Ben Boquist | Musician | Writer

Ben Boquist

Musician | Writer

You've also written and produced several musicals with settings ranging from medieval Europe to Mars. Where do you get inspiration from when writing a musical? Do you have a favorite or one you’re most proud of?

I think part of what makes musicals so magic is their sense of whimsy. They're not necessarily larger than life, but they are more decadent than life. So the first thing that usually grabs me when I'm writing a new show is the setting. I can read about a period in history, or about space travel, and think, "hmm this would be a fun world to play in". I also get inspired by the needs of the characters. My characters are often needy people who yearn for things, so their psychological wants give me a lot of inspiration too. 

So far I've finished three full-length shows (Songs of the Fall, Monks and Witches and Tungsten;Boy of Mars) and I love them all for different reasons. But the idea that's been with me the longest is Monks and Witches.

I read a YA historical fiction series in high school called the Pagan Chronicles, about a knight and his squire in 12th-century France. Those books introduced me to the world of Languedoc and the church's crusade to suppress heresy, and I found a deep resonance with that time and place. So I wrote a story about a monk caught in the middle of the tension who has to pick a side.

Since college, I've written four versions of this show. All of them are completely different (different songs, characters) although they follow the same basic plot structure. I guess I'm most proud of this one because I know the characters best. I have 20-year histories on all of them. But it's also my stickiest play. I don't think I've found the ultimate format yet. 

What are you working on right now? What can we look forward to from you in the near future?

I just started working on my first ghost story play! I got the idea while walking around in Old Town Pasadena. There's this gorgeous historic hotel/ apartment complex called Castle Green, and as I walked past it I saw that one unit was boarded up and looked more neglected than the others. So I started writing a musical about a young couple who move into a haunted apartment no one else will rent because they can't pass up the bargain. It will be a little more grounded and intimate than what I've done so far since most of it will take place with three people in a small apartment. So far it's a lot of bass lines and piano riffs in minor keys. I'm having a lot of fun. 

Lastly, I want to ask you about your new single, "What a World." It expresses a sense of futility and helplessness as the world around you goes insane. I know a lot of us feel that way right now. So, how do you maintain hope when the world gets bleak? Is it worth it to keep fighting when things seem futile?

I'm not always great at cultivating hope. Probably like a lot of artists, I'm depressive by nature. I brood and pick things apart. But hope breaks through anyway sometimes. And usually, that looks like talking to friends or getting lost in a fun creative task. A few times I've made lists of past things I worried about and how they were resolved. Then I sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" or "Children of the Heavenly Father" to myself and feel cared for. This works for personal things, like finding an apartment when you didn't think you would, or for bigger societal things, like being convinced a war is coming and being pleasantly surprised. I see evidence of healing and regeneration when I remember these things and it helps.