The More You Know

The More You Know, my fourth collaboration with composer and orchestrator Ian Chan, is a new musical that tells the story of a Quiz Bowl (academic trivia) team who makes a deal with The Literal Devil in hopes of winning the high school national championship. In exchange for encyclopedic knowledge, they must commit to working the Devil’s will in the world. Grappling with the extreme academic pressure placed on so many 21st-century American teenagers, these four high-achieving juniors — Oliver, Amelia, Nick, and Cam — must decide how much of themselves (and their friends) they’re willing to sacrifice for a college acceptance letter.

The premiere of The More You Know was a developmental student production at the Loeb Experimental Theater which opened on March 31, 2022. It was directed by Sam Dvorak; music directed by Ruth Jaensubhakij, Andrew Courtney, and Kalos Chu; choreographed by Payton Kim; stage managed by Stephanie Kaiser and Julia Grullon; produced by myself, Ian, Kalos, Clay Oxford, Dani Kranchalk, and Mira-Rose Kingsbury Lee; and advised by Jeremie Lozier, Kat Sistare, and Ryan McKittrick. The original cast of 18 featured Julian Wagner-Carena as Oliver, Grace Allen as Amelia, Max Allison as Nick, Elio Kennedy-Yoon as Cam, and Caitlin Beirne as The Literal Devil. Feel free to peruse the production gallery below (photos by Carlo Hensch).

A reading of a revised version of the piece took place at the Agassiz Theatre on May 3, 2023. It was directed by me, music directed by Ian Chan, stage managed by Stephanie Kaiser and Julia Grullon, and designed by Payton Kim. The cast of 22 featured much of the original cast, including Julian Wagner-Carena, Grace Allen, Max Allison, and Elio Kennedy-Yoon; Carolyn Hao played The Literal Devil.

“Antiheroine,” a song from the show, was performed by Ekemini Ekpo at the Seventh Annual Harvard-Yale Cantata at 54 Below on September 15, 2022. More information can be found here.

The More You Know was recognized as a semifinalist for the 2023 National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. It was also a nominee for the 2023 Johnny Mercer Foundation Grove at Goodspeed Musicals.

Demos for the 2022 version performed by me and Ian Chan.

Max Allison (Nick), Elio Kennedy-Yoon (Cam), Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver), and Grace Allen (Amelia), accompanied by Greyson B, in "The More You Know" (2022).
Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Max Allison (Nick), Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver), Elio Kennedy-Yoon (Cam), and Grace Allen (Amelia) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Max Allison (Nick) and Grace Allen (Amelia) in "The More You Know" (2022).
The cast of "The More You Know" (2022).
Caitlin Beirne (The Literal Devil) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver), Avery Hansberger (Calrissian), and Felix Bulwa (Matthew) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Yirenny Cordero (Ria), Mitchell Sharum (André), Anna Fitzsimmons (Octavia), and Sean Teo Ong (Sawyer) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Vincent Pan (Jaden), Matt Given (Emmett), and Joe Bradley (Tommy) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Grace Allen (Amelia) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver) and Grace Allen (Amelia) in "The More You Know" (2022).
Julian Wagner-Carena (Oliver), Elio Kennedy-Yoon (Cam), Max Allison (Nick), and Grace Allen (Amelia) in "The More You Know" (2022).