From Cantor to Composer: Cathy Lawrence’s Journey Sparks a New Musical

 Over a bottle of wine and a debate about kale chips, she and her date found themselves dreaming up a wild idea about “fixing the world” through a better kind of dating. That real-life first date planted the seed for SPARKS!, the one-act musical that has now become Lawrence’s unexpected debut as a musical playwright and composer.

An Unexpected Leap into Musical Theatre

For decades, Lawrence’s life revolved around music and community. She holds a master’s in Voice and Opera and was ordained as a Jewish cantor in 2003, serving congregations and teaching voice to students of all ages. Yet, despite a rich career in performance and education, she had never written her own show. The leap from cantor and voice teacher to musical playwright came as a surprise – not least to Cathy herself. “I’ve spent my life singing others’ music,” she reflects, “so creating my own musical was new territory.” What gave her the courage to try? Lawrence credits a convergence of inspiration: the support of her musical community, the memory of her late husband (composer Stephen Lawrence), and that serendipitous Match.com date that struck her imagination like a spark.

Taking the idea from that date, Lawrence poured her skills into crafting songs and story, often working in close collaboration with her performers. In fact, SPARKS! is officially “a new musical by Cathy Lawrence, in collaboration with the cast”. Lawrence welcomed input from her ensemble at every step – even crediting Finnish singer-songwriter Eeppi Ursin, who originated the role of Kitty, as co-composer. It was a wholly new way of creating for her. “I approached it like a communal project,” she says, “workshopping scenes and songs with my cast in the room, much like I used to do with my choir and students.” This collaborative, community-driven process gave SPARKS! an organic development and allowed Lawrence to grow into her new role with the guidance of fellow artists.

A Real-Life Date Inspires SPARKS!

The resulting show is a romantic musical comedy directly inspired by Lawrence’s real-life dating adventure. SPARKS! asks the playful yet profound question: “Can one date change the world?” On stage, that question is explored through two characters who bear more than a passing resemblance to their creator and her date. Kitty is a horse-loving, nonconformist cantor looking for meaning, and Lenny is a brilliant coder with dreams of grand altruistic projects. The pair meet online and decide to test their chemistry at a quirky New Jersey inn. Their first encounter starts off promising – full of magic, humor, and shared ideals. Lenny imagines “Dating 2.0” (a plan to revolutionize dating so that couples “spend their time… doing things together for the benefit of others”), and Kitty eagerly links this idea to the Jewish concept of social justice, Tikkun Olam, meaning “repairing the world”. Fueled by wine and optimism, the two even hatch a wild plan on the spot: to co-create a musical about this new dating concept and take it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

It’s an absurdly big dream for a first date – and that’s exactly where the comedy and conflict of SPARKS! kick in. Kitty and Lenny’s ideals collide with their personal quirks and the realities of the digital age. Partway through the date, Lenny gets so lost in techy enthusiasm that he pulls out his laptop and starts building a website for their grand idea right at the dinner table. Kitty, left sitting alone with an empty wine bottle and a plate of unwanted coleslaw (she had ordered kale chips), feels ignored and disillusioned. The date takes a turn for the worse. In a huff of frustration, Kitty is ready to walk out – and the audience is left wondering whether this connection will fizzle or catch fire.

Creativity vs. AI: Themes of Connection and Tikkun Olam

What follows is a heartfelt and humorous exploration of human connection in the digital age. With a little behind-the-scenes nudging from two highly educated waitstaff (played by a bartender-pianist and his outspoken waitress colleague), Lenny and Kitty confront a central tension: creativity vs. artificial intelligence in making art – and in forging relationships. Lenny’s grand plan for their musical turns out to involve writing it with the help of AI, much to Kitty’s dismay. As a creative soul and lifelong singer, Kitty balks at the idea of outsourcing art to algorithms. SPARKS! cleverly uses this conflict to personify a broader dilemma of our times: whether we will let technology take the lead in our creative and emotional lives, or insist on an authentically human touch. The characters wrestle with this question in real time, embodying the theme of AI vs. authenticity in art and love.

