500 Miles, 2 Hearts and a Guitar

A new musical — book, music, and lyrics by Giovanni Cipolla

Cast: 6–10 performers (chamber version available with 6, via doubling) · Instrumentation: small band — guitar, keys, bass, drums — plus live guitars played onstage by Jordan and Randy

Synopsis

Randy Bell can calculate the distance between stars, but she's never found a way to close the space between herself and her dying father. When Jordan Moore — an out-of-work, restless musician — crashes one of her corporate Zoom calls in a bathrobe and shower cap, Randy strikes a deal: he teaches her guitar, and the incident never happened.

What starts as an awkward transaction becomes a lifeline for them both, playing out across five hundred miles of screen, as Randy races to learn her father's most personal composition before it's too late — and Jordan quietly comes apart in ways he can't hide forever.

Development & Production History

Developed through multiple writer's-group presentations and a live showcase at MusiCoLab's New Works Festival in Philadelphia (November 2024), where songs from the show were performed by professional Philadelphia talent.

Listen & Watch

Demos: soundcloud.com/johnyonion/sets/500-miles-2-hearts-and-a
MusiCoLab Showcase footage: youtube.com/watch?v=nwxIHGhbkG8

What's Next

500 Miles, 2 Hearts and a Guitar is ready for its next stage — a reading, workshop, or production with the right creative team and home.