{"id":163757,"date":"2026-02-12T15:16:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=163757"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:14:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:14:54","slug":"only-in-new-york-born-at-wright-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/02\/12\/only-in-new-york-born-at-wright-state\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Only in New York\u2019 comes alive at Wright State"},"content":{"rendered":"

History is about to be made in Wright State University\u2019s School of Fine and Performing Arts<\/a>. When a new musical, \u201cOnly in New York,\u201d premieres in the Creative Arts Center\u2019s Herbst Theatre on Feb. 13, it will be the first time the work will be performed in front of a live audience.<\/p>\n

But the significance of the performance doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

This musical was created for Wright State students by a Wright State alumnus.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly in New York<\/a>\u201d is the brainchild of 2006 Wright State graduate Ronv\u00e9 O\u2019Daniel, who wrote the book, lyrics and music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very different than how shows are typically created,\u201d said O\u2019Daniel. \u201cGenerally, you have a script before you have the actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel handpicked his cast through virtual auditions in October 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for the best storytellers and the most engaging actors who could hold my attention,\u201d he recalled. \u201cIt was a really tough decision, because the talent pool is tremendous here.\u201d<\/p>\n

In December 2024, O\u2019Daniel traveled from his former home in New York City to Wright State to conduct a workshop for the cast<\/a>. On campus, he could interact with the student actors in person and get a better feel for their personalities, acting abilities and vocal ranges.<\/p>\n

As soon as O\u2019Daniel left the workshop, he hit the ground running.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to take all of that information back to my little creative cave and come up with a show,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

On stage Feb. 13\u201322 in the Herbst Theatre, \u201cOnly in New York\u201d allows Wright State theatre students to debut original roles in a new musical created for them. (Video by Kris Sproles; photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

He spent three months creating an outline for the musical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably the hardest part of the process, just knowing what you want each moment to be \u2014 and how that aligns with the whole story you\u2019re trying to tell thematically,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce that was done, it was just putting words to the page.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel collaborated with award-winning playwright Cris Eli Blak, who co-wrote the book, and Will Stone, who helped with orchestrations and vocal arrangements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose two were instrumental in helping me get this to the finish line,\u201d said O\u2019Daniel.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel spent a year writing the script for \u201cOnly in New York\u201d \u2014 a process that was dramatically fast tracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, musicals take at least three to four years. This was different, but in a great way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel 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.<\/p>\n

For Marya Spring Cordes, who is directing \u201cOnly in New York,\u201d the opportunity to present a new work is part of her vision for the future of Wright State\u2019s theatre program.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t heard before by offering other new plays and musicals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to make this a prominent part of the buffet we give audiences,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Spring Cordes credits her husband, Jamie Cordes, a senior lecturer in theatre, with igniting the spark that resulted in the creation of \u201cOnly in New York.\u201d Cordes suggested featuring the work of a Wright State graduate and asked O\u2019Daniel to commission a piece to be performed by Wright State students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very special, because you usually get handed something and then have to make it your own,\u201d said Spring Cordes.<\/p>\n

With \u201cOnly in New York,\u201d the playwright, director, cast and crew are all collaborating in the same room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t come in with any pre-conceived notions. Our students don\u2019t have any pre-conceived notions about their characters. We\u2019re all figuring it out together,\u201d Spring Cordes said. \u201cIt\u2019s the greatest jigsaw puzzle that a director could ever want with material that is truly satisfying. It\u2019s quite magical how it all ends up working together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bringing the script to life<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cOnly in New York\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had bounced around a lot of ideas,\u201d said O\u2019Daniel, \u201cbut I kept coming back to wanting to see parenthood on stage. This cast was perfect to tell that story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a mother in my real life has aided me more than anything in this part,\u201d said Pacheco. \u201cI identify with Kenya a lot. Everything Kenya does is for her son, which is the same mentality I have for my everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with the cast, sets and costumes help bring O\u2019Daniel\u2019s script to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe costumes are an important part of the show,\u201d said costume designer Lauren Crane. \u201cThe actors use the costumes to fully get into character.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very intimidating to think that I\u2019m the only one who has ever done this,\u201d said Crane, \u201cbut it gives me more freedom to decide how I see the characters, rather than looking at what\u2019s been done in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crane\u2019s costumes complement the sets created by fellow student and scenic designer Maggie Slauenwhite. \u201cOnly in New York\u201d is set in two main locations: Kenya and Andre\u2019s apartment and the Renaissance Bar.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Since the audience will experience \u201cOnly in New York\u201d in the black box Herbst Theatre, Slauenwhite wanted her sets to feel encompassing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beautiful thing about a black box is that it\u2019s 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,\u201d said Slauenwhite. \u201cMy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the heart of \u201cOnly in New York\u201d is the music. Rooted in hip-hop and R&B, the score also incorporates Afrobeats, contemporary musical theatre and some gospel elements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a little bit of everything, and that\u2019s on purpose,\u201d said O\u2019Daniel. \u201cNew York is a melting pot, and the music should reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music becomes the perfect vehicle to another element woven into the show \u2014 mixology.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel taught the cast the fundamentals of how to handle themselves behind a bar and how to create a cocktail while performing a song.<\/p>\n

\u201cMixology was important to me, because another theme of the show is how art functions in our society,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, art is everything. It\u2019s singing, dancing and acting, but it\u2019s also culinary arts and mixology.\u201d<\/p>\n

A dream come true<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For O\u2019Daniel, having \u201cOnly in New York\u201d premiere at his alma mater is a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means everything to me. This was on my bucket list,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a creative, it means the world to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noah Funderburk, who plays Andre, is grateful for the opportunity to perform in a role for the very first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the first bodies creating these characters. These audiences will be the first to see a show like this. That\u2019s so exciting,\u201d said Funderburk. \u201cIt\u2019s cool to see someone, like Ronv\u00e9, who went through our program \u2014 who has a life in the arts \u2014 come back and give us the opportunity he wishes he had when he was here to do a new work like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel\u2019s contributions to Wright State theatre\u2019s program will continue well beyond \u201cOnly in New York.\u201d In fall 2025, he joined the School of Fine and Performing Arts as an assistant professor of musical theatre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cTo come back in that capacity is an honor in itself,\u201d said O\u2019Daniel. \u201cTo leave a creative footprint in this program that I graduated from \u2014 I can\u2019t ask for anything more.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Daniel plans to look for other venues where \u201cOnly in New York\u201d can be performed following its seven-performance run at Wright State.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll probably do more revising to script. That\u2019s just the way musical theatre works,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the time being, I\u2019m focused on Wright State and making sure that this production is top notch and that we knock it out of the park.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Only in New York\u2019 Performances:<\/strong><\/h3>\n