This page shows the information that will be used to generate the special webpage for your musical. Remember that producers will be able to see this information, so make sure that it is accurate and complete prior to the Pitch Panel week.

If you need to add/edit/update any of this information, just click the "EDIT YOUR MUSICAL" link at the bottom of this page.

---

YOUR LOGO:

TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Alan Turing & the Queen of the Night

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     book and lyrics by Michael Vegas Mussman, music and lyrics by Payton Millet


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Check out @TuringAndQueen on Instagram! ALAN TURING & THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT is a queer fantasy. It’s about love, friendship, and inspiration. Our story follows the genius who invented the computer and the woman he idolized. Think CHESS meets EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH meets HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Right now the arts and culture are under attack. We need heroes to rebel against the powers that be. Alan Turing was a fighter who refused to be quiet and who was willing to pay the ultimate price for living out loud. Our musical is a celebration of him. Instead of a nerdy introvert with a calculator, we present a truly shameless, defiant hero. So here’s the story. Young Alan Turing falls madly in love with another boy at boarding school. When that boy suddenly dies, young Turing is devestated. But he forms a beautiful friendship with the mother of his lost love, an eccentric older woman named Mrs Morcom. And in Turing’s grief and fevered imagination, he believes that Mrs Morcom is really the Queen of the Night -- yes that Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Magic Flute. Her example of perseverance inspires Turing to create the world’s first computer, which he uses to crack the Nazis’ Enigma Code, helping the British to win the war. The cast comprises eight performers, three men, four women, and one nonbinary person. Run time is just under two hours with intermission. Two acts with a grand total of 21 musical numbers (including the overture and dream ballet) all of which are original, packed with quotes from Mozart’s opera.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     October 2022 - Zoom reading January 2024 - concert reading May 2025 - concert @ 54 Below (tickets: 54Below.org/AlanTuring) August 2025 - workshop premiere @ Players Theatre


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Michael Vegas Mussman is a playwright, librettist, and theatermaker. He wrote the libretto for BRUNCH WITH THE BOYS, which won Best Ensemble at the Capital Fringe 2023. That same year, San Diego Opera staged GHOSTS, a horror opera for which he wrote a libretto. He lives in Brooklyn. Payton Millet is a composer/lyricist based in Brooklyn. Completing their first musical at 15, they have contributed scores to seven shows to date. They have enjoyed recent success off-broadway with a festival production of HEARTBREAK COUNTY (book by Ramsay Burgess). Ongoing projects include music and lyrics for Season 2 of DON’T SUCK (a queer web series by Tyler Martin), the original score to JESUS OF SUBURBIA (a short film by Ciara Hergott), as well as an ever-growing pile of unfinished scores. When not writing musicals, Payton can be found leading Dungeons & Dragons groups at The Brooklyn Strategist where they are also an active participant in the Tabletop Workers Union.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     michael.vegas.mussman@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.alanturingandthequeenofthenight.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     All For A Song

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Libretto, words and music - Sandy Smolen


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     May, 1963, aspiring songwriter Bill Ralich, sends songs to Frank Sinatra, one of which catches Mr. Sinatra's attention, which brings Bill to the Sands Hotel when the Sands was "thee" place to be, especially when Sam, Dean, and Frank were there and Bill is there face to face with Dean, Sam, and Frank, as they sing and talk about the breaks and heartbreaks they faced ... where every moment with them Bill learns everything he needs to know to succeed, and then some.  From Dean he learns about the laughs, the timing, and how it all came together.  From Sam, there is the struggle he had to endure with segregation, and talent wise how he had to better his best.  And then there's Frank Sinatra.  Most know him as a singer / actor, but Bill sees him as a contradiction.  Frank jr. described his father as, "A man who never did the same thing once!"  In All For A Song the three entertainers function the way the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin-Man helped Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.  Similarly, because of them Bill learns to put the pieces together ... and that is what All For A Song is about.  


