Holly Doubet, once a backup singer for Frank Sinatra, is a composer who is now a playwright. Now immersed in writing, Doubet must relive her Hawaiian vacation that turned into a deafening experience, one that she will remember every day as she pictures the missile alert on her cell phone, which brought panic to the community. Doubet’s 38 Minutes has caught the world by its hem as Doubet has been announced as the Donald Fowler Theater Arts Memorial Fund recipient.
The fund, named after the late Donald Robert Fowler, who was a loving member of the North Texas theater community, honors the Dallas artist who passed away in May of last year. The fund aims to provide support to artists living in Dallas with their ongoing projects, musicals, and plays. The 2021 grant amount of $5,000 will assist artists in the early creative processes of theatrical creation. An alum of University of North Texas and Texas Tech University, Fowler was a brother, uncle, and dedicated member of the arts community. Fowler’s theatrical roster includes many main stage performances at the Watertower Theater, Uptown Stage, ICT Main Stage, Irving Arts Theater, Echo Theater and more. His spirit as a writer, composer, and actor contributed to many collaborations in the North Texas art scene was omnipresent during his life which led to the posthumous dedication of the fund.
Produced and finished at the beginning of the pandemic, Doubet’s 38 Minutes resembles many of the emotions a person lives through in a time of uncertainty. The musical follows the events of a day in January 2018 where Hawaiian citizens received the following emergency alert: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” For the next 38 minutes, citizens’ lives were uprooted, and chaos and fear ensued. As the timelines of characters are explored, the musical follows how each reacts to panic and emergencies. Doubet, who experienced the life-altering day, brings the events to a dramatic conclusion while maintaining a comedic atmosphere through the lyrics and composition. Many of the characters are based off stories retold to Doubet through and vivid recollections of how 38 minutes changed their lives. “I called my sons on the mainland and told them goodbye,” Doubet says, looking back at the blurry moments of that day.
In a fraught seek for shelter, Doubet and many of the characters reckon with what might have been if the missile alert was real. Over a course of under forty minutes, sons were called, flights were canceled, and loved ones were kissed for what they thought would be the last time.
The musical offers the audience an intimate opportunity to understand the event that occurred on an island off of mainland Hawaii. Through song and choreography, the audience is sure to empathize with the characters as well as Doubet. “During those 38 minutes, I quietly thought about the remarkable journey of my own life and felt resolved and at peace,” Doubet says. “In the show, the characters consider their lives, try to help each other survive, and when the alert is retracted, move forward from this extraordinary morning with an altered purpose and a deeper love for each other and for all those whose lives they will now touch.”
“This grant is an amazing affirmation that my musical instincts were pointed in the right direction,” Doubet shares. “Bringing something as huge as a Broadway show from conception to a successful stage run can be a bit of an enigma, as there is no prescribed path to follow,” Doubet says.
Born at Baylor Hospital, and a self-proclaimed “Dallasite” Doubet recalls the importance of music in her life, and what led her to write and compose 38 Minutes. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Doubet carries a breadth to her musicality, having studied classical piano. Having grown up in both Texas and Europe due to her mother’s opera career, singing and music were an integral part of Doubet’s life. A vast career, one that led her to Los Angeles for twenty years, Doubet lived all over the globe. She says that Dallas is where she belongs, however. “I moved back to Dallas to raise my sons and have been very happy here since. Our city boasts a perfect blend of amazing support for the arts,” she says. – By Kit Freeman
What plays has Ms. Doubet had on Broadway? I’ve searched but found nothing. Has she had a production on Broadway? If she hasn’t, then how is she a “Broadway” playwright?