Discovering Magenta was a part of the 2015 Thespis Theater Festival in New York City last september. Our director, Valeria Cossu, won Best Director for the festival. here are some reviews from the original studio album from 1998 From MASQUERADE (Mike Gibb): The work of James Corey Kaufman and Michael Bitterman, Discovering Magenta is an enjoyable slice of modern show music. Judging by the synopsis the story is somewhat complex, set against the background of a mental hospital and involving a catatonic patient. The music is however quite straightforward, melodic and affable. Michael Bitterman has a tight control on the variety of musical styles adopted and certainly can turn out a quality ballad ("Wake Up", "Where Do I Go From Here?"). Lyricist Kaufman is equally impressive and with the likes of the risque "Lonely Guys Club" displays a wicked sense of humour. The cast of four -- Douglas Farrell, Amy Fradon, Mark Ruse, and Vicki Russell are first class and the arrangements, despite being largely synthesiser based, are inventive and tuneful. Discovering Magenta is a most pleasant slab of show music released privately by the writers. For further information on the work check web page www.midmod.com/magenta.html From AMERICAN THEATRE WEB-XM RADIO At the other end of the spectrum is "Discovering Magenta," by James Corey Kaufman and Michael Bitterman. This show follows several story lines that converge in ways that sound, at least from liner notes, completely riveting. The show's main focus is on the relationship that develops between a young health worker and one of his patients, Katrina, whom he manages to wake from a catatonic state. Alongside this story, you meet some of Henry's friends, and a relationship between two of these characters proves to critical to Katrina's ultimate recovery. It's a dark musical and one that slides with ease from the jocular (the guys extolling single life in "Lonely Guys Club") to the truly haunting (this is particularly true of Katrina's "Days of Madness.") Bitterman's score is a mixture of pop sounds and elusive melodies that capture the slippery mental landscapes of many of the characters. "Discovering Magenta" is available online – you will probably want to track both of them down. A good place to look is CDBaby. This has been Andy Propst of AmericanTheaterWeb.com from SHOW MUSIC (Max Preeo) DISCOVERING MAGENTA is a musical-in-progress by Michael Bitterman (Five After Eight) and James Corey Kaufman. Something of a psychological love story, it concerns Henry, a mental health worker attracted to Katrina, a patient haunted by past incidents involving her brother, whose identity is a plot point. Secondary characters are henry's friends and fellow psychology students, Elliot and Rose, the later seeming near a breaking point herself in her songs "Little Boys" and "This Ain't Oz". Other numbers also reveal the characters and their feelings, including "Let Me In" "Do You Understand?" "Repress My Feelings," "Days Of Madness,: and "Cliche Of Love." They are well sung by Douglas Farrell, Amy Fradon, Mark Rust, and Vicki Russell in synthesized arrangements by the composer, but the musical would probably play best at theatres looking for the unusual. here is the the synopsis for the current version: As the musical opens, we meet Henry, a mental health worker, and Rachel, a nurse. They are checking on a new, catatonic patient, Katrina. Although Katrina seems physically healthy, she is unresponsive. Henry is intrigued and tells his roommate, Eliot, about the new patient. Henry is generally frustrated, however, by his stagnation in life (FIND MY WAY). As Henry and Eliot talk, they are interrupted twice: first by Rose, a mysterious and attractive woman, and then by Cole, who has tracked her down after she stormed out following an argument. Cole, a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology, and Henry quickly bond, while Rose acts out (LITTLE BOYS). In the next scene, Henry and Rachel discuss Katrina. Her catatonia seems to have started when she collapsed in a grocery store. In the meantime, however, they acknowledge that the unresponsive and undemanding woman is a MODEL PATIENT. The next scene opens with Henry and Eliot getting drunk while bemoaning and celebrating their single status (LONELY GUY’S CLUB). Cole joins them and encourages Henry to step out of his typical routine (DO THE UNEXPECTED). When Henry confides in Cole about his new patient, Cole suggests that some songs can trigger responses, and Henry decides to try out one song (WAKE UP), on Katrina. It works, and she suddenly lurches awake, screaming. As weeks pass, Katrina slightly opens up to Henry and tells him about her synesthesia (seeing colors in numbers, letters, and people). Henry wants to help her further (LET ME IN), but she resists. As he tells Cole, he is limited by the hospital’s restrictive policy on getting personally involved with patients. Even when he tries to connect with Katrina, she pushes back (DO YOU UNDERSTAND?). If Henry truly cares, she argues, he would see her outside the hospital. After an internal debate, he gives her his phone number. We then switch the world outside the hospital. When Rose flirts with Eliot and generally accuses him of being clueless (THIS AIN’T OZ), Cole tells Henry that he is worried about Rose’s mental health (HOW CAN I HELP HER?). Katrina is discharged, and she leads the entire cast wondering where things will progress FROM HERE. When the next scene begins, we see Katrina and Henry meet for coffee. They slowly get to know each other as Rose and Eliot have a romantic interlude (THIS AIN’T OZ, reprise). Katrina tells Henry of extensive physical, mental, and sexual childhood abuse at the hands of her brother. Henry tries his best to reassure her. Meanwhile, as Eliot leaves, Rose is left alone. She sings about her life (LITTLE BOYS, reprise) and then suddenly commits suicide. After Cole tells a shocked Eliot and Henry the news about Rose, Henry opens up to Katrina about his own insecurities about his inability to help people. Katrina takes his doubts personally and questions her own sanity (DAYS OF MADNESS). Henry reassures her and talks about a phenomenon he has learned about visual perception: The color magenta does not exist in the real world; instead, it is seen when our eye simultaneous perceives red and blue. Like happiness, magenta is something we need to discover ourselves. Henry and Katrina go to a local park, where they run into Rachel (MODEL PATIENT, reprise). When Henry shows Katrina a self-defense move he has learned, it triggers a flashback. Katrina remembers that she saw her brother right before her collapse. She panics, realizing that her past is not a long-buried fear but that HE’S OUT THERE WAITING. Henry tries to kiss her, but she pushes away and leaves. As the next scene opens, an innocuous conversation with Rachel makes Henry realize that Rose had once been a patient at their hospital. As he probes, Henry discovers that Cole might be Katrina’s brother. We switch to Eliot and Cole playing cards in the apartment, talking about their regret about Rose (CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE). When Katrina unexpectedly comes over to apologize, Cole knocks out Eliot and reveals himself as her brother. He feels betrayed by her and threatens her (KATRINA, KATRINA). They struggle and she is able to knock him out as Henry enters. In the final scene, Henry talks to Eliot (who is recovering) about Cole/Katrina’s brother will be locked up for a while. Henry has not had contact with Katrina yet, but realizes he truly wants to help people and decides to go back to school for his Ph.D. Katrina stops by (revealing that the song that snapped her out of the catatonic state was a childhood song that her brother sang to her). They discuss their romantic feelings for each other (THE CLICHÉ OF LOVE), with Katrina ultimately feeling that too much has happened; if it were possible to start over, she might consider a relationship. Henry re-introduces himself and Katrina decides to let herself be happy at last (DISCOVERING MAGENTA).