The University of Connecticut offers its students plenty of ways to get involved. Many might do research, some teach and others pursue internships. Or, in the case of Maya Bullied, a fifth-semester music and English dual degree student, you get to write and perform your own musical.
Bullied wrote, composed and performed the musical “Moments Between” as a project for the Caxide Scholars Program, which rewards second-year students with funding for their own projects. On Oct. 26, Bullied performed the musical alongside seven other students at the von der Mehden Recital Hall.
“Moments Between” was a sung-through musical, with the entire show set to song. It consisted of two main characters, Mary and Tom, a narrator and four ensemble members. The performers stood alongside each other on the stage and were accompanied by a piano. The show was about half an hour long.
The musical began with the narrator calling out to the audience, talking about the futility and unrealistic conclusions of happy endings. She offered the audience the challenging refrain, “Do you want another story?” saying that this show would not end in a traditional, gratifying way.
The musical follows Mary, performed by Bullied, and Tom, performed by music education major Anthony Martini, two young adults living in New York City. They have a chance encounter in a cafe, beginning with an awkward “hello” on both ends. Upon more meetings, they quickly fall for each other. Mary lets him know that she will eventually have to leave, but they decide to enjoy their time together while they can.
The writing and performance sold their affection for one another, though it might seem a bit stereotypical. However, Bullied said this was intentional, trying to make the romance seem “a little cliché, like a good romcom.”
Eventually, Mary gets offered a job position in Boston, which threatens her future of living with Tom. When Tom hears a rumor of her leaving, they end up fighting, with him asking her to marry him and stay, and Mary asking that he move with her instead.
After some disagreement, they decide to pursue their own paths, each realizing that their current trajectories are not compatible with one another. For a moment, it seems like the musical will end on a solemn “goodbye,” contrasting with how the characters first met.
But before the show finished, the narrator jumped back in, talking about how nothing lasts forever, and therefore, you should accept farewells and appreciate the shared experiences leading up to them. Mary and Tom then exchanged one last “hello,” signaling that there will be more opportunities to meet people in their future.
“While the show tells the story of their relationship, it is not really about them as a couple, but rather the larger message of living in the moments between,” Bullied said.
Bullied said that she started writing the musical in December 2024, with a theme in mind and crafting the plot around it. She focused on the general plot and structural elements at the start and spent the summer working on the show’s musical compositions. She drew inspiration from stories with unhappy endings that she still found fulfilling.
“I found myself in constant defense of artwork that does not have a happy ending, for example ‘La La Land’ and ‘Mrs. Dalloway,’” Bullied said. “I have always thought that complicated endings are really beautiful and more closely mimic reality.”
Despite the performers standing in the same place, the musical was very engaging, with compelling musical performances from everyone involved. Bullied and Martini made good use of facial expressions and body language to add depth and emotion to their characters.
There were a few moments where the ensemble voiced and exchanged the internal thoughts of Mary and Tom, leading to a harmonized dialogue about their true intentions. While most of the performance was musical, there were times when someone would break from the expected cadence or singing style for comedic effect.
Emma Daggett, a first-semester music education major, came to support her friend and said the musical left a lot of creative interpretation for the viewer.
“It reframed how we think about a musical because the format was different than what I expected,” Daggett said.
Raven Dest, a seventh-semester music education major, attended “Moments Between” to expose herself to different kinds of art and support student-led work. She said the show did a good job showing that unhappy endings can be valuable.
“It was really sweet how the message of the story was that you need to find joy in the small things in life. It’s not always about things ending,” Dest said. “There’s some meaning to be found in endings.”
Bullied said the process of writing “Moments Between” was a solitary one, where she worked through the process alongside her piano. She said that this made the final result all the more fulfilling.
“My favorite part of the whole experience was getting to hear the music on everyone’s voices,” Bullied said. “The cast was wonderful at bringing the music in my head off the page and it was completely surreal.”