At the same time, the musical’s heartbeat is unmistakably human. Lawrence weaves in the principle of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) as both a plot point and a guiding light for her characters. Kitty and Lenny’s lofty goal – using their date to spark something beneficial for others – reflects a deep-seated desire to make a positive impact, no matter how small. This earnest idealism gives the show a tender sincerity beneath the laughs. SPARKS! doesn’t propose that a single date will change the world, but it champions the idea that even in our high-tech, swipe-right era, two people can come together and create something meaningful. As one early audience member praised, “Sparks! is an effervescent gem of a show… [It] brings you along the surprising, touching, and funny journey of two souls searching for meaningful connection.” Lawrence’s background as a cantor infuses the piece with a sense of purpose and hope – a reminder that repairing the world can start with repairing the way we connect to each other.

A promotional poster for the upcoming encore of SPARKS!. The show’s tagline “Can one date change the world?” highlights its mix of romance and idealism. In this one-act musical, a mismatched couple – a coder and a cantor – attempt to “revolutionize dating” for the greater good, with a little help from two musical waiters. Lawrence’s first foray into writing and composing for theatre comes alive with a vibrant original score in an intimate 50-seat venue. The poster features (L–R) Logan Sigler, Sam Kline, Paul Green, and Yanxi Ding, the cast set to reprise and reinvent the roles in the August 31 performances.

From a Packed House to an Encore Performance

When SPARKS! premiered with two shows in April, it was intended as a small experimental debut. Lawrence hoped a handful of friends, students, and curious theatergoers might show up to the Reverie Room – a cozy 50-seat cabaret space tucked above a bodega on West 72nd Street. Instead, both April performances sold out, packing the room with an enthusiastic audience. The production struck a chord with viewers, who laughed and hummed along with the catchy tunes and engaged deeply with the story’s message. Lawrence was both stunned and gratified. “We didn’t expect it to resonate so strongly,” she admits. “I just knew I had a story to tell and wanted to put it on its feet.” After the final song ended and the cast took their bows, the crowd’s reaction made one thing clear: SPARKS! had ignited something special.

Buoyed by that success, Lawrence and her team knew the journey couldn’t end in April. Now, SPARKS! is returning for an encore. On August 31, the musical will light up the Reverie Room once more – this time for two performances in one day (a matinee and an evening show) to meet demand. Several original cast members are back to reprise their roles, joined by a couple of new faces. The August 31 encore cast features Logan Elizabeth Sigler, Sam Kline, Paul Green, and Yanxi Ding, who together will bring Kitty, Lenny, and the meddling waitstaff to life. Lawrence is excited to see her characters evolve with the new cast chemistry. Above all, she’s eager to share the show’s heart with more people. “After April’s packed house, we’re thrilled to spark the room once more,” she says, invoking the show’s title in a wink to its electric atmosphere. For Lawrence, this second run is not just an opportunity to entertain, but to continue the conversation SPARKS! started about creativity, connection, and community in the digital age.

The Reverie Room – with its intimate setting and community vibe – is the perfect space for that conversation to continue. In a venue where performers are just feet away from the front row, every laugh and lyric feels personal. Lawrence cherishes that closeness. “It’s almost like gathering around a living room to share a story,” she notes. And indeed, at its core, SPARKS! is a very personal story – one woman’s leap of faith to create something entirely her own, using the threads of her life (faith, music, love, and a dash of internet dating) to weave a new artistic tapestry. The Northern Voices prides itself on spotlighting artist-forward, community-driven stories just like this: tales of creativity born from courage and authenticity. Cathy Lawrence’s journey from cantor to musical theatre playwright – culminating in the joyful experiment that is SPARKS! – is a testament to the power of taking risks at any stage of life. It’s a reminder that inspiration can strike in the unlikeliest of places (even over kale chips on a first date), and when it does, it just might set something profound in motion.

Performance Details: SPARKS! will return for two encore performances on Sunday, August 31, 2025 (showtimes at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM) at The Reverie Room, 163 W 72nd St, NYC. Tickets are $20 (with a two-item food/drink minimum at the venue) and can be reserved via the Reverie Room’s website or through the event page: reverieroomnyc.com/event-details-registration/sparks-2025-08-31-14-00. Don’t miss this chance to catch the spark and be part of a musical journey that just might leave you believing in the magic one evening can hold.