Two love stories between Chinese American and Polish American men haunt the same Montana ranch house — one century apart.
Written by Mel Hornyak (book, lyrics) and Elliot Valentine (book, music)
The Story: GHOST STORY is a supernatural Western romance musical. When a gay couple spends the summer in Montana, they haunt and are haunted by two cowboy lovers who lived there a hundred years earlier. Amid mountain wildfires, sun-bleached bones, and the timeless desire to rewrite history, this introspective chamber musical explores queer ancestry, immigrant identity, and masculinity in the American West.
The Motivation: Exploring history and the concept of “queer ancestors,” while confronting the fact that the queer history we know is often both sparse and negative. Sometimes all we know about the historical figures we claim as our queer ancestors are their worst days – when they were arrested, scrutinized, or accused based on their gender and sexual orientation. I wanted to write about trying to find solace within these stories without making the past seem wholly good or wholly bad.
Awards
Finalist, Live and In Color New Musical Development Program, 2024
Open AIR Residency Recipient, Summer 2024
Semifinalist, Life and In Color New Musical Development Program, 2023
Production History
July 2024 – Concert Reading
Historic Clark Chateau
OpenAIR Montana
Directed by Jackie Vetter
Mel Hornyak 