‘Only in New York,’ born at Wright State

History is about to be made in Wright State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts. When a new musical, “Only in New York,” premieres in the Creative Arts Center’s Herbst Theatre on Feb. 13, it will be the first time the work will be performed in front of a live audience.

But the significance of the performance doesn’t stop there.

This musical was created for Wright State students by a Wright State alumnus.

“Only in New York” is the brainchild of 2006 Wright State graduate Ronvé O’Daniel, who wrote the book, lyrics and music.

“This is very different than how shows are typically created,” said O’Daniel. “Generally, you have a script before you have the actors.”

O’Daniel handpicked his cast through virtual auditions in October 2024.

“I was looking for the best storytellers and the most engaging actors who could hold my attention,” he recalled. “It was a really tough decision, because the talent pool is tremendous here.”

In December 2024, O’Daniel traveled from his former home in New York City to Wright State to conduct a workshop for the cast. On campus, he could interact with the student actors in person and get a better feel for their personalities, acting abilities and vocal ranges.

As soon as O’Daniel left the workshop, he hit the ground running.

“I had to take all of that information back to my little creative cave and come up with a show,” he said.

On stage Feb. 13–22 in the Herbst Theatre, “Only in New York” allows Wright State theatre students to debut original roles in a new musical created for them. (Video by Kris Sproles; photos by Erin Pence)

He spent three months creating an outline for the musical.

“That’s probably the hardest part of the process, just knowing what you want each moment to be — and how that aligns with the whole story you’re trying to tell thematically,” he said. “Once that was done, it was just putting words to the page.”

O’Daniel collaborated with award-winning playwright Cris Eli Blak, who co-wrote the book, and Will Stone, who helped with orchestrations and vocal arrangements.

“Those two were instrumental in helping me get this to the finish line,” said O’Daniel.

O’Daniel spent a year writing the script for “Only in New York” — a process that was dramatically fast tracked.

“Generally, musicals take at least three to four years. This was different, but in a great way,” he said.

O’Daniel went through five drafts of the script until he landed on the final version that audiences will enjoy in the Herbst Theatre from Feb. 13 to 22.

For Marya Spring Cordes, who is directing “Only in New York,” the opportunity to present a new work is part of her vision for the future of Wright State’s theatre program.

As artistic director of theatre and dance and associate chair of the School of Fine and Performing Arts, Spring Cordes looks forward to introducing audiences to stories they haven’t heard before by offering other new plays and musicals.

“We hope to make this a prominent part of the buffet we give audiences,” she said.

Spring Cordes credits her husband, Jamie Cordes, a senior lecturer in theatre, with igniting the spark that resulted in the creation of “Only in New York.” Cordes suggested featuring the work of a Wright State graduate and asked O’Daniel to commission a piece to be performed by Wright State students.

“This is very special, because you usually get handed something and then have to make it your own,” said Spring Cordes.

With “Only in New York,” the playwright, director, cast and crew are all collaborating in the same room.

“I don’t come in with any pre-conceived notions. Our students don’t have any pre-conceived notions about their characters. We’re all figuring it out together,” Spring Cordes said. “It’s the greatest jigsaw puzzle that a director could ever want with material that is truly satisfying. It’s quite magical how it all ends up working together.”

Bringing the script to life

“Only in New York” tells the story of Kenya and Andre, a young couple who are new parents. As they juggle jobs and struggle to make ends meet, they must grapple with the decision of whether they should remain in New York City or leave.

Kenya is a writer at the cusp of a burgeoning career. Being a new mother is challenging for her, and her attention is divided. Andre is a piano player who wants to leave New York. The audience witnesses their ups and downs as they raise their newborn child.

“I had bounced around a lot of ideas,” said O’Daniel, “but I kept coming back to wanting to see parenthood on stage. This cast was perfect to tell that story.”

For Elisa Pacheco, who portrays Kenya, the script hits close to home. As the mother of a young son, Pacheco knows all too well the reality of sleepless nights and the constant pressure of juggling a never-ending list of responsibilities.

