Mary Beth Maziarz and Flo! The Show!

Photo: Amy Livingston.

Mary Beth Maziarz was excited to present the world premiere of her musical, “Flo! The Show!,” at Egyptian YouTheatre (YouTheater) in Park City. While Mary Beth had been in the music industry for decades, this was her first musical. It was based on a children’s book written by local author Larry Gilbert.

Mary Beth discovered music early and picked up gigs while attending Northwestern University. She studied American culture but lived in an art dormitory, where she thrived amid the mix of art pursuits. Upon graduating, she wanted to pursue a music career and was referred to Park City. She had never been there, but she decided to give it a try. For about 10 years, she sang and played piano five nights a week at the Riverhorse on Main.

Some of Mary Beth’s original music was published via an indie record label, and she worked with EMI in Nashville and Sony in New York. She wrote songs for TV shows and films, including “Dawson’s Creek,” “Joan of Arcadia,” and “Party of Five.” She also wrote a book entitled “Kick-Ass Creativity.” She met Larry Gilbert after he reached out to her for creative coaching. He initially intended to write a business book, but it evolved into a children’s story about finding authentic happiness.

About 18 months ago, a song about Flo—the main character in Larry’s book—popped into Mary Beth’s head. She started composing the song, thinking it might be a good “sing-along with Flo” addition to the book. She continued to be inspired by additional songs until she realized her collection sounded more like a musical, and “Flo! The Show!” was born. She shared the idea with Randy Barton, who then directed her to Jamie Wilcox, director of the Egyptian YouTheatre program. Mary Beth ended up presenting, impromptu, to Amy Livingston, YouTheatre’s director of education and media content, and Jamie, both of whom fully embraced the musical. Performers included local students ranging from fifth grade to high school, with Mary Beth serving as co-director.

“Flo! The Show!’s” world premiere was held during the first two weekends of December.

World premieres did not come along that often, and this one featured Flo the quokka, an Australian marsupial. Quokkas are known for their smiling faces and sweet demeanor, and the musical ushered in the holiday season with joy.

Learn more about Mary Beth at www.marybethmusic.com.