The Golden Cage – The Leap from Page to Stage

I’m thrilled to tell you about a new project – and it’s the reason you may not have heard from me for a while – it’s all about my life-long passion project, the musical “THE GOLDEN CAGE,” which has just been selected for the new “CreateTheater Series” in NYC April 2022.

It’s a lifelong passion project … and the show is just the beginning. So let me tell you the story:

If you’ve known me as a performer, an electric harp innovator, a TEDx presenter, a coach or teacher, you know I’m passionate about telling stories with music.  I’ve already had more amazing adventures in my life than I can count: from performing my original music with the Boston Pops to touring with rock guitar legend Steve Vai, inventing a new “DHC” harp, attending the Grammy’s as a nominee … but …

You may not know that my life-long passion project is a 2-person musical that now has a chance to take its place in the canon of musical theatre … with your help!

It’s a fantasy musical – with a magic cage that changes reality.

“The Golden Cage” is a fantasy musical about a mythical Bird-man who’s on a quest to find the legendary “Golden Cage,” the ultimate symbol of security in Bird-man lore. When he finally finds it, it’s everything he ever dreamed of. Except for one thing: there’s a woman trapped inside the cage who claims it’s made of cement and iron, and that she’s a prisoner.

It’s a story about isolation and connection, a play with deep themes, sophisticated music, and whimsical characters – a show that speaks to multigenerational audiences about the traps we create for ourselves – and the power of human connection to set us free.

It uses open casting: any age, gender, race, or body-type can play either character – and the staging can be minimal, so it’s easy to produce. To bring it to life, it just requires two magnificent actor-singers, a stellar director, a magnificent musical director, a theater and ….

YOU!  I need YOUR help to bring this show alive!

We’re at a pivotal stage in the development of this work.

The show has just been selected for the NYC “CreateTheater Series” at Theatre Row on 42^nd street  next April 19-23.

But that’s just the start: The new “Streaming Musicals” platform (think Netflix for original musicals) is already interested in the show for possible distribution … IF we can create a broadcast-quality show-video.

So April in New York is the moment all of that can happen

For that I need your help: your financial, emotional and cheerleading support.

 We’ve raised $10,000 so far from generous, beloved donors – toward our goal of $130K, and I’m reaching out to ask you to join me in making this dream a reality by contributing to the project and becoming PART of this adventure, bringing this show into the world.

We’ve unofficially started the ‘Crowdfunding’ campaign. And, in fact …

==>  You can donate in any amount here right now.   Donations are tax‐deductible to the extent permitted by law (there’s a nice little FAQ right on the donation page explaining more about that.)

But right now my main goal is to connect one-on-one with major donors and contributors – because those personal relationships are so deeply important to me.  I’m reaching out now – in December – to offer the opportunity to those who want to focus their Year-End contributions on the arts and to make a major donation to bring this show to life. If that’s you, let’s talk.

“The Golden Cage” is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non‐profit arts service organization. Donations in any amount are celebrated, cherished and appreciated with joy and abandon.

I love personal creative relationships.

In my last big video story-music project, “Invention & Alchemy,” I had a single beloved patron, Peter Wege, who told me that the day we went to the Grammys was the happiest day of his life. Many of you may have seen the show we created together on PBS, or in the special streaming presentation in summer 2020.

Now I’m inviting YOU to be part of a new adventure which can have an even broader reach.  

The full budget for development, performance and filming of “The Golden Cage,” including paying the actors, musicians, director, designers, theater, stage manager, camera crew and editing is $130K.

If you’ve got $10K – $130K and you’re passionate about being a patron of the arts for new musical theatre – let’s talk!

If that’s not quite in your budget right now, read on for more ways you can be part of bringing this show to life.

There are a few ways you can contribute, and I will LOVE having you be part of this show in any way:

“The Golden Cage” is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non‐profit arts service organization. Donations are tax‐deductible to the extent permitted by law.

1. You can donate any amount – and I’ll be thrilled by it – by credit card online at the link below:

2. If you prefer to donate by check contributions for the charitable purposes of “The Golden Cage” must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” and are tax‐deductible to the extent permitted by law. Just make the checks payable to “Fractured Atlas,” with “Golden Cage Musical” in the memo line. Then please mail your contributions to this address: Deborah Henson-Conant – Box 1039 – Arlington, MA 02474. For donations over $5,000, I have a form for you to fill out for tax deductible purposes.

3. Maybe you have a special skill (like team management, PR, photography, fundraising, videography, or social media) – or you have a rehearsal space or a home in Manhattan where you’d love to host the composer of a musical (me!) when she opens her show on 42^nd street. Or maybe you just love to connect people and you have friends who are passionate patrons of the arts and love musicals. Let me know!

There will be other ways to get involved down the line — don’t worry, you’ll be hearing a LOT about this from me!  But for now the goal is to get THE GOLDEN CAGE fully funded and available on streaming video for all.

The truth is that I started playing the harp over 40 years ago as a way to make money to fund this show. That’s how long I’ve been passionate about this story. As it turns out, the harp has taken me on a huge adventure – it connected me to YOU – and now it’s bringing me back again to this piece I’m passionate about.

There could not be a better time for this story to enter the world, at a moment when so many of us know the impact of isolation first-hand – and are longing for the connection that releases us from that isolation. That’s what “The Golden Cage” is about.

I hope you’ll join me and make a year-end gift to this project.  We need to raise at least half the budget by Dec. 31^st in order to make this project as successful as possible

I cannot wait for you to see this show – and to be a part of it.

~ Learn More about “The Golden Cage” ~