The young composer's show revolves around the idea of life's "Firsts," like first dates, first heartbreaks, and more. LONG VALLEY, NJ — Do you remember your first date? Or your first break-up? What about your first New York City stage debut? Long Valley resident Ella Villani will remember that last one for quite a while once the week is through.Villani, a 20-year-old college student and musical composer, is making her NYC debut with “Firsts,” a collection of original songs written by the young resi...
The young composer's show revolves around the idea of life's "Firsts," like first dates, first heartbreaks, and more.
LONG VALLEY, NJ — Do you remember your first date? Or your first break-up? What about your first New York City stage debut? Long Valley resident Ella Villani will remember that last one for quite a while once the week is through.
Villani, a 20-year-old college student and musical composer, is making her NYC debut with “Firsts,” a collection of original songs written by the young resident.
“Firsts” will be showing at the Green Room 42 in New York City, this Sunday at 9:30 p.m. The performance will feature more than a dozen singers performing tunes about love, heartbreak, and everything in between.
Villani, a Musical Theater Major at Wilkes University, has been performing in theater and writing her own works since she was very young. Even as a third-grader, Villani would write original shows and try to convince her instructors to put them on stage.
“I did a lot of high school and middle school theater… It’s just the biggest part of my life,” Villani told Patch. “I’ve always wanted to write an entire show.”
That’s where “Firsts” comes in.
Villani said she’d begun writing songs for fun, and as she was looking them over, she noticed the common theme of firsts. The songs were about first dates, first break-ups, and that’s when she decided to write an entire show based on firsts in life.
The show has a total of 19 songs, some funny, some sad, some silly, but all earnest from Villani.
Performing Villani’s songs are talented friends she’s met throughout her theater career.
“It’s so weird hearing people sing your music, the stuff you wrote… And they enjoy it, and they think it’s good,” she said. “I’m just so excited to be putting my music out into the world, having people I love the most sing it, and listen to it… It’s the best feeling.”
See the cast of “Firsts” below, featuring other Long Valley natives Ashley Braunstein, Brianna Lugo, and Samaya Janssen:
In-person tickets can be purchased online here.
Can’t make the commute? Tickets to a livestream of the performance are also available.