Louisiana native Denise Gallagher was born in New Orleans and is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is a graphic designer, illustrator and author of children’s books. She has written two picture books and is busy working on even more. Gallagher is proud to be a part of the Teaching Artist Program from the Acadiana Center for the Arts, teaching lessons about art and literature to students throughout Lafayette Parish.
She loves to share her passion for books and art and has participated in readings and speaking events for numerous audiences in schools, libraries and book festivals. Also a visual artist, Gallagher’s fine art has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Indianapolis and throughout Louisiana.
“A Tip Tap Tale: The Musical!” is Denise’s first foray into theater writing and production.
Louisiana native, Denise Gallagher was born in New Orleans and is a graduate of UL Lafayette. She is a graphic designer, illustrator and author of children’s books.
Can you tell us about your book, A Tip Tap Tale, which was created into a children’s musical?
I always had the dream of writing and illustrating for children, so I wrote “A Tip Tap Tale” as something to practice illustrating a picture book. In 2016, the book was published with UL University Press after working with Barry Ancelet — a folklorist here who collected a Cajun folk tale and was looking for an illustrator.
“A Tip Tap Tale” follows a hound dog, BouZou, who lives in the swamp and loves to play music. The crawfish, egrets, frogs and all the animals love him, but Slick Jim Jack, a cat from New Orleans, comes to ask him to play in the big city.
BouZou gets a gold guitar, a Cadillac, and he’s on stage with all these fancy dogs and cats in the big city. Everyone is enjoying the show until a flea bites him. He drops his guitar and starts to scratch the fleas. He goes back to the swamp and starts to bounce between the swamp and the city with the help of Flea be Gone — a flea powder that he brings with him.
What was the process in developing the book into a musical?
Fast forward to last fall, a friend of mine suggested my name to Alison Brandon, who owns Wonderland Performing Arts in Lafayette. We met for coffee to talk about the Art Smart Grant — which is given by the Acadiana Center for the Arts and funded by Lafayette Economic Development Authority and National Endowment for the Arts — because she wanted to apply. I brought a copy of “A Tip Tap Tale,” and Alison thought it would make a great musical.
I always had this tiny dream, but I didn’t think it was a realistic dream, to see my book produced on a stage on a larger scale. Alison suggested that I apply for the Art Smart Grant too, so I did, and I got it. I was able to hire Alison with the grant money, and I rewrote the picture book as a theatrical performance.
I did a lot of research — watched everything from Junie B. Jones to Chicago — wrote music, scenes and dialogue. I hired a lighting director, set designers, costume designers and a music director. The grant allowed me to hire a team, which was another way of pushing me outside of my comfort zone.
The Art Smart Grant is the reason why the musical exists — to bring artists together and to push artists outside of their comfort zones to create something that’s bigger or in a different vein than what they’re used to working in.
Artist Denise Gallagher talks about her work during the opening of an exhibit of local artists whose work is featured at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on Thursday, June 9, 2023, in downtown Lafayette. AcA has invited artists to respond to the theme of “Cur Non” in order to envision what may come in the next 200 years here in Lafayette Parish and the City of Lafayette.
What is the importance in doing things outside of your comfort zone?
Doing so teaches you that you can do it. You learn that there are different sides of you.
I wanted to make sure that my team had everything they needed, so I was really focused on the details — and I didn’t really know that about myself until the musical. Then, people have something else to be proud of. I learned that I have the capability to do something that I didn’t think was possible.
Like I mentioned, creating a children’s book was a dream — it was really more like a whisper, but now it’s true.
How do you think art creates solutions, whether that’s through music, theater or visual arts?
This musical brought kids together who didn’t know each other, and it was a very diverse collection of kids ages 8-13. While they didn’t know each other, they had to work together and follow direction. Some of the kids had never been in a play before, so they didn’t know what to expect, but they loved it.
The kids also had to audition, which gave them confidence because they were chosen to do this part. Being chosen, they took it very seriously.
Some of the moms came to me afterward and said that, in school, the kids are expected to behave a certain way and not be so big and loud. But in this camp, they were excited that they were expected to dance, sing, be loud and over the top.
The musical brought the opportunity to students who may not have had the opportunity before, and it made art accessible and attainable for these children.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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