Ohio University students workshopped an original jukebox musical in 29 hours as part of the OU Fringe Festival this spring, funded by the university’s experiential learning grant program.

The project, led by Anthony Alterio, an associate professor of instruction for dance and musical theater, brought together students from musical theater, acting and dance to develop a show set to Machine Gun Kelly’s music. Originally created during COVID by Alterio and Virginia Raffaele, now a production associate at Cleveland Play House, the musical follows nine characters navigating love, loss and chosen family. All characters have gender-neutral names, and the script includes a name bank allowing actors to choose their character’s name.

Rehearsals began April 15, with workshop performances presented the weekend of April 25. The grant also funded Broadway actor J. Austin Eyer, head of musical theater at the University of Texas Arlington, as a guest director, along with a live rock band of community musicians. “The grant opened the door to get the musical off the page,” Alterio said. “Students learned what it’s like to create a new musical, something many professionals spend years doing.”

Dance major Chanelle Casteel said the compressed timeline pushed her beyond her comfort zone, noting she had never performed in a musical before. Katie Spence, a rising second-year BFA musical theater major, said the process challenged her to stay adaptable while working with constantly evolving material. “Beyond the skills I gained, this experience gave me a hands-on understanding of how new work is developed in the industry,” Spence said.

Source: https://www.ohio.edu/news/2026/05/experiential-learning-grant-gives-students-hands-experience-workshopping-new-musical