New Musical 'Futurity' Explores Technology, Science Fiction

March 19, 2012 12:00 AM " Debates over the virtues of technology in our lives isn’t reserved for contemporary times—the mid-19th century was rife with struggles as people tried to adapt to life with steam power and other technologies. “Futurity: A Musical by The Lisps”, a new musical premiering at A.R.T. this month, explores technology, science fiction, and imagination during the Civil War.

In “Futurity”, Union Civil War soldier Julian Munro teams up with Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron and science genius, to create a steam-powered brain. The pair attempts to develop a machine that would be smart enough to solve humanity’s problems, like ending the war and achieving peace. Cesar Alvarez, the lead singer of The Lisps, recently talked with CBSBoston about the musical, the text of which he penned with Molly Rice.

CBSBoston : What inspired the musical?

Cesar Alvarez: My band has been playing together since 2005, and our work has a lot to do with old Americana. We use old American forms like vaudeville and folk music to tell contemporary stories. In 2007, I was taking a trip down South, where I’m from (I’m from North Carolina), and I was driving through Virginia thinking about the Civil War "

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