‘Only in New York,’ born at Wright State

In February 2026, history was made in Wright State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts when a new musical, “Only in New York,” premiered in the Creative Arts Center’s Herbst Theatre.

The significance went beyond a world premiere: the musical was created for Wright State students by a Wright State alumnus.

“Only in New York” is the brainchild of Ronvé O’Daniel ’06, who wrote the book, lyrics and music.

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

Built around the cast

Instead, O’Daniel handpicked his cast through virtual auditions in 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 New York City to Wright State to conduct a workshop with the cast, getting a better feel for the students’ 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.

Ronvé O’Daniel ’06 wrote the book, lyrics and music for “Only in New York,” a musical created for Wright State students. (Photos by Erin Pence / Video by Kris Sproles)

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. He spent a year writing the script, going through five drafts before landing on the final version — a dramatically accelerated timeline for a musical.

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

For Marya Spring Cordes, artistic director of theatre and dance and associate chair of the School of Fine and Performing Arts, directing “Only in New York” is part of her vision to bring new works to Wright State audiences.

“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, for suggesting that Wright State feature a graduate’s work and commission a piece 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 collaborated in the same room.

“I didn’t come in with any preconceived notions. Our students didn’t have any preconceived notions about their characters. We all figured 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 ended up working together.”

After holding virtual auditions, O’Daniel hand-selected the cast and developed the production’s roles around the students’ strengths.

Bringing the script to life

“Only in New York” tells the story of Kenya and Andre, a young couple who are new parents juggling jobs, financial strain and whether to remain in New York City.

Kenya is a writer on the cusp of a burgeoning career whose attention is divided by being a new mother. Andre is a piano player who wants to leave New York. The audience witnesses their struggles as they raise their newborn.

“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 portrayed Kenya, the script hit close to home. As the mother of a young son, Pacheco understands sleepless nights and the constant pressure of juggling endless 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.”

Senior acting major Elisa Pacheco played the lead role of Kenya.

From Harlem to the Herbst Theatre

Along with the cast, sets and costumes brought 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 Kenya takes a mixology job at the Renaissance Bar in Harlem, Crane researched clothing styles from the Harlem Renaissance to inspire her designs.

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

Crane, a design/technology major, embraced the challenge of costuming a world premiere.
“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 scenic design student 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 used cool tones to reinforce the tension and pain the couple experiences. For the bar, she used 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 “Only in New York” was performed 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,” she said. “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.”

Lauren Crane, a design/technology major, at work in the Costume Shop.

Sounds of New York

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 gospel.

“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 became the perfect vehicle to another element woven into the show — mixology. O’Daniel taught the cast how to work behind a bar and create cocktails 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.”

Acting major Anthony Luisi played Street.

Coming home

For O’Daniel, premiering “Only in New York” at his alma mater was 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 played Andre, was grateful to perform in a role for the 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 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,” he said. “To leave a creative footprint in this program that I graduated from — I can’t ask for anything more.”