Native Brooklynite and Bay Ridge resident Joshua Cantone, a rising junior at LaGuardia Arts High School, has always loved music. Coming from a musical family, the exploration of the art form was always encouraged. He started taking piano lessons at the young age of three and began acting in plays in elementary school.
Just 12 years old at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, Cantone turned to songwriting as an outlet to work through the complicated web of emotions and experiences forced upon him daily.
“During middle school, you don’t know who you are,” he said, and when the pandemic hit, he and his friends felt stuck.
After beginning to record these songs and make short movies on his iPad, he realized that the retelling of the monumental events of the time and his interpretation of them would make a great musical. Through this new set of hobbies, he decided to highlight the experience of kids his age with the internet, their parents, and their identity, emphasizing the question, “Where do I belong?”
The musical, titled “Colors in My Bedroom,” follows the journey of a boy named Henry and his three best friends as they attempt to make sense of the world around them — a world seemingly turned on its head due to the pandemic, social upheaval, political instability, and isolation.
On July 19, “Colors in My Bedroom” will premiere at the Old Stone House in Park Slope, with a full cast including Cantone himself.
When Cantone approached John McEneny with this concept, McEneny “was blown away”. The longtime artistic director of Piper Theater Productions — a theater program that introduces young people to the art and provides opportunities for emerging artists like Cantone to showcase their talents — McEneny said he felt it was “extraordinary seeing a person trying to make sense of his childhood” through the lens of community and identity.
Cantone has played a number of roles in McEneny’s productions over the years and is now a part of Piper Theater’s new advanced theater program, which works with 15-16 years olds for eight hours each day in their rehearsal space in Chinatown. McEneny says Joshua “is unlike any 16-year-old… he’s committed and hardworking,” writing the music lyrics and book for the entire production.
Reflecting on his experience, Cantone expressed excitement about being a part of something that he has worked on for so long. While he is “super nervous to put himself out there,” he said, seeing it coming to life — especially with some of his best friends — “has been amazing.”
“Colors in My Bedroom” will be performed on Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at the Old Stone House located in Washington Park, 336 Third St. Park Slope.
