The Rural We: John Segalla
The Berkshire native has written and is producing "Rebel Town: The Boston Tea Party Musical."
Editor's note: These performances of "Rebel Town" were cancelled, but a new set of performance dates are in the works.
History buffs and those who love musicals will be interested in knowing that Berkshire native John Segalla has written the book, music and lyrics for “Rebel Town: The Boston Tea Party Musical.” The full production will premiere at the Robert Boland Theatre at Berkshire Community College May 3-11, and will feature BCC students and a cast of local professional actors, musicians, alumni and community members. It tells the story of a young boy and his real-life involvement in the Boston Tea Party. Segalla, an actor and singer, describes the show as “1776 “ meets “Guys and Dolls."
I grew up in the Berkshires and received an associate degree from BCC, then got my Bachelor of Arts in theater at Russell Sage College, where I focused heavily in voice and theater. During my 20s I was in and out of New York, working as an actor in a lot of indie films, performing in national tours and producing plays. I ended up in Boston a year before the pandemic and was giving history tours, specifically on the Boston Tea Party. I loved that job, and it dawned on me that this is a story that should be done for theater. It’s such an iconic and important event in our history and a lot of people don’t understand the complexities that surround the event. The most important thing to know is that contrary to popular beliefs that the revolutionaries were storming the ships, it was a peaceful protest.
I had been planning to write this musical for a while, so when the pandemic hit and my work in Boston ended, I moved back to the Berkshires and hunkered down. The show was written on coffee fumes between 6 a.m. and 12 noon every day for about three months. I recorded the music at my home studio, and then did a recording with a bunch of actors who came from Boston, along with some locals.
The show oscillates between the revolutionaries and their governor, and the everyday working people on one of the most significant nights in American history. The music is light and does have a classical sound with a little bit of a contemporary edge. It falls into the realm of a classic American musical.
The production has a cast of around 20 actors, including an Equity actor who’s playing John Hancock, and we have a 10-piece orchestra made up of local musicians. We’re halfway through rehearsals and in really good shape. Tommy Towne from BCC is directing and Carlton Maaia is the musical director. We’re devising and creating something that is totally new…basically skipping the workshop and going straight to production.
I’m very proud of the work and proud of this group. I’m honored and thrilled that it’s getting put up in the Berkshires where so many great shows have developed and gone on to other venues. I would love for “Rebel Town” to have a run in Boston, where I think it belongs.
