Truth Is Sadder Than Fiction

Top Row (Left to Right); @tikilovera as MARY - Meeri Hernandez as DEBBIE - Florencia Rovere as CHRISTINA - Maximo Meyer as EDDIE - Laura Oliva as SYLVIA - Elis Garcia as Sofi - Fabian Vena as JASON and Florencia Otero as ANITA Middle Row (Left to Right) My brothers; Frankie & Johnny. My mom and dad; Frank & Mary. Debbie’s mom Sylvia and Frankie’s mom Ann. Bottom Row (Left to Right) Vinnie & Frankie (the early years). Real Debbie watching character Debbie sing “Lost” for the first time. Vinnie & Frankie and DJ Wheeler's memorial tree 15 Years later.

It may be a work of fiction but Hereafter Musical’s roots are all too real (and universal). DJ Wheeler’s passing fifteen years ago in 2003 put me on a path that led straight to Frankie Keane in 2008.

While creating this show together on how we all deal with grief we were forced to face our own losses. So Eddie’s character became a beautiful combination of DJ Wheeler and my late brothers Frankie and Johnny. The Debbie character mirrored real life Debbie Slotin Favale own journey after her mother Sylvia passed away. Frankie’s mom and my parents loomed large throughout the entire show. And of course Anita is 75% Frankie with a dash of Carole Lombard.

Now here we are 15 years after DJ’s passing and our show is bringing audiences to it’s feet (and to tears) in Buenos Aires...in Spanish as Quién retiene a quién. And by the end of this summer we will be finished with the Hereafter Musical movie...ten years after Frankie and I first met.

So thank you “Quien Retiene A Quien” for keeping our show alive while we were working on the movie. My dream is to bring your beautiful production and all of YOU to the “other America” one day. And I think you can tell from my experience that I believe dreams can come true!