In the world of musical theatre, nothing quite compares to that moment when a story first leaps off the page and finds its rhythm in real time. For the creative team and performers behind the new musical, BL!NK, that moment arrived in a four-day development workshop produced by MusicalWriters.com, fondly dubbed “Camp BL!NK” — a creative whirlwind that left the entire team changed… and exhausted.

We chatted with the writers and creatives involved in this immersive workshop experience: a four-day, fully immersive workshop made possible by Rebecca Lowrey’s live-work space near downtown Dallas. In this Development Spotlight, Lowrey and the rest of the creative team chat about the history of the show, the logistics of the collaboration, and the takeaways for its creative team, and other would-be workshopping musical writers.

All About BL!NK

Written by librettist Grace Ward and composer Elke Myers, BL!NK explores the fierce, funny, and deeply heartfelt friendship between Sadie, a neurodivergent genius, and Natalie, her ambitious best friend. Though the show had been gestating in Grace’s imagination since 2020, it wasn’t until she reunited with longtime friend Elke that the music found its voice — literally.

“Before this step, BL!NK had a long developmental life,” Ward recalls. “Its title number, ‘The BL!NK Song,’ is the only melody in the show that I wrote, and it actually began as an assignment for my musical writing class with Scott Murphy at the National Theatre Institute.

“I worked on the show with a variety of collaborators between 2020 and 2021, but near the end of 2021, I graduated with my BA and had to get a “big kid job.” That meant shelving the project for a while. I went on to publish my first novel, and shortly after the book’s release, I was hit with that familiar creative panic of “what’s next?” That was when I decided to revisit BL!NK.

“I invited a few close friends over for a casual table read of the first act and bribed them with wine and cider. One of those friends was Elke Myers, a longtime friend who had read the script about a year earlier. The night after the table read, she went home and wrote the music for “Pretty Good Show.” It completely blew me away. She had never composed before, but her love for the story brought out a whole new side of her artistry.

Myers adds, “I composed my first song after reading the first act of the show in Grace’s living room. Four months later, we had a full draft!”

An Experimental Workshop Model

Brigitte Wilson and Lexi Nieto as “Natalie” and “Sadie” in BL!NK

Much like the musical itself, the actual logistical process for this development workshop was a learn-as-you-go endeavor.

“This BL!NK workshop was the first time we tested this particular development model,” explained Rebecca Lowrey, the workshop’s producer and director.

She continued, “Typically, our standard staged reading development model runs Sunday to Sunday. Rehearsals happen in the evenings only, and there’s no real opportunity for workshopping or editing once the week begins. The goal in that format is to present the strongest possible version of the script and score exactly as they were handed to us at the top of the week.”

Editor’s Note: This Staged Reading development model is one of the benchmark’s of MusicalWriters.com’s development offerings (learn more about the model here).

“‘Camp BL!NK,’ on the other hand,” Lowrey continued, “was a true workshop opportunity — one where the writers had space to make changes to the script, rearrange songs, test ideas, and respond in real time to what was happening in the room.”

Development Workshop Preparation

Long before the cast assembled for “Camp BL!NK,” the groundwork was already being laid. Ward and Myers first connected with MusicalWriters.com after meeting CEO Rebecca Lowrey at the previous year’s Musical Writers Festival. From there, they submitted BL!NK to the SheDFW Arts Summer Theater Festival and were accepted—a pivotal milestone that gave them a deadline and a goal: bring the show to life in Dallas.

“We had a lot of meetings beforehand,” Myers said. “We talked about what we hoped to get out of this workshop, and I worked hard to make sure the music was in a good starting place. I wanted everything to be clear and accessible for the actors.”

Ward, after years of refining the libretto, focused less on rewriting and more on preparing for the emotional and logistical intensity of the week. “We ran a crowdfunding campaign that raised 116% of our goal, which helped us cover travel and printing costs. It was a big lift, but so worth it.”

Actors, too, took early preparation seriously. Lexi Nieto, who played “Sadie” in both the workshop and later SheDFW production, initially received demo tracks with no vocals, so she studied them with sheet music in hand. “I couldn’t just listen on my long commutes. I had to sit down, focus, and really learn the material.”

Brigitte Wilson, another regular collaborator with Lowrey and MusicalWriters.com who played Natalie in both productions alongside Nieto, jumped in from the very beginning. “There was an impromptu table read, and I immediately fell in love with the story and the character. I knew I had to get Natalie to the stage.”

With clear expectations, deep love for the story, and a team committed to collaboration, the group stepped into “Camp BL!NK” ready to bring something extraordinary to life.

 

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A Whirlwind of Collaboration

In May of 2025, Elke and Grace flew to Dallas from Boise, Idaho, to spend four jam-packed days with a 5-person cast and a small creative team led by director/music director Lowrey and associate director Rowan Gilvie. The four-day workshop included solo and duet music rehearsals during the day and real-time rewrites and edits.

