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(Sarah Ziff • The Student Life)
Devon Tao HM ’25 first began writing songs about climate change as a final project for a music class. These songs eventually formed the backdrop for their original musical “Reason to Be,” which opened at Seaver Large Studio on March 27 and ran through the weekend.
The musical follows an out-of-work pianist in the year 2050, when AI has taken over the music industry. Debilitated by fears of the climate crisis, the musician seeks a reason to continue writing music and living life — a task his AI helper assists him with.
“‘Reason to Be’ is a story about finding hope through music in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges,” Tao said.
Discussing why they wanted to produce a musical, Tao noted that music tells a story in a way words alone can’t.
“[Characters] sing because they’re so full of emotion that words aren’t enough,” Tao said. “I just felt like this is a story that sang.”
The production was directed by Aelin-Alexandria Nyx PZ ’26 and produced by Spotlight Musical Theater, the 5Cs’ student-run musical theatre company. Notably, “Reason to Be” is one of the first 5C musicals to be written by a Harvey Mudd student.
“There’s been Harvey Mudd-directed productions, but I don’t believe there’s ever been a Harvey Mudd-produced musical or one mostly by Mudders,” Tao said.
While Mudders are known mostly for their STEM skills, cast member Kishore Rajesh HM ’25 noted that Harvey Mudd students are often also quite good at music.
“Surprisingly, a lot of Mudders are singers,” Rajesh said. “I’ve been singing since I was a kid, but when I first came to Mudd, I joined choir, and I remember the first day when introducing everyone, I think two-thirds of the class was from Mudd.”
“‘Reason to Be’ is a story about finding hope through music in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.”
However, according to another cast member, Serena Mao HM ’25, several of the actors had little performance experience before joining the musical.
“It would be interesting coming [to rehearsal] knowing that a lot of us don’t have previous acting experience and seeing if that matches,” she said. “That’s not something people would expect. One thing that really makes it work is that the actors put in a lot of time outside of rehearsal to practice.”
“We’ve met up so much outside of rehearsal and spent hours running lines and practicing blocking and making sure we get the rhythms and everything right for the music,” cast member Sage Wong-Davies SC ’25 said, agreeing.
Parts of “Reason to Be” explored the intersections between science and music, which might be enjoyable for certain Mudders. One song, for instance, rhymed “Claire de Lune” with “algae bloom.”
“It’s very climate oriented, which I think appeals to Mudd students,” Wong-Davies said. “Like, ‘The Greenhouse Effect’ is a song in the show and it’s a rap about the greenhouse effect, and I think Mudd people will understand that.”
The long process of rehearsing brought cast members closer together, creating a strong community where Mudd students interested in musical theater could connect and work together on a production.
“Ultimately, if you’re having rehearsal three to four days a week for four hours a day, and then you get to tech week, the community just kind of forms,” cast member Rai Wandeler HM ’28 said.
Though Wandeler said that being involved in the musical while completing Mudd’s first-year course load was challenging, they believed it was ultimately rewarding.
“This musical provides a great balance to a lot of the academic work and makes your day more fulfilling,” Wandeler said.
The idea that music can make life more fulfilling is reflected in the musical itself. Several songs describe music helping people through difficult times, using wide-ranging examples such as the struggles of a Victorian Era child laborer and Beethoven’s hearing loss.
In the end, the pianist uses music to deal with his fears about friendship and climate change, leaving the audience with a message of hope for the future.
“I think I have something very real and very important to say here,” Tao said. “We’re doing good work here, and I’m very proud of everyone in the cast and crew.”
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