Rachel Moss is celebrating the debut of her musical RED ALERT! (Hale-Bopp Brings Closure to Heaven’s Gate). Rachel responded to a series of questions posed by BPF Board Advisor Larry Lambert that address her career, the musical, her writing and her motivation.
L – I assume your musical title references the Hale-Bopp comet? What made you choose this for your debut work?
R – When you go to the Heaven’s Gate website, the top of the page has a large graphic that says “RED ALERT! Hale-Bopp Comet brings closure to Heaven’s Gate”. The cult believed the Hale-Bopp comet was a spaceship coming to pick them up from Earth to bring them to heaven. I loved the idea of the title being a reference to their website, and this graphic has always felt very eerie to me. A symbol of hope for them but a symbol of tragedy for us.
L – You chose to make this a musical. What was behind this decision?
R – I’ve always wanted to write a musical about a cult because I thought “Who would be more likely to break out into synchronized song and dance than a cult?”. I’ve been fascinated with Heaven’s Gate since I was a young teenager, watching every documentary, and reading every available article, so I decided to write about something I was very familiar with.
L – How long did it take you to create Red Alert!, from inception to the version you are presenting with Baltimore Playwrights Festival?
R – I started working on this script September of 2023. I had written songs about the group prior to the idea of making a full show, but honestly I finished a first draft so that I could specifically submit it to this festival! I heard about it in December of 2023, and quickly wrote the first draft to submit in the spring of 2024. It has expanded immensely since then, even going from a one-act to a two-act! The show is always a work in progress though! I learn something new every time I hear it, and tweak minor things. I wrote a song in this reading less than 3 weeks ago!
L – What do you want the audience to take away from this presentation?
R – I want people to come away from this musical with a new found empathy for cult members. Any discussion about groups like Heaven’s Gate tend to be more satirical or judgmental rather than discussing the fact that these were real people with real problems, that made them vulnerable to joining a cult and ultimately committing suicide. I try to show these people in an empathetic light (while still having humor incorporated but never at their expense)
L – Why have you chosen to concentrate on musical theater?
R – As generic as it sounds, ever since I was a kid I wanted to be Stephen Sondheim. Musical theater has always been a passion of mine, my greatest heroes are composers for musical theater, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Sondheim, William Finn (who I was actually able to meet when I was 16, and it was the greatest day of my life) I’ve particularly idolized those who write both lyrics and score. When I was in high school my older sister would beg me to listen to normal music instead of just musical theater cast albums! I always knew if I was going to write it’d be for musical theater!
L – Was Red Alert! your first major endeavor?
R – Yes! Red Alert was the first script I ever “finished”. I had practiced writing music for the theater but I had never found the inspiration to write the full story to go with the songs. I’m very happy with how it’s developed!
L – You have a very large cast. Is it hard to write for so many characters?
R – I’ve been told my cast is large several times but I totally thought I had a small cast for a musical! I suppose when you used to be a teenager watching Little Shop of Horrors or Into the Woods on repeat, 9 characters seems pretty average. I like writing for bigger casts, it’s fun to come up with each personality, and think how they’d react to the situation at hand, especially in an environment as unique as a cult.
L – What do you do to pass the time when you aren’t writing for musical theater?
R – I have way too many hobbies for one person. I watch at least a few movies a week, I draw (I designed the poster for Red Alert!), embroidery, painting, animating, I play theremin, I play Tetris at least 30 minutes a day, I like to be reading a book at all times (Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis right now… it’s okay), and pretty much anything I can waste my time doing. Luckily my job is pretty relaxed so I have a lot of free time but I’m never one to just sit around.
L – Do you have any other projects in the works.
R – I have an idea for a musical based on an H.P Lovecraft story, and another focused on the Grand Guignal theatre in Paris. I’m interested in the idea of writing the score and lyrics, but collaborating on the book. I try to focus all of my attention on one thing at a time, because I’d like every musical I write to have it’s own unique sound, but I’m happy to say once I’m done with Red Alert I have ideas to turn to! I hope I have the opportunity to write for many shows in my lifetime!
L – Where do you see your path taking you after Red Alert!?
R – I’d love to continue working in theater. I hope the show gets a chance to be produced with a theater, because I am very proud of it. Whatever happens, I am happy to keep writing!