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     All For A Song received its premier at Chaffin's Barn in Nashville.  Shortly afterwards ASCAP's Michael Kirker, asked to hear the score and said,  "Thanks, it's good to hear strong  melodies."  Is the book and music ready for the public to see and hear?  It is with that thought that it was entered into the NMI competition to be found worthy.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Sandy was born in Chicago, to father, Dr. Adolph Smolen and mother, opera singer Mildred Gerber.  Musically, as soon as his voice changed he began singing lessons with esteemed vocal coach Harold Eisberg.  Career-wise his first job was at the Crown Room in Indianapolis.  He has worked practically every Playboy Club and appeared with an open ended contract at the Thunderbird Motel in Miami.  Sandy toured the country with the Sy Zentner orchestra.  And one of the biggest thrills of his life happened while appearing at the North Shore Club in Lake Tahoe, and that was being invited to the Cal-Neva Resort to sing for Mr. Sinatra, personally.  Mr. Sinatra appreciated musicianship above all and sent him to Reprise saying, "Tell them I sent you!"   Sandy received an A.A. degree from Loop Jr. College and his B.S. degree from Tennessee State University.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     sansong443@aol.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     http://Allforasong.net


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Black Dahlia

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book & Lyrics by Courtney Leigh Heins, Music by Courtney Leigh Heins & Mary Morales


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

In January of 1947, aspiring actress Elizabeth "Betty" Short is on the verge of stardom when she is found dead in an empty lot in South Los Angeles. Her rival Mallory Martinez picks up where Betty left off, taking over a coveted studio contract and enjoying fame and all of Hollywood’s what-ifs, but she is far from the only one with a motive in the unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia. When LAPD Detective Joe Fresno begins to question Betty's closest contacts, he embarks on a winding exploration of the social pressures, misogyny and racism of 1940s Hollywood.

Inspired by the stories of Raymond Chandler, the film noir of Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder, and the show-stopping musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Cole Porter, Black Dahlia intertwines historical true crime with a soaring big band score, and haunting ballads that will follow you home.

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     Black Dahlia was written in an 18-month musical writing workshop at the Songwriting School of Los Angeles, taught by Broadway and Motown veteran Bob Garrett. It was given virtual readings in August 2022 and February 2023 before undergoing several rewrites and dramaturgical review through Ken Davenport's Theatermakers mentorship program. All 19 songs have been orchestrated, arranged, and demoed. Courtney and Mary were honored to be 2024 O'Neill NMTC Semifinalists for Black Dahlia, and Courtney was honored to be a 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist based on this work. As a female songwriting team from Los Angeles telling the quintessential LA true crime story, we are looking for an opportunity to workshop this piece while building a strong creative team. We hope to attract producers who are as passionate about this story as we are, to help usher this show into production in Los Angeles, New York or beyond. Thank you for your consideration.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Courtney Leigh Heins (book, lyrics, music), a 2024 O'Neill NMTC Semifinalist and 2022 Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist, combines Americana music with compelling stories about life from the Heartland to Hollywood. Courtney has performed at SXSW, the Sundance Film Festival, Anchorage Folk Festival, The Abbey Theatre in Dublin and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. She has released four albums, with her title track "Bright Blue World" winning IMEA Country Song of the Year and earning her an invitation to perform on Park City TV with Adam Gaynor of Matchbox 20 and at Tapestry: A Day for Women, where she opened for keynote speaker Marilu Henner. In 2017, Courtney was honored with a music fellowship from Women in Film, Los Angeles. Her music has been featured on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and in over 60 television shows including “Dance Moms,” “Heartland,” Poland's "M Jak Milosc," and Amgen's Stand Up to Cancer campaign with Patrick Dempsey. Her songs have garnered over 1.5M YouTube streams and charted in Poland and Australia. Courtney earned a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in Theatre and English, and won the 1st annual BC playwriting award for her religious allegory "Feeding Sparrows." As a playwright, she has also workshopped and produced "The Adam & The Eve" and "Uncle John's Band.” Current musical works in progress include “Black Dahlia” and "The Root Beer Stand." Courtney is a member of SAG-AFTRA, NARAS, ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. She currently resides in Los Angeles.   Mary Morales (music), 2024 O'Neill NMTC Semifinalist, graduated with honors in theatre and music from Knox College and has gone on to work as a writer, composer, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist throughout the United States. She currently resides in Los Angeles, continuing to create and collaborate as a multi-faceted artist in the film, theatre, and music industry. Mary is the lyricist and co-composer at Throughline Music Production—built in 2016 with fellow co-founder and composer, Brenton Costa. Throughline’s music has been featured in Disney theme parks, as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime productions. They are currently orchestrating their first animated musical short, created by Costa with lyrics and music by Morales. Her first EP “Short Songs on Melancholy Longings” by My Friend Mary can be found across all streaming platforms, with her sophomore release “Hum” set to follow.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     cheins26@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://blackdahliathemusical.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     BLACK FRIDAY, The Musical!

