It's Broadway or bust for a group of locals. They spent today rehearsing for the world premiere of "Tumbleweed Connection", a musical that mixes the songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin with a story of war, duty and betrayal.

KSBY Santa Barbara talked to the writer of the show who hopes to bring the show all the way to the Big Apple, New York City.

This rehearsal is more than two decades in the making. "I wrote the first draft of this show 25 years ago when I was 17-years-old."

Back then, Chris Kahn was a senior at San Luis Obispo High School. He now lives in Los Angeles but decided the Central Coast was the perfect place for the world premiere of "Tumbleweed Connection". "When I came up here and saw some of the productions that were being done here, and work was being done by this creative community, I figured it would be a good place to start the process of the musical."

Kahn hopes that process will end in a grand finale on Broadway, and he's invited some big names to help make that happen. "Elton John's been invited, Bernie Taupin has been invited, a number of celebrities that I know from Los Angeles."

But the real stars are Kahn's family. Four of his sisters are cast in the show. "Oh my gosh, I could not be more proud. I think I am my brother's biggest fan and so it's about time I get to be a part of something he's been working on," said sister Karen Kahn Pearson.

One family member isn't able to attend the show, but is the heart and soul behind every note. Kahn's mother recently passed away. "So many people involved in this program knew my mother very well. She was very supportive of this community, and of this group of people in particular, and I know that they'll be performing with her in their hearts," said Chris. "This is definitely for our mom, we know that she's here every single second," said Karen.

Bringing "Tumbleweed Connection" to life has been a long and sometimes difficult road. But for the cast and crew of this musical the journey is just beginning. The show opens on October 19, 2007 at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande.

For ticket information, click here to go to the Clark Center website.

Back to Headlines