About Us
Project Overview
Where and What Is Living Over The Rainbow?
Living Over The Rainbow is being in a place that is free from one’s past wounding and earthly experiences. One lives Over the Rainbow when one completes their journey of letting go and steps unencumbered into their next greater yet-to-be.
Project History
Summer 2018 Reading in Costa Mesa, CA: With a full cast and score the show was performed for one night in front of a full house. Since this reading, several revisions have been made to the book, music and lyrics.
Spring 2019: The producer mounted a two-night advanced developmental workshop in Dallas, TX in April 2019 at the Black Box Theatre at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. These performances included full cast, score and limited design for the purpose of running the show with changes in front of an audience.
How Living Over The Rainbow Began
On February 14th, 2008 I picked up my copy of the LA Times. But on that day my mindless browse through an otherwise dull news day led me to the picture of a beautiful child – 15-year-old Lawrence King – a teenager exploring their sexual identity who called themself, Latisha. They were declared brain dead after being shot in their classroom by a middle school classmate in Oxnard, California. Latisha jumped off the page and grabbed my heart. I felt a deep connection with them and felt I had to do something. It was as if the Universe was giving me an assignment I couldn’t turn down.
At the time, I was searching for a topic for a documentary on social justice and this felt like it – a child lost their life at school due to LGBTQ bullying and gun violence – this represented everything I was passionate about. But with an upcoming trial I was unable to contact any of the principals. In the meantime, something else was tugging at me – this story needed to be a musical. I’m a songwriter and had written songs but never a musical. So, I sought out a mentor and began. Then in 2017, Broadway producer, Terry D. Loftis, came on board, making it possible to bring on our creative team. And currently we invited Ty Defoe to join the project to bring his trans voice as consultant on book and lyrics. Living Over the Rainbow is dedicated to Latisha King and all that they/she continues to be, inspiring us to live our truth. – Roz Esposito