The headlines, coming far too frequently, are biting and heartbreaking – another lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, driven to desperation by relentless and hateful bullying, has taken his or her own life. Disgusted with the pointless and unnecessary pain, Pirate has thrown the full weight of its resources behind the The Trevor Project – a nonprofit that offers suicide prevention support and resources for this vulnerable group – starting with production of It Gets Better, a song composed by Jay Kuo and Blair Shepard of Sing Out, Louise! Productions, and an incredible video bursting with hope, promise and joy.
The inspiring song and video, recorded and shot in Pirate’s New York studio with top Broadway talent, is a bold statement of the company’s leadership in the surging movement to combat the ignorance and hate driving these young people to despair.
It Gets Better is at once a joyous celebration of life and an uninhibited spectacle of thespian talent at the peak of their powers, with some of the biggest names from Spring Awakening, American Idiot, Avenue Q, Les Miserables, Wicked, Hairspray, Legally Blonde and numerous other current-and-former Broadway hits jointly belting out the uplifting tune. The optimistic, forward-looking lyrics encourage LGBT youth to look past the bullying and uncertainty of the present to the promise and hope of the future. “It gets better, better, better,” they sing, “The world gets lighter, lighter, lighter… just live to see that day!”
“This video highlights the power of music to convey a message in an extremely emotional and powerful way,” noted Pirate Partner/CCO Tag Gross. “We are proud to be an integral part of this amazing grassroots undertaking. The response from the Broadway community was overwhelming, and we are really happy to have a final video that speaks to the soul of so many young people.”
The online response to the video on YouTube has been impressive, with over 200,000 hits, and more than 900 comments. The song is also available on iTunes, with all proceeds benefiting The Trevor Project. The song complements the actions of various other groups, which included a coordinated effort encouraging people across the US to wear purple for one day in October.
Credits
Song: It Gets Better
Composed by: Jay Kuo, Blair Shepard
Music Direction/Production: Trapper Felides
Recorded at: Pirate NY
Produced by: Tag Gross, Mark Turrigiano
Mixer: Mark Turrigiano
Accompanists: Watt White/Mike Jackson (Guitar), Jeremy Yaddow (Drums), Ben Zebelman (Strings/Drums)
Solo Performances:
Matt Doyle (Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie)
Jose Llana (The King & I, Flower Drum Song, Spelling Bee)
Carrie Manolakos (Mamma Mia!)
Christina Sajous (American Idiot)
Stephanie Umoh (Ragtime)
Ann Harada (Seussical, Avenue Q, Les Miserables, 9 to 5)
John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek)
Danny Calvert (Alter Boyz)
Marty Thomas (Xanadu, Wicked, The Secret Garden)
Carly Jibson (Cry Baby, Hairspray)
Orfeh (Saturday Night Fever, Legally Blonde)
Celina Carvajal (Tarzan, Dracula, 42nd Street, Cats)
with:
Marr Anctil, Jacob Clemente, Amanda Jane Cooper, Sarah Kathleen Farrell, Victoria Gross, Robyn Kimmel, Todd Latimore, Ray Lee, Blair Shepard, Jimmy Smagula, Tess Soltau, Seth Sikes, Anne Fraser Thomas, Gabe Violett
About Pirate
NYC and Toronto-based Pirate ((www.piratenewyork.com)) is a full-service, award-winning, creative-driven audio agency that creates original music, radio, mixing, and sound design for commercials, radio, TV, film, web, and branded content. Pirate also provides a brand-based audio identity system, working with client brand managers. The agency’s tireless staff harnesses a unique combination of creative excellence and technical prowess to produce sonically superior work. Pirate’s 9 state-of-the-art 5.1 digital HD recording studios, staff of 30 composers, 12 track directors, US and Canadian casting departments, 5 senior copywriters, 8 senior mixers and an in-house creative department, make the agency arguably the largest and most well-equipped sound studio in North America and set it well apart from its nearest competitors.
