Less than two weeks.

That is how long the cast of “Discovery” has had to learn an entire score, memorize lines and block a three-hour show before taking it to the stage for the very first time on Sept. 24. 

With music by Dan Gibson and the book and lyrics by Alex Higgin-Houser, “Discovery” is a new musical set in the wake of the 1986 Challenger disaster. It follows NASA’s astronaut corps as they navigate tragedy and eventually return to space with the 1988 launch of space shuttle Discovery. Largely centered around Sally Ride, the first female astronaut to go to space, it covers themes of perseverance, healing and self-realization. 

This production marks a unique collaboration between the MSU Department of Theatre and Wharton Center, allowing MSU students to work with Broadway professionals. The partnership runs through the New Musical Laboratory (NML), which gives writers the opportunity to develop new works. 

“Discovery’s” development began back in 2019, when Higgin-Houser and Gibson set out to write a musical around a single question: “How do you come back from the worst-case scenario– and do it well?” Their question led them to the Challenger tragedy, and eventually to Dr. Mary Cleave, one of the astronauts now depicted in the show. 

Cleave connected Gibson and Higgin-Houser with other astronauts from that era, sharing personal stories with them, such as the story of “Max Q,” a rock band NASA astronauts formed in the years following the Challenger disaster. Those conversations greatly shaped how Gibson and Higgin-Houser approached the material. 

“It is a work of fiction because it must be,” Higgin-Houser said. “The astronauts obviously didn’t sing at the time. However, we’ve done our best to try to honor their stories.” 

What began as a 10-minute piece has since grown, over years of workshopping, into the full-length show now in rehearsal at MSU. This is only the second time the show has been staged with actors, and the first time fully on its feet. Despite the long development process, this particular production’s timeline has been anything but. With just a couple of weeks to rehearse and the script and score changing almost daily, actors will be performing the piece "on book," meaning they will have their scripts with them. 

For the students bringing the show to life, the fast pace has created a unique experience. Animal science senior Sarah “Bel” Corwin, who plays Sally Ride, described the experience as unlike anything they’d ever done before. Working closely with Higgin-Houser and Gibson, Corwin has had to quickly build their character.