Nathan Tysen, a graduate of the theatre and dance department, has written lyrics for the upcoming stage musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, the popular 1975 children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt. In Tuck Everlasting, young Winnie Foster befriends the Tuck family, who gained eternal life after drinking from a spring near her house. Producers announced in March that the musical will make its pre-Broadway debut at Boston’s Colonial Theatre in June 2013. Tysen and longtime collaborator Chris Miller wrote the lyrics and music and Tony Award-nominated playwright Claudia Shear wrote the book. Casey Nicholaw, Tony Award-winning director-choreographer, will stage the musical. More information about cast and production crew will be available as the debut approaches.

Tysen received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Missouri State University and his Master of Fine Arts in musical theatre writing from New York University. With composer Chris Miller, Tysen has worked on several other projects. These include the musical The Burnt Part Boys, which was nominated for the 2011 Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Musical; Fugitive Songs, a song cycle which received a 2008 Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Revue; and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book, which was a Top Ten Pick of 2008 by the Boston Globe. Miller and Tysen have also created songs for “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company.” Learn more about their work at http://www.millerandtysen.com.