We were delighted to welcome Broadway and film director and choreographer Lynne Taylor Corbett and her son, "In The Heights" star Shaun Taylor-Corbett as our featured guests in our Friday, April 17th Resilience + Steadiness webinar.

Lynne and Shaun led us through a wholehearted, down-to-earth chat about their world-premiere Native musical "Distant Thunder," theater and the arts in the time of coronavirus, how we can best support artists and Indigenous communities right now, and which Native practices and teachings might be sources of comfort and inspiration in this uncertain time.

In case you missed it, you can watch the whole conversation here:

Here are links to support the excellent arts and Native organizations we discussed:

Distant Thunder (via Lyric Theater of Oklahoma)

Piegan Institute: The mission of The Piegan Institute is to serve as a vehicle to research, promote and preserve Native languages.

Indigenous Environmental Network: An alliance of Indigenous peoples whose mission it is to protect the sacredness of Earth Mother from contamination and exploitation by strengthening, maintaining and respecting Indigenous teachings and natural laws.

Konaway Nika Tillcum: A Residential Camp for Motivated Native American Students Completing Grades 7-12

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS: One of the nation's leading industry-based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations.

Actors Fund: A national human services organization designed to meet the needs of the entertainment community.

Passing Through: Watch a powerful concert performance of the new musical Passing Through

Distant Thunder: The Musical: Facebook

Shaun Taylor-Corbett: Facebook, Instagram

Lynne Taylor-Corbett has been nominated for Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award for direction and choreography of Broadway's Swing! and received Drama Desk and Lortel nominations for My Vaudeville Man and Wanda's World. She directed and choreographed Cougar the Musical and KICK! Off-Broadway,which was nominated for an OBA, and adapted and directed The Lion King for Disney's production in Hong Kong.

Her choreography can be seen in feature films Footloose with Kevin Bacon, My Blue Heaven and Bewitched. Her dance works have been commissioned by, among others, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Carolina Ballet, where she is resident guest choreographer. Numerous companies throughout the world have performed her works which have been seen on Live from Lincoln Center and Live from the San Francisco Opera House. Ms. Taylor-Corbett is an ever-grateful member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers and proud mother of Shaun Taylor-Corbett, with whom she wrote "Distant Thunder" which will premiere at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

Shaun Taylor-Corbett: No single moment was more influential in Shaun’s life than his trip with his mother to the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Montana at 15. So much of Distant Thunder, the Native-pop musical he co-wrote with Chris Wiseman and his mother Lynne, is based on that journey; and much like his friend Lin-Manuel Miranda did with In the Heights, Shaun would like to take the audience on a journey through his portrayal of the main character, Darrell. The musical will have its world premiere at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in September and October (2020, Oklahoma City). Shaun actually performed in the original production of In the Heights on Broadway and closed the show in the role of Sonny. He saw the power of music and its ability to convey themes of home, identity and culture to a wide audience. Shaun’s musical sensibilities have been inspired by his journey to the Blackfeet Nation as well as his experiences as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, Juan in Altar Boyz, and Usnavi and Sonny in In the Heights. He recently completed 3 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Henry V, Love’s Labor’s Lost, As You Like It, Between Two Knees, Beauty and the Beast, and Off the Rails).

As writers, Shaun and Chris Wiseman have collaborated and written songs for European and American television for the last 10 years. Shaun also collaborated with Daniel Jones from Savage Garden on a concept demo in Australia while filming the hit kids tv series Hi-5. In LA, Shaun has worked closely with Native Voices as an ensemble member - acting, directing, and writing to create new works by Native Americans for the stage. In 2014 he was honored as an artist of distinction by the Association of American Indian Affairs for his work on Jersey Boys and Distant Thunder. Other Notable TV/Film: “Supremacy” with Danny Glover; Gamer’s Guild, Disney XD. Two national commercials. Favorite LA theater roles: Tye in Vieux Carre, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at Theatricum Botanicum.

So glad you could join us, Lynne and Shaun! It was a joy to chat with you, and we can't wait to see the show.