(Cambridge, MA) Singer Songwriter Catie Curtis and artist Rebecca Bellingham are set to premier a new musical at Club Passim on March 20th. “The Raft” features Curtis’s music as a backdrop to tell the story of Rebs and Gabby (performed by Rebecca and Marlene Montes), two friends for more than 25 years who support one another through their loves, losses and transformations. The story begins on the last day of college and takes them through their late forties. Along with special guest Rose Polanzani, Catie will be leading the band as the actors perform a staged reading of the show. Tickets are available now at passim.org.
The idea for “The Raft” began with Bellingham reflecting on her own real life relationship with her college roommate. She looked back over decades-old emails, combed through texts and journal writing, and even reconnected with old friends to piece together the tapestry of 25 years of friendship. Very early in the writing process Bellingham reached out to Curtis with the idea of turning this into a musical, using Curtis’s songs as a soundtrack for the performance. Curtis thought it was a wonderful idea and now they are finally set to debut the show at Passim later this month.
For over 25 years, Curtis toured full-time in the US and Europe, releasing 14 recordings and selling over 250,000 CDs (not to mention streaming and downloads). She has recorded for major (EMI Guardian) and independent (Rykodisc, Vanguard and Compass) labels, collaborating with some of the finest musicians and producers in the country.
Rebecca Bellingham is equal parts artist and educator. Currently, she is the Culturally Responsive Literacy Specialist at Francis Parker School and Writing/Theater Director at TranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project in San Diego. Before moving to San Diego, Rebecca was a literacy consultant and fourth grade teacher at Berkeley Carroll School in Park Slope, and a full time instructor in the Literacy Specialist Program at Columbia University Teachers College. She continues to teach courses at Teachers College and perform professionally around the country. Similar to Catie, Rebecca finds teaching incredibly fulfilling but yearns to feed the artist within her!
The Raft will debut at Club Passim March 20, 2022, at 7:00PM. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members) and can be purchased at Passim.org. The show will be streamed on Passim’s Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as www.passim.org/streams.
All guests at Club Passim must show proof of vaccination before every show. Guests are required to have a booster if their last vaccination was more than 6-months ago.
About Passim
The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through their legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of its predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience and teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and international artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community. For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.
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