FOR THE RECORD
A New Musical About Adoption, Identity and Truth
Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard Uhrlaub
Featured Songs
Vocals
Michelle Bort, Angela Parrish, Marcello Vieira
Arrangement and Vocals
Orchestration and Sound Engineering
About
The Story
An unexpected pregnancy thrusts teen lovers into the stark arena of adult realities in the fall of 1967. An infertile married couple longs to become parents via a system rooted in secrecy and shame. A beloved baby must grow up severed from roots and forced to navigate seemingly insurmountable obstacles in attempts to discover their full identity as an adult.
Emotions run high, but the potential human stakes are even higher. For the Record is based on the little-known true stories lived by millions of adoptees and their families by birth and adoption in the last half of the 20th Century - a time dubbed "the Baby Scoop Era."
Sneak Preview Reaction
"Testify" is a Hit!
The gospel-style activism anthem inspired attendees at the Untangling Our Roots Summit to put their hands in the air and move to the irresistible beat. After the enthusiastic applause subsided, hands quickly went back up when a crowd of some 150 people were asked how many would buy a ticket to see the musical. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and support!
Thank you, readers!
On May 30, 2023 a wonderful group of volunteers came together to do the first cold read of For the Record. They brought characters to life, offered insight and critique, and left their hearts - and more than a few tears - on the table. It was magical and powerful. And there was plenty of comfort food on hand to get us through the night.
Rich Uhrlaub
Relinquished and adopted shortly after birth, Rich had his first piano lesson at age five when, after washing the dinner dishes, his adoptive mother asked, "Who wants to learn to play the piano?" Rich has been a volunteer leader in the adoption search, support and advocacy community for over twenty years. This project is born of that passion.
Some 1.5 million babies were relinquished for adoption in the post-WWII era, a time when secrecy, shame and sealed records dominated the process. But as adoptees came of age, they wanted answers to life's three biggest questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Some had the audacity to challenge the system in a grassroots movement for truth and transparency.
"Much is at stake as the adoption experience reverberates throughout (adoptees') lives and
influences them and the people they come into contact with in very fundamental ways." - Rafael Javier, Ph.D. in Handbook of Adoption.
Contact: ftrmusical@gmail.com