LOBBY PROJECT

“We set ourselves up for the detestable with an accessory that’s too accessible.”

In July 2017 Jess was a winner of the New York City Center’s ‘Lobby Project’ Song Writing Competition, for which he wrote an original song inspired by ‘The Gun Song’ of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’. The song, ‘All You Have to Do’ takes a contemporary look at gun violence, its impact on society and explores what continually compels people to commit disastrous acts of violence over time.

Jess performed the song with vocalist Jake Fehily before performances of the ‘Assassins’ revival at New York City Center. On closing night the song was performed before Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman.