Video: In Todd Almond’s New Musical I’m Almost There, Modern Dating Becomes an Odyssey

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Video: In Todd Almond’s New Musical I’m Almost There, Modern Dating Becomes an Odyssey

His show, now at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, will next play Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane.

Composer/actor Todd Almond is currently in Scotland trying out his newest stage musical, I’m Almost There. Almond is based in NYC and primarily works there, but he went across the pond to have a pressure-free environment to test out his off-kilter show. “We rented our bikes this trip—my husband and I have just been riding our bikes everywhere, seeing the whole city. We’ve seen three shows a day, I’m fully fully having the Fringe experience,” Almond tells Playbill’s Jeffrey Vizcaíno in the video above.

I’m Almost There is currently running at the Edinburgh Fringe until August 26, after which it will play Off-Broadway at Audible Theater’s Minetta Lane Theatre September 26–October 5. After that, Almond will record the show for Audible, where it will be released widely for listeners.

I’m Almost There is loosely based on The Odyssey, but set in the just-as-harrowing modern world of dating. “It’s the story about being kind of grumpy, not wanting to go to the party, a friend drags you there,” explains Almond. “I get there, I find the love of my life, I’m sure this is the love of my life. But things go south very quickly. And so the rest of the show is just trying to get to that person again.” Odysseus has to journey across the sea to find his love, while in the musical, Almond’s character has to figure out how to get out of his apartment—and the monsters are his neighbors.

Almond narrates and sings during the show, and he is joined onstage by musicians Erin Hill (harp and vocals) and Luke McCrosson (bass).

The show is directed by Tony winner David Cromer. It was first commissioned by Audible, where Cromer and Almond have a prior relationship. Almond was recently seen on stage at the Minetta Lane with Laura Benanti in her comedy show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, for which he co-created original songs and music directed. Cromer recently directed Audible Theater’s multi-award-winning musical Dead Outlaw, which also ran at the Minetta Lane.

The creative team of I’m Almost There includes music supervisor Jonathan Mastro, costume designer David Hyman, lighting designer Stacey Derosier, sound designer Christopher Darbassie, and associate director Ani Taj. Technical supervision is by Beacon Theatrical Services with general management by Baseline Theatrical’s Jonathan Whitton.

Said Kate Navin, Audible Head of Creative Development, North America in a statement: “Following our successful premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a renowned launchpad for innovative storytelling, we’re honored to bring Todd Almond’s musical odyssey to the Minetta Lane Theatre for its New York debut followed by a global audio release on Audible. The unique trajectory of I’m Almost There spotlights Todd’s brilliant artistry across mediums and underscores Audible’s commitment to presenting original work both on the stage and in audio. Together with our visionary collaborator Francesca Moody and stellar creative team led by David Cromer, we can’t wait for more audiences to experience this charming and clever love story.”

See Almond perform some songs from I’m Almost There below.