Veronica Mansour, who was once inspired by the music of Jonathan Larson '82, is now part of his lasting legacy as the winner of a Jonathan Larson Grant and a performer in the Larson Legacy Concert Series.
Composer, lyricist and artist Veronica Mansour remembers the first time she listened to the heart-wrenching song “Without You” from Jonathan Larson ’82’s seminal rock musical, RENT. “I was completely gobsmacked and brought to tears,” she said. “Larson is truly a one-of-a-kind writer and we are all so lucky to get to experience his work.”
Mansour was principal cellist of the University of Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra and has performed Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. Photo credit: Cathryn Farnsworth
Now a musical theater star in her own right, Mansour is part of Larson’s legacy. A winner of a 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant from the American Theatre Wing, she came to Adelphi at the end of January to perform her own music in the 2024–2025 Larson Legacy Concert Series at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center.
Mansour is just one of the young stars—including Michael R. Jackson, Max Vernon, Zoe Sarnak, Larry Owens and Benjamin Velez—who have appeared in Larson Legacy Concerts since their inception in 2015. Their performances highlight the impact that Larson—the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, lyricist and playwright who graduated from Adelphi’s theatre program in 1982—continues to have on artists today.
“I had the time to push myself as a writer”
Larson knew about the importance—and scarcity—of time to an artist. His autobiographical musical, tick, tick… BOOM! traces the life of an aspiring composer as he struggles to achieve success before his 30th birthday.
Now the Jonathan Larson Grant, established by his family in 1996, the year of Larson’s untimely death, has provided musical theater artists like Mansour with this most valuable resource—time—to help them build their careers and pursue their goals.
“Being a writer in New York City can be very financially difficult, especially when taking opportunities like residencies and workshops (which are amazing!) can hinder you from taking on a full-time position,” said Mansour, who is also a 2024 Richard Rodgers Award winner, Dramatists Guild Fellow and recent nominee for a Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award. “Thanks to the Larson Grant, I had the time to push myself as a writer and the bandwidth to do so. It allowed me to work as a composer full time last year, and I was able to grow so much artistically because of that.”
Mansour is no stranger to success, having been selected for the DreamWorks Theatricals, MTI & NBC Universal Emerging Writers Program and winning the 2023 Write Out Loud Project contest for her song “Runaway Girl,” performed by Jessica Vosk, written with playwright and lyricist abs wilson. Mansour has also served as the principal cellist of the University of Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra and a selected cellist in the 2016 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, performing at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California.
A legacy concert to remember
Mansour highlighted work from her musical The Dark Lady in her concert at Adelphi. Written in collaboration with the lyricist and librettist Sophie Boyce, the musical tells the story of 16th-century feminist poet Emilia Bassano, who some believe to be the subject of Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” sonnets. Mansour also performed work from her musical Lighthouse, a pop-country musical she wrote with abs wilson.
“Being part of the Larson Legacy Concert Series at Adelphi was such a rewarding experience,” Mansour said. “Everyone was so supportive, and it was such a great way to get to showcase some of my work and honor Jonathan Larson.”