this strange piece together put on hold. Indefinitely.

We grieved what might have been. The sets. The lights. The costumes and props. The band. The excitement of seeing actors bringing our words and music to life. (Let me tell you - that is a thrill like no other, witnessing what’s been cooking in your brain suddenly, miraculously materializing in front of your eyes. I am in constant awe and humbled whenever a performer sings one my songs.)

Damn it. We were so close to watching our Loki jump the void.

I had to put the entire matter out of my mind. It was too painful listening to the demos. It was time to focus on staying healthy while waiting for a vaccine and making sure I had enough toilet paper and hand sanitizer to make it through the week. 

And the weeks passed. The opening night that never was came and went. We all got busy with our lives and learning how to live during a pandemic. 

Whenever Heather and I would chat, the conversation would inevitably turn toward Loki and we’d shrug and sigh. I remember jokingly saying to her once, “Loki is my favorite show no one ever got to see.” Heather replied, straight-faced and totally serious, “Don’t give up. I know it will happen when the time is right.”

Heather held tight to that mantra. It gave me hope. Months would go by without thinking of the show, then I’d open my iPad and come across some Loki sheetmusic or see a Loki Demos folder on my computer. Her words would come back to me. “It will happen when the time is right.”

I was sitting in my living room one swelteringly hot afternoon in July, 2022. I spend my summers in Ogunquit, ME and I had no plans that day other than to take a walk on the beach and maybe take a bike ride if I could stand the heat. I decided to check my email before I headed out of the house when from out of the blue, I got a message from Elise Kauzlaric, subject title “Loki query”.

“Would you be interested in discussing the possibility of continuing your development of Loki in an educational environment? We are hoping to start developing opportunities for students to engage in new work development and would love to know if this is something you would consider.”

I didn’t know what to think. I was flattered. I was nervous. I was sweating. It was hot. I needed to clear my head. I took out my phone, put in my AirPods and re-downloaded my Loki playlist which I had deleted many months earlier.

“Raise me, I’m rollin’ through the night with the might of a rising thunder/ I jump the void, I break the day.”

As I strode along the beach, I actually became giddy with the prospect of Loki being performed by the students of CCPA. With the immense talent here at school, I knew they would fuckin’ SLAY!

Christina, Heather, and I talked it over and we knew that Loki and CCPA would be a great fit. And the rest is history.

I am easily overwhelmed with emotion. I warned the cast at our pre-rehearsal in January that I was apt to cry at the drop of a hat because this show is so close to my heart. I’ve managed to keep it together so far. 

I am deeply grateful for this unique opportunity of bringing (new title!) Loki at the End of the World to life with people I truly love. I am proud of what we have created together. And when the show closes, I will be terribly sad. But Loki will live on. At least that is my hope, and as the Company sings, 

"When there is hope at the end of the world, it's not the end of the world."

Everything in its own time.