Lowrey described the workshop like this: “Our days were spent actively working with the actors in the room — staging, refining, exploring character, and testing storytelling choices. Meanwhile, the writers used their overnights to make edits and changes to the script and score based on what we were seeing and hearing during the day. Each morning, we brought those updates back into the room and tackled them with the actors together.”

She continued, “While we didn’t have anyone on site to change notation or compose brand-new songs in real time, we were able to make meaningful adjustments to arrangements, reorder songs, make cuts, and add material over the course of the process. That flexibility alone made a huge difference in how the piece evolved over just four days.”

Cast members Nieto and Wilson both echoed the sentiment that, despite the tight schedule and inherent limitations, the environment was filled with joy and purpose.

“I came back from vacation and jumped straight in,” Nieto stated. “The entire workshop and performance process was crammed into just 4 days.”

“Time investment for this particular project was one of the fastest processes I’ve been part of with MusicalWriters.com so far,” Brigitte said. “Rehearsals were just three days, and we dove straight into performance on the fourth. I loved getting to work directly with the writers, and learn who this character was to them while also making her my own.”

Lexi Nieto performs during the BL!NK Workshop

Notes, Laughter, and Real-Time Rewrites

Myers, who describes herself as new to the writing side of theatre, was surprised by how clearly she could tell in the room when something was working. “When everything is in your head, it’s hard to know what’s landing. But in the room? It was suddenly clear.”

With preparation support from arranger Halle Mitchell and on-the-fly adjustments from Lowrey during the workshop, the team made real-time music and script changes to refine the story. It was an exhilarating crash course in what works, what doesn’t, and what to let go.

“Rebecca was incredible,” said Ward. “She doesn’t pull punches. Her honesty shows how much she cares. She sees the same potential in the piece that I do.”

Cast of Bl!nk workshop performs

Actors in the May 2025 workshop production of BL!NK

Myers also reflected on the real-time changes and challenges: “I did not personally do the notation for the show, so when it came to changing music in real time we had to get creative – luckily we were working with the incredible Rebecca Lowrey, and she was able to make quick music changes as we went through.”

“Musically, Rebecca takes care of her performers,” Wilson added. “She offers 1:1s, plunk tracks, and backing tracks to help us learn. I always use every tool she gives us.”

From Page to People

The cast of BL!NK performing the finale number at SheDFW

The workshop culminated in a staged reading – in the same live-work space where the team had been working. A lively Dallas audience filled the venue, and their response was immediate and generous. “Laughter, emotion, and engagement in the room told us a lot, and the post-show Google feedback form gave the writers even more specific, actionable insight,” Lowrey noted. “That combination of in-room reaction and thoughtful written feedback is exactly what we hope for in a development setting.”

For Ward, who had been living with this story for over five years, the experience was deeply emotional.

“I struggle in loud crowds, so I was overstimulated [by the performance] at first,” she admitted. “But then the audience laughed at the first joke, and all of my anxiety melted away.”

Memorable Moments

Writers and creative team alike all had fond memories of the experimental workshop experience, with many notable moments remembered.

“I woke up on the morning of the presentation to Rebecca playing our show on piano from another room,” Ward said. “That was surreal. For years this show had existed only on my laptop. Hearing it out in the world was powerful.”

“My most memorable moment was the first time we ran through the finale (after we made some big fixes), and it sounded like the end of a real show,” said Elke. “I had never heard it outside of my brain, and I realized we had created a musical!”

Nieto, too, had her moments from the actor’s side of the table: “Hearing people react WILDLY to me playing a romance with my real-life boyfriend, Ben, was so much fun. Similarly with Brigitte, who has now played my best friend twice (previously in Getting Through April, also produced by MusicalWriters.com), it is SO MUCH FUN to play scenes with someone you know very well and love deeply.”

Brigitte recalled her favorite moment: “The first time we got to run through the show fully and saw Grace and Elke light up. That was everything.”

Grace and Elke

BL!NK writing team, Elke Myers & Grace Ward

Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead

The team left the workshop with clearer character arcs, stronger music, and renewed confidence. It also prepared them for the full production at SheDFW and a concert performance in New York slated for 2026.

Editor’s note: Since the time of these interviews, BL!NK has also been selected for the first ever Epiphanies New Musicals weekend, and will receive a featured development production in January 2026.

But, no matter how far the musical travels or what successes it achieves, Camp BL!NK – and its lessons learned – will always be a valuable part of the show’s journey.

“This process taught me that growth only comes when you let people into the messy middle,” Ward said. “You want to wait until the draft is perfect, but it’s the sharing that brings the clarity.”

Myers agrees. “You need to be prepared to make changes. I would come in more ready to pivot next time. And maybe eat fewer Gushers.”