“Being a mother in my real life has aided me more than anything in this part,” said Pacheco. “I identify with Kenya a lot. Everything Kenya does is for her son, which is the same mentality I have for my everyday life.”

Along with the cast, sets and costumes help bring O’Daniel’s script to life.

“The costumes are an important part of the show,” said costume designer Lauren Crane. “The actors use the costumes to fully get into character.”

Since the lead character, Kenya, takes a mixology job at the Renaissance Bar in Harlem, Crane researched clothing styles from the Harlem Renaissance to find inspiration for her designs.

“The characters from the Renaissance bar will have 1920s-inspired makeup, hair and details on their costumes, but they will still have this completely modern twist,” she said.

While some might be daunted by the challenge of creating costumes for a work that has never been performed before, Crane, a junior design/technology major, is taking it all in stride.

“It is very intimidating to think that I’m the only one who has ever done this,” said Crane, “but it gives me more freedom to decide how I see the characters, rather than looking at what’s been done in the past.”

Crane’s costumes complement the sets created by fellow student and scenic designer Maggie Slauenwhite. “Only in New York” is set in two main locations: Kenya and Andre’s apartment and the Renaissance Bar.

In the apartment, Slauenwhite primarily used cool tones to reinforce the tension and pain that Kenya and Andre are experiencing. For the bar, she utilized browns, reds and golds to convey the warmth and rich culture of the environment.

“I definitely wanted the apartment to have cool tones, but I still wanted to incorporate some warm elements to keep the fire, that is their family love, dimly lit,” she said.

Since the audience will experience “Only in New York” in the black box Herbst Theatre, Slauenwhite wanted her sets to feel encompassing.

“The beautiful thing about a black box is that it’s an intimate space and the audience is in the magic of the story, because the action, lights, scenery, costumes and sound are all surrounding the audience,” said Slauenwhite. “My goal was to make as much of the space feel like New York City as possible and not just a black box with some scenery.”

At the heart of “Only in New York” is the music. Rooted in hip-hop and R&B, the score also incorporates Afrobeats, contemporary musical theatre and some gospel elements.

“There’s a little bit of everything, and that’s on purpose,” said O’Daniel. “New York is a melting pot, and the music should reflect that.”

Music becomes the perfect vehicle to another element woven into the show — mixology.

O’Daniel taught the cast the fundamentals of how to handle themselves behind a bar and how to create a cocktail while performing a song.

“Mixology was important to me, because another theme of the show is how art functions in our society,” he said. “For me, art is everything. It’s singing, dancing and acting, but it’s also culinary arts and mixology.”

A dream come true

For O’Daniel, having “Only in New York” premiere at his alma mater is a dream come true.

“It means everything to me. This was on my bucket list,” he said. “As a creative, it means the world to give back.”

Noah Funderburk, who plays Andre, is grateful for the opportunity to perform in a role for the very first time.

“We are the first bodies creating these characters. These audiences will be the first to see a show like this. That’s so exciting,” said Funderburk. “It’s cool to see someone, like Ronvé, who went through our program — who has a life in the arts — come back and give us the opportunity he wishes he had when he was here to do a new work like this.”

O’Daniel’s contributions to Wright State theatre’s program will continue well beyond “Only in New York.” In fall 2025, he joined the School of Fine and Performing Arts as an assistant professor of musical theatre.

“To come back in that capacity is an honor in itself,” said O’Daniel. “To leave a creative footprint in this program that I graduated from — I can’t ask for anything more.”

O’Daniel plans to look for other venues where “Only in New York” can be performed following its seven-performance run at Wright State.

“I’ll probably do more revising to script. That’s just the way musical theatre works,” he said. “For the time being, I’m focused on Wright State and making sure that this production is top notch and that we knock it out of the park.”

‘Only in New York’ Performances:

• Feb. 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m.
• Feb. 15, 21 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Tickets:

• $15 for adults
• $10 for people 60 and older, faculty and staff
• $5 for students

Purchase online at wrightliberalarts.universitytickets.com or at the Creative Arts Center box office, weekdays from noon to 4 p.m.