Content warning: This article contains references to eating disorders. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Hotline at 1-866-662-1235.

During the quiet chaos of the pandemic, Jessica Korobkin ’27 channeled her emotions and personal struggles into songwriting, crafting a poignant musical, “Fading In,” that explores the complexities of eating disorders. Motivated by witnessing a friend’s struggle with an eating disorder and feeling unable to help, Korobkin transformed late-night melodies into a compelling narrative centered around Katie, a recent high school graduate headed to art school in New York. 

Korobkin wrote the musical during her junior year of high school in 2022. It premiered at her high school her senior year. Korobkin herself played Katie. Now, she is collaborating with the Stanford Light Opera Company to bring the show to the Stanford community. “Fading In” will run at Stanford’s Pigott Theater Feb. 27 and 28, and tickets can be purchased here. 

“There’s not a musical on mainstream Broadway, or really anything that I’ve seen that actually delves into the themes of eating disorders. That’s crazy to me because it’s such a huge problem not just in our country, but globally,” Korobkin said. 

In the musical, Katie comes to terms with her sister’s death from an eating disorder, while at the same time, her roommate Avery battles a similar disease. Avery is also navigating the stress of being a struggling actress in a big city. 

Nala Monet-Hamilton ’28, who plays Avery, expressed her excitement about participating in an original musical. Hamilton described how she emotionally connected to the character’s theater experience.

“If it was like a mathematician, they would be like, ‘That problem that you did was wrong,’ but for theater, it’s like, ‘You’re wrong, you’re not what we’re looking for. The way you look is not what we’re looking for.’ It’s a lot more personal,” Monet-Hamilton said. “Trying to get into that headspace for [Avery] was really nice to experience.” 

Korobkin explained that while she has fortunately never known anyone who passed away from an eating disorder, she wanted “Fading In” to convey the magnitude of the issue. She also found it important to center the musical on Katie, who doesn’t have an eating disorder, because Korobkin has also not faced this struggle personally. 

“I’m kind of like Katie in a way, where I have been really close to people who have and didn’t know how to navigate that,” Korobkin said. 

“The call to the audience is to not ignore these people who have suffered and recognize that, and hopefully we do better as a society to not make this topic so taboo, to discuss it, to support people who are suffering,” Korobkin said.

Music director and composer Lucy Chen ‘27 started working with Korobkin on “Fading In” last spring. While composing for the musical, she considered which sounds would complement and enhance each song’s message. As rehearsals began this quarter, she found the process surprisingly flexible.  

“When I first started working on the songs, I was like… ‘Everything I write down is set in stone,’” Chen said. “But I realized that once we started working with the actual cast, people [are] like, ‘Oh, can I have this transposed?’ ‘Can we actually take out this part, or this person wants to do this instead?’ And I think that shows how alive the work of art is.” 

Compared to the first version of the show, which included fictional stories based on Korobkin’s research, this rendition includes real-life quotes and stories, including from a prima ballerina, a man sharing his story on an eating disorder forum to help others and a woman who described her path to recovery incredibly poetically, according to Korobkin. The musical also changed from solely using piano to incorporating a five-piece orchestra. 

“Art will be controversial,” Korobkin said. “I’m sure some people will not like it… we’re going to have a trigger warning for people who might be very sensitive, and I think the show is not for those people.”

She also said that while everyone is welcome to watch the show, “Fading In” has a target audience as well. 

“The show is really for people who are on the periphery and not really sure how to help their loved one,” Korobkin said.

“[Fading In] really addresses the issue [of eating disorders] and acknowledges it, but also brings a lightness and hope,” Monet-Hamilton said, referring to the comedic moments incorporated throughout the show. 

According to Korobkin, two Stanford faculty members with expert knowledge of eating disorders reviewed the show to ensure all of the material was as sensitive and accurate as possible. Korobkin hopes the musical will foster more open conversations about eating disorders and help people recognize warning signs that someone might be struggling. 

“I hope we’ll have more open dialogue about this topic,” Korobkin said. “I hope people will be talking about it. Even if people are like, ‘I really didn’t like this; that was a lot,’ at least we’re talking about [an] issue that, in a way, I think currently gets swept under the rug.”