‘The Kid Who Would Be Pope’
Jack Megan was making his way across Harvard’s campus on a bitter January afternoon in 2013 when his brother Tom called, desperate to read him a letter. Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim had written to say that their musical had just won the Richard Rodgers Award for emerging theatrical talent. Megan, the director of Harvard’s Office for the Arts (OFA), didn’t believe a word. “I thought he was joking,” he said, “so I made him fax me a copy of the letter when I got back to the office.” It still seemed surreal several months later as the composing and writing team waited on a New York City stage surrounded by arts luminaries to receive their award from actress Meryl Streep for their touching and humorous coming-of-age musical, “The Kid Who Would Be Pope.” (The show follows the life of Billy, a Catholic schoolboy who falls for his enchanting new drama teacher, Sister...