. But in Escondido, a new theatrical company is forging a path out of COVID shutdowns, and it’s doing so with expertly staged productions.
Many years later, that “something” has blossomed into a world-premiere musical, conceived by Beck, who co-wrote some of the songs, and directed by Lapp.“You always hope they are moved and respond in the fashion you hoped they would ... and when we ended one of the presentations of ‘Witnesses,’ we had this overwhelming support of emotion and excitement and passion for the project that was incredibly rewarding,” Lapp told the U-T’s Kragen recently.
In “Witnesses,” the stories are poignant and often heart-wrenching. The words are poetic and lyrical, the music a tender mix of melancholy and hope at the same time. Toward the end of “Witnesses,” the company sings “What Will You Do?” — beautifully led by Kai Justice Rosales, a recent graduate of Cal State Fullerton’s musical theater program. History tends to repeat itself, they sang. What will you do to make sure it doesn’t happen again, they ask. “What will you do?”