Sparkle and Shine: Q&A with the Authors of Finn

ON COLLABORATION

All three of you have a history of writing for every audience and for young audiences, from Chris Nee’s work on Doc McStuffins to Kooman and Dimond’s previous shows like Dani Girl (US/UK) and Orphie and the Book of Heroes (US/UK) to all of your work together on shows like Vampirina. In your experience, what do you think makes for successful writing for young people and/or what do you most enjoy about writing with young audiences in mind?

Christopher Dimond (CD): One of the things we try to do in our work for young audiences is to make sure that we’re approaching them in much the same way we’d approach writing for adults. Children are much more sophisticated audiences than a lot of people give them credit for, and we find that too often, works for young audiences are written “down” to them. We tried to reconnect with our own inner children with this piece, to write a show that we would have wanted to see when we were kids. At the same time, we wanted to make sure that it was a show that would appeal to parents as well. So we worked hard to make sure that Finn truly had a universal appeal.

Chris Nee (CN): Both kids and adults require the deepest commitment to great – and honest – storytelling. For me, the most successful writers for kids are writing for a younger version of themselves. I remember my childhood, both the hurts and the delights, vividly, and that allows me to write authentically for kids today. Certainly Finn is a show written for the kid I was.

Michael Kooman (MK): Young people are experts at play and masters of imagination. What I like about writing for them is that it requires you to be in the headspace of a silly, fun-loving kid, and that’s a wonderful place to be. It reminds you of the ease at which children find joy.

Finn is a colorful invitation for collaboration, especially for dance and puppetry to help tell the tale (or tail!) of these sea creatures. You three are collaborators, too: What was it like crafting this show together?

CN: Part of the reason that Chris, Michael and I decided to work together on Finn is because working together in the past has been such a joy. Chris and Michael were brought onto several of my shows to write the music. We loved doing that and decided to keep working together.

MK: It was quite a bit of fun. We all seem to have the same kind of weird, zany, cartoonish sense of humor. I’d bet that we spent at least 30% of our time coming up with terrible sea-themed puns that we (mostly) ended up not using.

CD: Theatre is all about the art of collaboration. The joy of being in the room with other artists, trying to bring a story to life. This process has been magical from the very beginning. We love telling stories together, and I think that through our collaboration, we all push ourselves and each other to be the best that we can be. Writing can obviously be a vulnerable process, but Michael and Chris are the two best collaborators that I could possibly have asked for.

ABOUT FINN

Let’s start with a quick splash: Describe the show in 5 words or less.

MK: Fishy and fabulous family fun!

I happen to love the opportunity for oceanic puns in this world and personally giggle at the lyric “Grouper Superstar” in the song “At the Jubilee” and the moment where Finn goes “Oh, manatee!” Which is your favorite sea-worthy moment or phrase in the show?

CD: I’m particularly fond of “Hammer Headquarters” and “I don’t give a clam.”

CN: I love when Auntie wants to be sure she gets a “coral reef view.”

MK: “What the fish?!”

You’ve created some diverse sounds of this ocean that reflect the beautiful biodiversity of the sea in the songs for this show. Can you tell us more about the music of Finn?

MK: I was mainly living my Alan Menken dreams in this score. Once I knew I’d be able to bring along genius orchestrator August Eriksmoen, I started crafting the world full of orchestral magic that could bring Finn’s big dreams to life. I wanted the heart of the show to be in musical theatre but the scope to be cinematic. My goal is always to tell the story through music – but also fill it with as many bops and earworms as I can!

You’ve also created a colorful collection of characters that reflect the range of species of sea creatures that exist. Can you tell us more about the characters of Finn?

CN: We wanted to make sure that Finn was a story that everyone could relate to. It’s a story for the kids who feel like they’re Finn, but it’s also a story for the kids who love someone they worry about, like Aggie, and the kids who are afraid of someone they don’t know, like Puffy, and for kids who just can’t keep it in, like Seasil. There are so many great and juicy parts to sink your teeth into in this show – and not sink your teeth in THAT way Bruce! We don’t eat fish during the Jubilee! (Editor’s Note: The character Bruce is a shark from the show who struggles with his appetite for fish. It’s quite hilarious).

Spill the seaweed: Do you have a favorite song in the musical?

MK: Opening numbers are super hard. We rarely write them first, but this happened to be the one time when we did it that way. I don’t think we did any rewrites on it, so somehow we got it right. It lives as one of my favorite openings I’ve ever written.

CD: Finn’s 11 o’clock number “Time to Be Me” has always been my favorite. There’s something incredibly powerful about Finn finally being able to embrace his truest self and share it with the world, especially the people closest to him, and I think Michael’s music captures the emotion perfectly. I love watching audiences respond to that song.

The friendship between Finn and Seasil is an integral part of the show and a beautiful example of how friendships are often the first relationships that encourage us to feel like ourselves. Could you tell us more about the role of friendship in this show and what inspired you to focus on this theme?

