Theo Bleckmann - The Parsonage

2023 release

There are millions of tales to be told of life in New York City. In every neighborhood, there are buildings that have witnessed generations of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations utilizing their communal spaces. The inconspicuous townhouse that sits at 64 East Seventh Street in the East Village conceals a hidden history that truly shows the changes of it's famous neighborhood over the building's 150 years of existence.

Writer/lyricist David Hajdu discovered the legacy of 64 East Seventh when the East Village was applying for the status as a historical district in New York City. (The East Village/Lower East Side Historic District was created by The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in October 2012.) Spellbound by the stories of the former occupants that he uncovered, Hajdu composed lyrics to a song cycle about the building, which he then entrusted to the capable hands of select composers and performers to bring to life as The Parsonage.