Stephen Murray offers a first look at 'Nellie: The Musical' based on pioneering Nellie Bly

It's a change of tone for Worcester playwright, composer, performer and educator Stephen Murray.

And while his musicals have had varied settings, from Mount Olympus to Mudville, "Nelle: The Musical" is in a very different place as well.

"Nellie: The Musical," with book by Robby Steltz and music by Murray, is based on “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” published in 1887 by Nellie Bly, a reporter for the New York World, who feigned insanity in order to be committed to the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island so that she could expose the neglect, abuse and brutality in the treatment of its female patients.

"This one's different," Murray said of "Nellie: The Musical."

"It's definitely not lighthearted. Most of the things I've written up to this point have been lighthearted and comedic. I'm reaching into a lot of different places emotionally that I haven't done before, but I'm excited  by the results."

We'll get an opportunity to see the results so far for "Nellie: The Musical" when it is given a public read-through at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at at Calliope Theatre, 150 Main St., Boylston, the home of Calliope Productions. 

While not in costume and putting on the show like a fully staged musical, the cast of nine women and Murray (who will be taking all the male parts and playing piano) will act out the dialogue and perform the pieces of music before a live audience. The reading will be taped, and there are plans to have it live-streamed as well.

Murray has written over 30 shows, including the romantic comedy "Making Scents," which has been performed four times locally dating back to its premiere in 1995 with Worcester County Light Opera Company. 

Last summer, Murray wrote a musical adaptation of  the poem "Casey at the Bat" by Worcester's Ernest L. Thayer. A song from the mini-opera was sung at Polar Park at a Worcester Red Sox game, but a full performance that was to have been part of the annual Harvey Ball celebration struck out as the event was canceled due to COVID. Murray's still hoping the mini-opera can get to step up at the plate.

Among Murray’s other popular shows, some written with a youth audience in mind, are “Kamp Kaos,” “Pom-Pom Zombies,” “Katastrophe Kate,” “Help! I’m Trapped in a Musical!”, “The Enchanted Bookshop Musical," and "Greece Is the Word: The Zeusical!”  Murray is a music teacher at St. Paul Diocesan Jr/Sr High School and a board member of both Calliope Productions and Worcester County Light Opera Company.

Eldridge Publishing Company Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has published many of Murray's musicals, and Eldridge also recently published a one-act play, "Nellie," about Nellie Bly, by Robby Steltz of Duluth, Minnesota. It is Steltz's first published play, Murray said.

Meredith Edwards, president of Eldridge Publishing Company, "noticed it has a lot of musical elements even though it's a one-act play," Murray said.  

He said Edwards contacted him and "asked 'could you take a look at it? We'd love you to try and make a musical out of it.' "   

Murray and Steltz have been working together long distance and things have evidently been going well, with the piece now expanded to two acts. 

"Amazingly, it's only been since June," Murray said of the collaboration. "The work came very quickly. Some sections I just musicalized the dialogue. Others, I knew where it was going and was able to set it to music and lyrics."

Eventually, Murray had written 19 pieces of music for the musical.

 "Nellie: The Musical" is "absolutely a drama," Murray said. The mistreatment of the women in the institution was particularly cruel and the music is dark in places.

In the late 1800s, disturbing rumors circulated about the treatment of patients at the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Female patients in particular were reputed to be victims of horrible abuse and even torture. Bly risked her own life by committing herself to the asylum in order to investigate. She documented her findings and revealed these horrors to the entire world.

"Fortunately, This is all factual. She (Nellie Bly) does after 10 days come out of there and the result was a massive overhaul of treating people with mental illness in New York City and beyond," Murray said.

Bly's shocking press reports and the widespread release of her book led to a grand jury investigation and forever changed the way society looks at the treatment and housing for people suffering from mental illness.

Murray initially made a demo tape of the musical, playing the piano and singing all of the songs.

Then he invited nine singers/actors, all women, to make a new tape by coming to the studio he has set up at his home and recording their individual parts. He sent each singer the original demo tape and sheet music so they could practice. 

The nine will now be featured at the read-through Jan. 29 at Calliope Theatre.

"The singers have done a magnificent job with it," Murray said.  

The cast includes Jessica DePalo (Nellie Bly), Lorraine Hruska, Lisa Tierney, Paula Guilbault, Laura Gulli, Tracy Martino, Linnea Lyerly, Nicole Lian and Heidi White. The male roles in the musical are rather small, if sometimes unpleasant characters, which is why one person, Murray, will be singing them all at the  piano.

Steltz will be unable to attend on Jan. 29, so Murray is hoping the live-stream will work and connect him to the show.

As for what the future might hold for the musical, "I'm very hopeful that this is going to be a piece that gives community theaters and high schools that have very talented women an opportunity to perform. This is a very educational show," Murray said.  

"I'm also finding that — hey I've got another voice as a writer. This was an experiment. We'll see what comes next. You never know. Perhaps doing more historically based shows."

However, "My next project is back to my old tricks, a musical called 'Totally Awesome!' about superheroes," Murray said. 

"Totally Awesome!" will premiere in August at Calliope Productions in Boylston with a cast of students entering Grades 6 - 10. 

Following the performance of "Nellie: The Musical" Jan. 29, there will be a brief "talk-back” session for feedback from the audience. Admission is free, but space is limited, and tickets should be reserved in advance by visiting www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE. A free-will offering will be accepted in order to defray costs. In case of a cancellation because of snow, the read-through will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30. For more information, visit www.calliopeproductions.org.

This story has been edited to reflect that Stephen Murray's next project is "Totally Awesome!"