Debuts One Woman Show at The Toronto Fringe Festival June 30th to July 12th.
Toronto-born Lily Librach was one of those kids who knew what she wanted to do from the age of five when she attended her first theatre class. Her goal? Make It to Broadway. With dozens of leading roles in local musicals under her belt, Librach headed to New York. Completing a Master’s degree from New York University in Vocal Performance (Music Theatre/Vocal Pedagogy), the triple threat singer, dancer and actor, was one step closer to realizing her dreams. And then the unthinkable happened. Six weeks before she was set to appear in a musical showcase in New York, Librach contracted a virus that attacked her vocal cords. At 26, she was forced to confront the possibility that the thing that defined her life may be gone. Who was she without it?
Medical and voice specialists in New York collaborated on a plan. The regimen required Librach to not speak at all for 10 days, then for only five minutes per hour for a week, increasing to 10 minutes per hour for another week.
While still on complete vocal rest, and reflecting on her situation, Librach had an idea. She submitted an outline for a play based on the psychological and literal implications of losing her voice, to the Toronto Fringe Festival. When it was accepted, she was still only allowed to speak in a limited capacity. She had four months until her first performance. Armed with a pile of cue cards, Librach, headed to Central Park. There, pacing back and forth amidst the cherry blossom trees, Librach began recording story ideas into a voice memo app and then writing them down. Surrounded by a growing pile of discarded cue cards, passers by frequently asked her if this was performance art.
These furtive writing sessions culminated in I Belong Here, a 60-minute musical exploration into what it means to find your voice, lose it and reclaim it. Fully recovered, Librach’s one-woman-show debuts at the Toronto Fringe Festival running from June 30 to July 12. It explores the complex relationship between her inner and outer voice while incorporating pop, folk, classics and musical theatre songs. The show will also debut the original song “Angel Watching Over Me,” written by Jack Lenz.
“I knew that building a career would be an uphill battle,” said Librach, “but I never imagined that my greatest challenge would be finding my way back to my voice . It was an opportunity to learn so much about myself and I am thrilled to be able to share that.”
Tickets to I Belong Here are currently available at
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/i-belong-here.