When she wrote the novel "Circus in Winter," Ball State professor and assistant chair of the English department Cathy Day had no idea Broadway actors would perform it.
In 2010, 14 students in an immersive learning project created a musical production based on the novel. In 2012, the next class produced the play at the University Theatre.
“I just thought it was some class project,” Day said. “As soon as I came to visit, heard the music and saw what they had even early on, I knew that it was really something special.”
The original novel was published in 2004 and was based on circus owner Wallace Porter and his cast in Lima, Ind.
“I think we were all hopeful that it was going to be successful," said John Jensen, who graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in musical theater. "We didn’t expect it to receive the recognition that it has.”
Beth Turcotte, an associate professor of theatre, sponsored the project for the Virginia Ball Creative Inquiry class in Spring 2010.
What influenced her to go through with helping this production was the work alumnus Ben Clark, the composer, had already done, as well as the fact that a Hoosier woman author wrote the novel.
Clark, a former musical theatre performance major, composed the musical. He incorporated music and lyrics into the storyline.
The show’s first professional production opened Oct. 23 and will run until Nov. 16 at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. Tony Award-winners and Broadway actors are taking part in the production.
Clark said they are still making changes to the show while production goes on.
“It’s a slightly different show every single night, so you’ll see what works and what doesn’t,” he said.
He said they added a narrator to the cast to engage the audience, and altered some names and personality traits.
Emily Behny, graduate of 2010 and former student in the project, said a soundtrack might be recorded for the production to gain more followers.
Still, the performance has a long way to go before it can actually be presented on Broadway.
"Many new shows are in development for 10 years or more before reaching this stage, so 'Circus' is way ahead of schedule," she said. "I think the plan is to produce it in another regional house and then perhaps transfer it to an off Broadway house, but of course that could change."
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