Rebecca Lowrey also noted the lessons learned from the more logistical and practical aspects of the workshop: “Based on this experience, we’re excited about the possibility of recreating this shorter, immersive, development model for future writers who want to come to Dallas, work with the city’s incredible talent, and take advantage of this new musical incubator space,” she said. “It feels like a promising next step in how we support new musical development — and BL!NK was a powerful first test.”

And as for who should pursue this kind of development step? “Every creative should,” Myers stated. “The only people who I feel wouldn’t benefit from it are people who believe they have created something perfect (which, in my opinion, doesn’t exist).”

Ward added, “You need to be someone who’s open to hearing every note, even the tough ones.”

she has bangs now sign

Final Thoughts

When we asked the writing and production team if they had any final thoughts to share, sentiments were overwhelming supportive for the team and overall workshop environment.

Ward gushed, “I am endlessly proud of Elke for stepping in as the composer and becoming my collaborator on this project. Elke brings a fire with her everywhere she goes. We have known each other since eighth grade, and I have always known that about her. Once she joined the project, everything started gaining momentum. She encouraged me to find and use my voice as a writer and brought her signature boldness to the table. She is the powerful extrovert who networked us into opportunities like the Musical Writers Festival and SheDFW.  In short, she is a goddess.”

Myers added, “I am a big believer that a room should be filled with people who want to be there, if you think you are too good for something then you shouldn’t be working on it. Fill a room with people who love to create and want to build something beautiful together! That’s one reason I so enjoyed working with MusicalWriters.com – they brought in a team of people who were so excited to create together, and build the best possible version of our show!”

Wilson had this final message for the BL!NK writers:  “Thank you for your art, thank you for your collaboration, thank you for the laughs and newfound friendship, and thank you most of all for trusting us with your creation. You created something beautiful and I can’t wait to see where it goes!”

Lightning Round with Camp BL!NK

Favorite (writing) tech tools?

  • Ward: I started writing in Final Draft about a year and had been putting off converting BL!NK’s libretto into a Final Draft document because I love being able to co-work with Elke on Google Docs. That said, it has been so nice to have the formatting support I need from Final Draft and, as a screenwriter, I couldn’t live without it.
  • Myers: Voice memos – I record the whole time I am working on a new song! I have 2000+ voice memos just for BL!NK.
  • Lowrey: Google Sheets. I make a spreadsheet for everything.

Coffee or tea?

  • Ward: Coffee! A plain iced latte with whole milk is the ticket to my heart.
  • Myers: Tea (with honey)
  • Wilson: If you know me, Coffee is the way to my heart
  • Nieto: NEITHER, ROOT BEER
  • Lowrey: half / half iced tea from Sonic (with a red straw)

Fly solo or team up?

  • Ward: collaboration is my favorite thing ever
  • Myers: Team up all the way
  • Wilson: I love my solitude, but I am always down for a group adventure
  • Nieto: Team up
  • Lowrey: Fly solo…but remember: you can’t write a musical with only one brain.

Pizza or hamburgers?

  • Ward: I’m gluten free so I can’t have either! Street tacos all the way!  I think we got tacos at least three times while I was in DFW.
  • Myers: Hamburgers
  • Wilson: Pizza, please
  • Nieto: BURGERS ALL THE WAY BABY
  • Lowrey: Hamburgers

City, country, or suburbs?

  • Ward: city… as long as I can ride my bike to somewhere beautiful in nature
  • Myers: Hear me out…Mountains
  • Wilson: I am a city kid at heart with a soft spot for the country life
  • Nieto:  CITYYYYYYYY
  • Lowrey: City

Flip flops or crocs?

  • Ward: Tevas!
  • Myers: Neither (always sneakers or boots)
  • Wilson:  Crocs. Don’t come for me.
  • Nieto: Flip flops!
  • Lowrey: Flip flops

Most recently used emojis?

  • Ward: 💃🏕️☀️
  • Myers: 💗
  • Brigitte: 🥰😂🤫🏳️‍🌈
  • Lexi: 😭🥺
  • Lowrey: 😘🤷🏻‍♀️😬👀🍷

Last thing you texted?

  • Ward: to my partner: “My water bottle just power washed me when I opened it”
  • Myers: I love you more 💗
  • Wilson:  If I told you, I would have to kill you.
  • Nieto: “where’s everyone else?”
  • Lowrey: 😘🤷🏻‍♀️😬👀🍷

Three things within arms reach right now?

  • Ward: my Kobo, an iced latte, and a Jack and Coke (not typical haha)
  • Myers: My water bottle, my Kindle, and my notebook
  • Wilson: White cheddar popcorn, my current read, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee
  • Nieto: My phone, my travel backpack, and my carry-on suitcase…where could I possibly be?
  • Lowrey: Sour punch bites, my iPhone, a heated blanket

Where can our readers follow and learn more about you?

Learn More

Follow the development of BL!NK on Instagram at @blink_themusical. For more behind-the-scenes interviews and insights from workshop participants, visit MusicalWriters.com.