On Oct. 10, a new musical from songwriters Steven Jamail and Krystin Crain Johnson, titled “Witch Hunt: The Musical,” will be released. The album features stories of some of the most infamous witches in history, literature and the Bible.
The star-studded cast includes Broadway performers Orfeh (“Legally Blonde,” “Burlesque”), Katie Rose Clarke (“Dolly,” “Wicked”), Teal Wicks (“The Cher Show,” “Wicked”), Liisi LaFontaine (“Wanted,” “Moulin Rouge”), Autumn Hurlbert (“Legally Blonde,” “Tammy Faye”), Olivia Donalson (“Six”), Jerusha Cavazos (“The Prom”), Haviland Stillwell (“Les Miserables”), Lauren Blackman (“Anastasia”), Danielle Hope (“Kinky Boots,” “The Wizard of Oz”), Sam Tedaldi (“Be More Chill”), Nikki Kimbrough (“A Night with Janis Joplin”), Marissa Rosen (“Water for Elephants”), Mia Gerachis (“Sweeney Todd”), Kayley Ann Collins, Oona Higgins, Analia Heredia, Holland Vavra and Stephanie Gibson (“Cinderella”).
“The enchanting music tells the story of powerful, independent, wise women who have been labeled witches for refusing to conform to the status quo,” said Krystin Crain Johnson, describing the inspiration behind the album. “Across cultures and centuries, women who broke rules or defied convention were cast aside as witches — a stigma used as a cautionary tale for other ambitious, curious and willful women to stay small. Some of their names have echoed through history, but their stories have too often been told in others’ voices.”
“In ‘Witch Hunt,’ these women gather for one night to speak for themselves,” Jamail said. “It was metaphorical to bring together this group of powerhouse female voices to help us tell these stories about facing impossible choices, being labeled as terrifying and, like any multi-hyphenate woman, celebrating being more than one thing all at once. The music takes the listener on a journey from faith to fiction, from the islands of ancient Greece to the graveyards of New Orleans, bringing the world’s most legendary witches together to tell their stories. We cannot wait for fans of musical theater and fantasy to delve into this world with us.”
The album, which will be released by Joy Machine Records, is produced, mixed and engineered by Jamail, David Kawamura and Jim Morgan; mastered by Oscar Zambrano; with artwork by Tess Johnson. For more information or to pre-save, visit www.joymachinerecords.com/artists/witchhunt or follow on Instagram at @witchhuntmusical.
About Steven Jamail
Steven Jamail’s arrangements and orchestrations have been performed on “Oprah,” “The Howard Stern Show,” “Rachael Ray,” “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “Martha Stewart,” NBC’s Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center and the American Songbook series at Lincoln Center. He has created arrangements and performed for Bebe Winans, Rosie O’Donnell, Jessie Mueller, Jeremy Abbott and Adam Rippon. Jamail serves as the regular music director for Orfeh, Teal Wicks, Danielle Hope and Lea Michele. He recently orchestrated and conducted Michele’s Carnegie Hall debut and Life in Music tour. He is associate artistic director of O’Donnell’s foundation, Rosie’s Theater Kids in New York, and a graduate of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
About Krystin Crain Johnson
Krystin Crain Johnson lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Mike, and their daughter, Madeleine. She earned a master’s degree in English literature from Georgetown University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin. Johnson has worked as a writer in a variety of capacities, with original music and lyrics performed at Lincoln Center, the Public Theater and on the OWN Network. Her introduction to lyric writing came in high school, when her choir classmates annually tasked her with devising humorous alternate lyrics to the school musical.
About Joy Machine Records
Joy Machine Records is a label dedicated to reimagining theater music for today’s artists and audiences. Its releases emphasize authenticity across styles and genres, with a focus on process and collaboration informed by the team’s experience on Broadway and in the music industry. The label’s hands-on approach allows artists to develop their own voice, while fostering an environment of kindness and transparency to help each project find the right solutions. For more information, visit www.joymachinerecords.com.
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