Writer, Composer & Performer
54 Below
September 2023
A two-person song cycle, The Way Back To Thursday chronicles the 30-year relationship between a grandmother and her grandson as they negotiate issues of sexuality, aging, family relationships, and ultimately, love. Cameron (the grandson) wants to keep his special relationship with Grandma as a time capsule—an unchanging part of his identity, reflective of only their past—but as time passes, that begins to shift. More than anything, The Way Back To Thursday is a musical about unconditional love that crosses generations, genders and lifetimes. Following its premiere in January 2014, the piece was nominated for OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards 2014. It was then presented at the 2015 In Tune Festival (Touchstone Theatre/Arts Club) in Vancouver, June 2015. Join writer and composer, Rob Kempson, and original cast member, Astrid Van Wieren (Come From Away), for this one-night-only New York premiere!
There are few things as exciting as making your New York debut as both a writer and performer alongside a dear friend (and Broadway star). What a treat it was to get to share this work to a broader audience, nearly ten years after the premiere. While I was terrified to get up on stage with Astrid, it was a beautiful experience and one that I will treasure for a long time.
Musical Arrangements by Scott Christian
Featuring Astrid van Wieren and Rob Kempson
Music Direction and Piano by Eric Fotre Leach
Cello by Buffi Jacobs
Produced by Ben Nissen