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music, and Lyrics by Robyn Cage


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

"BLACK FRIDAY - The Musical!" a new musical satire. 

 

It's Black Friday in the not-too-distant future.

The bad news: There's a zombie apocalypse.

The good news: You're at Costco! *

*Or "ShopMo," for obvious legal reasons...

    This show has a cast of 7 actors, and the audience are the other ShopMo shoppers. They'll sing, dance, chant, and clap along, and participate in other unexpected ways throughout the show.   The show’s satirical themes are sweetened with a whip-smart script and biting humor (literally). There’s a deeper message, but it’s also just bloody good fun.   The score sounds like Lady Gaga meets Andrew Lloyd Webber. The music is infectious, with hook-laden songs backed by a rock band with 80s-inspired synth, updated with fresh and current electronic production. Imagine "Rocky Horror Show" or “Bat Boy, The Musical” meets Michael Jackson’s "Thriller," with an injection of Huxley's Brave New World.    

WARNING:  This show contains adult language, sexual content, nudity, violence, and drug use… All the fun stuff.

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Development

 

The show is finished (at least for now) with 2 acts and 23 songs. In Zoom readings, actors broke into fits of laughter, so that’s a good sign!

I've already secured two investors who have provided funding for demos and music arranging, and the recording process is well underway.   The next step will be a staged reading or workshop, to get the show on its feet in front of an audience. Beyond that, I’m looking for the right Shopper to buy into this show and help me bring it to life.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     robyn@robyncage.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.robyncage.com/blackfriday.html


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     For the Record(s)

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard Uhrlaub


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Drawn from decades of real-life stories of love, longing, loss - and the visceral human quest for identity, empowerment and connection - the original new musical For the Record(s) captures the little-known, sometimes poignant, sometimes unjust, sometimes humorous dynamics of relinquishment and adoption. FTR is a heartfelt, at times funny pop/rock/ballad/klezmer/salsa/blues/gospel-style musical with a diverse cast and timeless themes. For the Record(s) resonates with anyone who has lost or found family, and is bringing audiences to their feet, to tears, to laughter and together.  


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

  Here's a brief development history to date. PLEASE SEE THE WEBSITE HOMEPAGE FOR A DEMO REEL FROM THE STAGED READING:

• Song Showcase Cabaret/Concert Reading (New York, NY) - Currently casting, late summer date and location TBA.
• New Musicals,  Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) - Reading 11/18/24
• Celia Center Arts Festival, The Electric Lodge  (Venice, CA) -  Selected song performances 11/15/24
• Untangling Our Roots Summit, Hyatt Regency Denver/Aurora (Denver, CO) - Premiere staged reading before an audience of 150+ 4/26/24
• Musical Writers, Inc. (Dallas, TX) - Table reading, Pitch Night Winner  11/11/23
• Colorado New Musicals Festival, Broomfield Auditorium (Denver, CO) - Selected Finalist 8/22/23

There are an estimated 6 million adopted persons in the U.S. alone, plus parents by birth and adoption, siblings, spouses/partners, etc.! This show's themes are also connecting with the donor-conceived community and those who have experienced a "DNA surprise." The show has undergone revisions and the addition of a new song. I am seeking well-resourced individuals, theatres and organizations who share the show's passion and vision to move toward a cabaret song showcase, full production, sizzle reel and cast recording that will begin to reach this show's significant global built-in audience  Please have a look at additional song demos and the glowing reactions from audience members and actors on the show's website.  Thank you for considering For the Record(s)!


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     richuwrites@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.ftrmusical.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Genevieve, the Experiment

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music, and Lyrics by David Jay Willis