MK: Love tends to be a really wonderful emotion to lift a character into song and drive a musical forward. In the world of family entertainment, that can often manifest as a friendship-love, which is less often explored in musical theatre. Again, one of the most wonderful things about kids is how quickly, easily and beautifully they make friends, so of course our main characters Finn and Seasil become quick and fabulous friends, which drives both the plot and character development for each of them.

CN: Nothing is more foundational for young kids than learning how to be a good friend. It’s how we start to see ourselves as more than just a singular organism in this world. We are parts of so many different ecosystems, and nothing feels more important right now than showing kids who to be a part of larger communities – and that starts with being a good friend. The friendship between Seasil and Finn is unexpected, but their love for each other is also so fully earned. I love that we get to really express what it’s like to push back on your friend group when you think they’re wrong, like Finn does with the Shark Guard and Seasil does with her friends. We get to see how hard it is to choose to honor her friendship with Finn, but also that it’s the only way to be in the world, to stand up for who and what you believe in.

ON FUTURE PRODUCTIONS

In your opinion, why do you think “Today’s the Day” to do this show?

CN: Stories of inclusivity are always important, but today more than ever. Kids who feel different, who are swimming against the current, they need to hear that they are loved, supported and celebrated and that’s what Finn is all about. Also, TYA deserves great original new works, and Finn was created to be just that!

MK: This show can be seen through many different lenses, but really what it’s about is how different viewpoints/opinions can make any kind of community richer and stronger. In a world where we have so many conflicts and viewpoints, it’s a fun journey to watch Finn and his community become stronger through vulnerability.

Finn is about bringing a little sparkle to the world. What part of the show (a scene, a song, a moment) are you most excited to see more theatremakers bring to swishing life?

CD: There’s a moment near the end of the show where Finn is fully transformed into his most authentic self. I think there’s a lot of room for creative theatricality in that moment and can’t wait to see how different artists bring it to life.

CN: The Jubilee. I can’t wait to see everyone’s version of a fish ball!

MK: I’m excited to see how different theatres bring these characters to life. I’m pretty sure every community has their own “Finn,” so to speak. I can’t wait to see how each actor fills that character with humor and joy.

One of the central themes of the show involves finding the courage to be curious about who we’re expected to be and, ultimately, embrace who we really are. What is something you think will surprise people about this show based on their expectations?

CD: I think people will be surprised by just how broad the appeal of this show truly is. We’ve all been incredibly impressed by the way that adults respond to the show on a different level than kids do. I don’t know that that happens too often with TYA musicals, and I think it’s going to catch people off guard in the best way possible.

CN: I think people will be surprised that this show speaks to everyone who has a secret wish they’ve been afraid to express. It’s a story for everyone!

MK: Finding the courage to be yourself and verbalize that to the world is hard for everyone, even to people that feel like they fit totally in. If we (the writers) have done our jobs well, people will see part of themselves in Finn. They’ll recognize how difficult it is to be yourself and share a vulnerable part of yourself that may be scary.

Your vision for this show is that it can be performed by adult performers or older student performers for young audiences as well as for young performers to bring to life themselves. What are you most excited for each age of performer to bring to the story?

Young Performers

CD: I think younger performers will bring a natural authenticity to the characters that will make the story resonate on a different level. I’m really looking forward to seeing the ways that it works differently with casts of all ages.

CN: I can’t wait to see kids who are actually in the age range of Finn take on the inner conflict of expressing who you truly are for the first time.

MK: I am so excited for these songs to be sung by a huge chorus of young people. I can already hear it in my head, and I want each theatre to send me videos!

High School or College-Aged Performers

CN: The experience of feeling different on the inside than you show to the world on the outside idea and the journey to finding oneself is so very set in the emotional center of being in high school and college. Every theatre program has a Finn, and every program has a Seasil. We built this show to be big and flashy but also with a very deep and real emotional center. Watching performers sing “Sparkle and Shine” and “Time to Be Me” when it’s a declaration of their own inner story is a powerful thing.

MK: The show provides a lot of different roles for all different kinds of performers. Everyone gets to have fun and sing big chorus numbers as they tell the story of Finn, which is great for programs with a lot of actors, from youth groups all the way up to colleges.

Any Performer

CN: This is a show about self discovery, and that is a story for all ages!

What do you hope people will take away from seeing a production of Finn?

MK: Hopefully this piece will make anyone who feels a little different know they have a community out there just waiting for them!

CD: I hope that people walk away from the show feeling more confident and empowered to be themselves – and that they treat the people around them with a little more kindness and empathy. It feels like the world could use a lot more of both of those things right now.

To throw an “awesome Jubilee” on your stage by licensing a production of Finn or to get to know its colorful characters better by reading the script, visit Concord Theatricals in the US or the UK.