- When did you first discover theater/what was your first experience?
YNH: When I was 17, I participated in a theater camp during summer break. This was the first time I discovered theater. I learned so much stuff from so many talented people and I knew I’ll stay here!
RM: I live close to New York City, so I have been lucky to have grown up around theater. I have seen theater since I was young but didn't appreciate it until I saw a production of Les Mis. It was my first experience where I remember being on the edge of my seat for a performance of any kind, and I realized how impactful it is on me.
- When/how did you become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or text that particularly inspired you?
YNH: I started learning music when I was a kid, then I discovered theater. After exploring more I realized there’s a performing art called “musical” that combines these two elements I love. This is why I became a writer!
RM: I remember seeing the Broadway production of Something Rotten and thinking "I want to be able to write something like that." It was the first time I was determined to make something of my own, and I just kept doing it from there! After that, I begun writing plays with the encouragement of a high school English teacher, but wasn't exposed to musical theater/lyric writing until I went to grad school. I fell in love with the craft and collaborating with others.
- How do you describe your style/work?
YNH: Emotional, delicate, and also playful!
RM: Witty, funny, and full of questions.
- What is most rewarding to you about writing music?
YNH: Telling my story and feeling without saying anything.
RM: Collaborating is one of the greatest gifts of being a theatrical lyricist. I absolutely love working with others and bouncing ideas off of people to make the best show/song we can. Seeing something come together over a period of weeks, months, and years is a slow process, but unquestionably the most rewarding.