Onward and Upward
by Charlie Romano and Will Wegner, based on the play “Up (The Man in the Flying Chair)” by Bridget Carpenter
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Mamie Parris and Jim Stanek
DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
● Equity Workshop production by Amas Musical Theatre, New York City (November 2023)
● Eugene O’Neill Semifinalist (2023)
● Jonathan Larson Grant Finalists (2023)
● Marvin Hamlisch Award Finalists (2021)
● Staged reading produced by the Phoenix Theatre Company (April 2023)
● Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists (2022)
● Staged reading produced by Yale Undergraduate Productions (Fall 2021)
● Student workshop production produced at Union Church Theatre in Glencoe, IL (December 2020)
BRIEF SUMMARY
In 1983, Walter Griffin made headlines after tying a lawnchair to a cluster of weather balloons and flying three miles into the sky. Nearly two decades later, Walter is searching for his next great invention, but he struggles to get his ideas off the ground. His wife, Helen, would prefer that he find a normal job, while their son, Mikey, searches desperately for recognition of his own. Things are looking up when Mikey and Walter both begin new careers, but it soon becomes apparent that the family’s situation is more precarious than it seems, threatening to topple at any moment.