A musical written by UQ Music graduate Paul Hodge opened up at Perth’s Heath Ledger Theatre last week, after completing its world tour.
Clinton the Musical became an Off-Broadway hit in 2015. The Musical received a New York Times Critics Pick and was nominated for Best New Musical by the Off-Broadway Alliance and for Best New Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Paul Hodge wrote the music and lyrics during his PhD project.
“Completing a PhD in Music Composition at UQ has given me an invaluable opportunity to develop as a composer and analyse my technique with a critical eye to allow it to improve,” Paul said.
“It has allowed me to hone skills in developing Clinton the Musical, which has now been performed in Edinburgh, London, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Off-Broadway and will this year have its Australia premiere at Black Swan State Theatre Company.”
Paul said musical theatre has only very recently found a place in academia and hopes that his research will assist other writers and composers in developing their own works and skills.