St. Louis, MO

Tribute to Matt Marks

In May, musician Matt Marks, a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, died suddenly in St. Louis after a performance. On March 1st at 8pm at the Sheldon Concert Hall, Alarm Will Sound will commemorate him with a performance of his theatrical work Strangers in Many Ways. The concert will also feature the world premiere of two movements of a new work by the maverick composer Michael Harrison.

Strangers in Many Ways was conceived by Mr. Marks and lyricist Royce Vavrek as an evening-length theatrical work, but was left incomplete at his death. The parts he did finish offer snapshots of an American family: Myles, a teenage boy struggling with his sexuality and reaching out online; a father and mother who are are miles apart even when they’re sitting side-by-side; and Sheena, Myles’s sister who dreams of escape from her suburban life.

Alarm Will Sound will be joined by four guest singers: Ted Hearne (Myles) who has been praised by the The New York Times for his “tough edge and wildness of spirit;” Lauren Worsham Jarrow (Sheena) a Tony Award-nominated actor and singer, and sang in the world premiere of  Matt Marks’s “Strip Mall” with the LA Philharmonic; and St. Louis-based Matt Pentecost (father) and Ryan McNeely (Sheen’s Christian boyfriend). Courtney Orlando, AWS member, will sing the role of the mother.