Back in early 2015, I was the Composer in Residence for Opera Colorado’s Generation OC – Page to Stage program. As part of this program, I worked with the theater department at Elizabeth Middle School, under the direction of Jody Urbas. They took the play Everything’s Coming Up Rosies (inspired by Rosie the Riveter) by Christina Hamlett (which takes place during World War II), and turned it into a musical, with a libretto by Cherity Koepke. Here are the third and fourth songs I wrote for their lyrics.

In “It’s Men’s Work,” Roy and Carl (trumpet/trombone) have too much work to do in their factory, so Roy’s Wife Faye (horn) offers to help, but they tell her that it’s ‘men’s work’ (it’s dirty, she wouldn’t like it, etc.). She tells them all of the experience she has taking care of children, cooking meals, sewing socks, volunteering, washing laundry, etc… running the ‘business of home.’ With all the men going to war, there’s work that needs to be done, but who’s going to do it?  It’s women’s work!

In “Chorus of Rosies,” Vivian (flute), her friends (oboes), and a woman named Rosie, are now working in a factory. They sing while they work, including a chorus of ‘We can do it!’ It’s hard, dirty work, but they are independent women, working as a team, who are just as good as men. They are serving their country by being tough and strong to keep the factory moving until their men are brought home. They stop abruptly when Carl walks in with a message for Vivian…

Tune in next month for the final two songs!