“Hit the Sky,” a song released just last week, is the latest project by Wilton High School graduate Rebecca Nisco. She worked with collaborators spanning from Wilton and New York to London and San Francisco to create a live action/animated music video for the song to introduce her new musical Like Cinders, a modern-day Cinderella story that delves a bit further into more current societal issues.
Both Nisco and her writing partner Lindsay Kennedy became fascinated with challenging the original Cinderella narrative — the well-known journey from poverty to wealth, marrying the ideal partner, and escaping hardship. Moving beyond the boundaries of a traditional fairy tale, they began exploring how this narrative persists and unfolds today with those in need of a way out of their circumstances.
Nisco, a graduate student who studied film, and Kennedy, an award-winning lyricist and music educator, found the inspiration for the song “Hit the Sky” by asking a simple question: What if Cinderella pursued the prince not for love but to escape poverty?
“Rebecca came to me, and at the time she was finishing up her Master’s degree overseas, and she was thinking a lot about her degree in film music. She said that she would really love to create a portfolio of new songs, so it all sort of started around that,” Kennedy said.
The duo envisioned a Cinderella who wasn’t just seeking love but actively challenging societal norms, a concept that became “Hit the Sky”‘s foundation.
The creative process unfolded over a year as they meticulously crafted a song that would carry the weight of the entire narrative.
“That was the longest time it’s ever taken us to write a song,” said Nisco. The pressure was immense as they aimed to encapsulate the entire story within a single, impactful composition.
Caitlin Witty performs in “Hit the Sky” in a moment that changes from live to animated. Credit: "Hit the Sky" 
Behind-the-scenes shot of Caitlin Witty recording “Hit the Sky” Credit: contributed/Rebecca Nisco 
Official poster for Hit the Sky Credit: contributed/Rebecca Nisco 
Caitlin Witty performs in “Hit the Sky” in a moment that changes from live to animated. Credit: "Hit the Sky"
“To me, ‘Hit the Sky’ is a song about encouraging oneself to follow your dreams; as our character Cinna sings, ‘If you dream big your feet just follow.'”
The project’s evolution mirrored the songwriting process, with the story of Like Cinders and “Hit the Sky” growing and influencing each other simultaneously. “I needed to build up more of the context to be able to feel like my lyrics were successfully telling the story because otherwise, I didn’t know what story my lyrics were supposed to tell.” Kennedy said.
The story, however, doesn’t conclude with a ‘traditional fairytale ‘happily ever after’ wedding.
“The wedding is the end of the first act. By the time we get to the second act, it’s very clear that this wedding is not going to play out fairytale-like,” Nisco explained. The musical aims to depict the complexities that arise after the happily ever after, shedding light on the continuing challenges that emerge.
The project’s collaborative spirit extended beyond the duo, involving artists from various corners of the world. Nisco had one particular singer and actress in mind to star as the live-action version of Cinna in the music video: her friend and fellow WHS graduate Caitlin Witty. The music video blends that live action with animation set to Witty’s vocals — and has even more of a Wilton connection: the live action portion was shot at the Wilton Playshop.
At one point during the early creative collaboration with Kennedy, Nisco was hired for her dream job, working at Pixar Animation Studios on the music and sound editing team.
The contacts she made helped the duo find a cinematographer and animator, selected from San Francisco and London.
“I think Lindsay and I are both deeply collaborative people. And I think what was really great is that we were not only working with such skilled and credible artists, but they are all friends and people that I knew,” Nisco said.
Nearly three years after first pitching the idea of a live action-animated music video inspired by the animated movie musicals from her childhood, Nisco saw her dream take shape.
The musical explores themes of aspiration, sacrifice, and societal change with a narrative that delves into economic disparities, evident in real life especially since the pandemic. Kennedy, also an educator, often witnesses those educational gaps accentuated by socioeconomic factors.
The concept has been well received. “Hit the Sky” was recently named a semifinalist at the O’Neil National Musical Theater Conference.
The project received another boost when it secured the Connecticut Artists Response grant. “The grant took such a relief off my shoulders. And the grant also was nice because it supports art that responds to social issues,” Nisco said. This grant not only provided financial support but also aligned with the project’s mission to address economic disparities.
The grant also extended to equitable compensation for all individuals involved, enabling each team member to be paid more equitably for their contributions to the video. The financial backing also allowed the team to focus on the creative aspects without compromising on the quality of the production.
Kennedy and Nisco are committed to further developing Like Cinders, for future productions. In the spirit of community engagement, Nisco plans to conduct workshops in Connecticut, sharing the journey of creating “Hit the Sky” and encouraging aspiring artists to pursue their dream projects.