Two songs from Five Minutes On The Low Road were performed at Nautilus Music-Theater’s Rough Cuts program in St. Paul — and nearly 50 people showed up despite a March blizzard. This is Minnesota. We don’t cancel for snow.

Soprano Norah Long performed “Best for Her” and “This Side of Tomorrow,” with Josh Row (tenor) and Jake Endres (baritone). Josiah Thomas Turner (librettist) and I were coaching the performers in real time during Monday’s open rehearsal — a rare window into how new musical theater gets built. By Tuesday’s show, the pieces had been shaped and sharpened.

Charlie Betz (composer), Josiah Thomas Turner (librettist), Josh Row (tenor), Jake Endres (baritone), Norah Long (soprano)

Four of us from the New Musical Theater Exchange had material featured — Robert Elhai, Ben Larson, Brenda Varda, and myself. Full writeup on the NMTE site.

The consensus among everyone involved: one of the best Rough Cuts in memory. Musical direction by Sonja Thompson.