Why Forever Got a Rewrite: The Creative Partnership

Why Forever Needed a Rewrite: Two Writers, One Vision

Some stories take years to get right. For Barry Gordon, Forever began as an idea decades ago, but something wasn’t working. Then he met Gary B. Lamb, and everything changed.

In this conversation, Barry and Gary reveal why The Picture of Dorian Gray, set in the 1960s rock scene, felt like the perfect backdrop for a modern musical. But more importantly, they talk about what happens when two writers look at the same script and see exactly what’s broken, and exactly how to fix it.

This is the story of collaboration, creative breakthroughs, and why they’re doing something no one else has done, building a fan community for a musical still in development. No tour. No Broadway run yet. Just a great story, original music, and the belief that audiences want to be part of the journey from the beginning.

Discover why a rock star in 1965 would sell his soul, how the show spans from Motown to the millennium, and what happens when you realize your creative partner sees the same vision you do.

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hey everybody, my name is Barry Gordon.

And I am Gary B Lamb, and we’re here to tell you about something that we are amazingly excited about.

About some years ago, I won’t say how many, but some years ago, I had an idea for a new musical, and it was based on an old book called The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Oh, stop acting like you don’t know what I’m going to be talking about. That’s silly.

The Picture of Dorian Gray was written by Oscar Wilde.

Oscar, with what I flash cards would… yeah.

No. Anyway, I’m your flash card.

Okay. So, The Picture of Dorian Gray was written by Oscar Wilde, and it’s a famous, famous story that you probably already know. This guy has a painting, and when he’s young, he makes a wish that the painting grow old while he stays young, because he wants to be beautiful forever.

And of course, he sells his soul to do that, and all kinds of weird things happen. We don’t know who he sells his soul to. There’s no devil in The Picture of Dorian Gray, but he sells his soul. We take that for granted, and all kinds of really bad things happen.

So, I always loved the story, but I thought it’s not enough that he’s just pretty, you know, he stays pretty all his life. So what else could it be about?

And then I thought it could be about a time that has always been really exciting to me and important to me, because I grew up in it, which was the 1960s, because so many things happened.

The 1960s has always been viewed as kind of the change that happened in America. The civil rights movement was at its peak. The Vietnam War happened with all of the anti-war protests. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I mean, all kinds of interesting things were happening in music. The Beatles.

So, I thought, what if Dorian then is a rock star in the 1960s when he makes this wish? Because in those days, you know, everyone thought, well, you know, a rock star’s life has maybe five, ten years and then his career is over.

We didn’t know that McCartney would still be going in his 80s, and Elton John and Billy Joel. We didn’t know that. So he assumes that if he can stay young, he can hang on to his career. And that was a good assumption in 1965.

And so he makes the wish for that reason. It’s a photograph this time, not a painting. So the photograph changes, and not the person. The photograph changes, gets older.

Yes, the photograph. Well, older and worse, because it kind of reflects all of the bad things that he does.

Oh, there’s moral in this.

There is kind of a moral, because remember, he’s sold his soul.

But along the way, there’s a lot of fun music, a lot of laughs, because the show goes from 1965 all the way to the year 2000.

That’s right. That’s right. Barely into 2000, like around 12:43 a.m.

So, you played with some fun musical styles along the way.

Yeah, definitely. I had, you know, a little Motown and some protest folk song and…

Yeah.

Yeah. And a lot of rock. A lot of rock.

And so the show now is called Forever. And it’s become very, very different due to this guy, because Gary and I met several years ago, and then we did some work on our own musical revue.

Yeah. What was that called?

That was called A Complete History of the American Musical in 90 Minutes or Less.

Did we do it in 90 minutes or less?

We did it in 90 minutes. A complete history.

That’s how we started rolling and realized we could work very well together.

Yeah. Then I showed him the old script, and he said he knew what was wrong with it, and it was interestingly exactly what I thought was wrong with it.

And so now, two years later, we got rid of all the wrong stuff, I think, and I think we got it right.

I think so too.

We’re excited, and now Forever the musical, Forever, we’re looking to do a staged reading in the spring, which is a very important part in the development of getting to Broadway, because a staged reading is where you can attract producers, regional theater owners, people that are going to take the show to the next level and actually have a full production of it.

And so that’s our goal. And interestingly, we’re doing it in a kind of a weird way, because we’ve created this website, forevermusical.com.

If you’re on the website, then you know that. If you’re looking at this on social media, you need to get this in your head: forevermusical.com, and go to the website.

Yeah, because if you go to the website, you’re going to hear previews of all of the music. You can read the story, and you can find out what’s happening with the show through this blog.

By the way, this is not just a social media post, but it’s also our blog.

Yeah.

And there’ll be a lot of cool videos and written blogs over time, letting everybody know what’s going on and letting them know behind the scenes.

So, we want them, these people watching, to become fans.

That’s it. The website. And that’s what I cut you off from telling them about, is why this is so unique.

Because no one’s done it.

No one’s done the website.

They’ve done websites but for shows that are in production or for shows that are touring, but not for shows that are in development. I was very surprised, because it seemed natural to me. How else do you spread the word?

But we’re doing it. So, go to the website and become a fan, and maybe one of the first thousand fans, which gets some perk to it, I believe.

Yeah.

And help us attract the right producers, etc., to get this show on its way to Broadway, because it is really good.

Well, we like it, and I really like it because it’s finally at a place where I’ve always wanted the show to be, and that’s really due to my buddy Gary. And we have found a way to make the show work. But you’ll let us know whether you think it works.

A lot of you know about the show already, I’m sure, because I’ve told a lot of folks, Gary has told a lot of folks, but a lot of you don’t.

So, if you already know about the show, then you know what you have to do. You got to get to the website and sign up and be one of the first of the Forever 1000, as we’re calling it.

But if you know nothing about the website, and if you’re interested in Dorian Gray or if you’re interested in a musical about a rock star, then come to the website, forevermusical.com.

Find out about us and see if you want to be a fan. So, all kinds of good things are going to be happening, and we’re going to let you know about them all as they happen.

So, I want to thank you for being part of it if you’re already on the website. Thank you for going to the website, if you’re not, but really appreciate the beginning of this pretty long but important process.

So just remember, Forever begins now, and it begins with you.

Wow.

See you later.

Such an advertisement.

Hey, I could have been in that business.

Yeah, I know.

Thanks.

Thanks.

That was good. Okay.