“Summer of Love,” a new original musical from sibling producer duo Robyn and Donald Rosenfeld, has found its writer. Ben Fong-Torres, known for his journalistic work at Rolling Stone magazine, has signed on to pen the book for the show, which is partly inspired by his time living in 1960s San Francisco.
“I was surprised, to put it mildly, but also thrilled to hear from the Rosenfelds, and surprised to be asked to write a musical,” Fong-Torres said. “I thought they must’ve been high.”
No stranger to writing, Fong-Torres made a name for himself covering high-profile music events, including controversial concerts at the Fillmore and various rock festivals during a decade marked by conflict and activism. He was also a senior editor at the magazine for years, and his no-nonsense style is famously depicted in Cameron Crowe’s loosely autobiographical 2000 film “Almost Famous” (Fong-Torres edited many of Crowe’s pieces).
“I have enjoyed reading Ben’s truly inspired rock and roll writings for four decades,” Donald Rosenfeld said. “He is a witness as well as active participant in the counterculture of late 1960s America. I can think of no better voice to bring our musical home.”
Though Fong-Torres will serve as the principal non-music writer, the Rosenfelds are on the search for a musician to collaborate with Torres as they develop the show’s songs.
“Lieber and Stoller, Mann and Weill, Goffin and King, Lennon and McCartney and Bob Dylan inspired me to write songs,” Fong-Torres said. “But, only for fun. This is an exciting new challenge.”
