What it is and how it came to be.

A longtime lover of the romantic, gothic horror genre, graphic novelist Wendy Pini first found her theatrical muse in Stephen Sondheim’s legendary thriller Sweeney Todd. Then came an equal passion for Jekyll & Hyde. Early on, Pini was fortunate to meet Steve Cuden, Jekyll’s progenitor and original lyricist, who mentored her in the creation of her own mad scientist, Anton Prosper. Cuden’s excellent advice and insider’s knowledge of the ins and outs of beating Broadway, plus further encouragement on the book and lyrics from the great Calvin Remsberg, led to Pini’s current draft of the Masque of the Red Death – a Musical Thriller libretto.

After over a dozen years of close collaboration with composer Gregory Nabours, a fully orchestrated album containing some 30 songs, performed by a Broadway-level cast, has come to fruition. Gregory’s music is lush, melodious, and utterly singable. Faithful in spirit to the Edgar Allan Poe short story, Masque contains dark, gut-wrenching moments captured perfectly in song. But Nabours has also found the bouncy, lighter moments that give the show its balance and human appeal.

Highly recognizable motifs and themes are sprinkled throughout the score, helping to define Masque’s characters and their deep emotional conflicts. The concept album is a cathartic emotional journey, made for the times we live in, both tragic and triumphant.