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Paris, 1889. Based on a true story. Professor Legrand, an intense and fiercely ambitious intellectual, claims that his new science of criminology will prove that criminal behavior is inherited. That criminals are born, not made. When a depraved married couple is convicted of a series of cold-blooded murders, Legrand seizes upon this circumstance: he arranges for these two lifelong criminals to have a baby while in jail. He then takes the child, Genevieve, and raises her in his wealthy household while never revealing her true origin. If his theory is correct — and he firmly believes it is — then the girl will turn into a criminal despite growing up with every advantage in life. Thus the Professor’s legacy in the world of science will be assured, which is all that matters to him. 18 years later, Genevieve ventures out into the world, enticed by inducements into the criminal life placed in her path by Professor Legrand. Will Genevieve succumb to her “criminal” nature? Who will win in the battle between Nurture and Nature? What follows is a tragedy no one could foresee.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     As of March 31, 14 of the 24 songs are finished, and 10 have demos recorded. The outline is complete, and the script itself is 50% done. The piece has several unusual new elements: in many of the songs, ballet dancers will be swapped out for the actors halfway through. This is accomplished by casting ballet dancers similar in appearance to the actors and of course in identical costumes. Then, by using the Black Art stage magician's technique, the transition will be seamless and undetectable by the audience. (This is how stage magicians appear and disappear and make objects appear to float.) Then the ballet dancers will transition back into the actor/singer for the end of the song.  Please note that these are true ballet soloists, not "dancers with some ballet" as often seen in Broadway shows. This has never been done in a musical before. The first scene portrays an execution of a criminal by guillotine. Again, the stage magician's technique used with this illusion will make it seem real (but not bloody). It's played for shock, but not gore. The production value is on the level of Phantom of the Opera or Les Mis, as the Eiffel Tower appears in two scenes, a horse enters and then is ridden off in one scene (easily achieved with a wrangler), a video wall is omnipresent upstage, and the set construction will require certain (easily constructed) properties to enable the seamless swapping of actors and ballet dancers. It takes place from 1889 to 1908 in Paris, from the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 to the dawn of the new millennium in 1899 to the full flowering of the Belle Epoque in 1908. Big sets, sweeping music, larger-than-life characters, deep story, big questions and big feelings. That is Genevieve, the Experiment.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     DAVID JAY WILLIS, composer, lyricist, book writer. Mr. Willis began his show business career in the corps de ballet with Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and other companies when they toured the Washington D.C. area. Wanting to talk while performing, he transitioned to being a standup comedian and did a one man show at over 200 colleges and universities in the U.S., touring for years. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a writer and actor on may shows such as Frasier, The Golden Girls, Cybill, Working Girl with Sandra Bullock, and many others. He also served as a script consultant and punch up writer for many talk shows and comedians. A member of BMI, he also wrote music for a few pilots, short films, and features. He then raised over $1 million online from strangers to write and direct the delightful and quirky Christmas movie "I'll Be Next Door for Christmas." After discovering the true story of a man who raised a girl from a criminal family to prove she'd be a criminal in the end, Mr. Willis knew it had to become a musical.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     favedave@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     High School Antigone

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music and Lyrics by Judy Klass


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     In a sense, this show is "Ancient Greece Meets Grease." It involves young people asking questions and comparing notes, as in Spring Awakening. Like the play John Proctor is the Villain, it explores how students react to a text that resonates with their own time. As with Indecent, events within my show and the older show within the show get woven together. Arabella has chosen what she thinks of as a safe, bland musical to direct at the local high school – but the new right-wing school board shuts the show down, mid-rehearsal, upsetting the students, particularly strong-minded Elinor. Arabella’s wife Lillian agrees that Arabella’s sleepy hometown is becoming polarized and scary. Lillian knows that Arabella wants to produce Antigone by Sophocles. Lillian suggests that Arabella and the students in her songwriting class turn Antigone into a musical and stage that as the replacement show. The students have fun writing songs and learning about ancient Greek tragedy and comedy. Arabella tries to “flim-flam” Jack – who represents the school board, and is anti-“woke” and upset that his son Corey is a theater kid – by emphasizing that the play being adapted is old and European: a classic of Western civilization! The opposite of CRT and DEI! Arabella appeals to Jack’s white supremacist bent and hopes that he will not notice how subversive Antigone is. Jack remains wary of Arabella. Corey plays Kreon, and he bases the character on his own father Jack, in his testy, thin-skinned, defensive insistence on his own authority. Corey has a crush on Elinor, who plays Antigone and is suspicious of him. Elinor has some harsh things to say to timid Beth, who plays Antigone’s timid sister Ismene, but Beth is surviving high school in a way that works for her. A kid named Sam plays the Greek Chorus, and a kid named Tyler plays Tiresias, the blind seer. During a rehearsal, Corey commiserates with a kid named Fisher, who is gay, and who plays Kreon’s son Haemon, about how impossible they find it to talk to their fathers – even as they play out a scene full of the kinds of father/son tensions they each have to deal with at home. During another rehearsal, Corey and Elinor confront the bad blood between them. The school board wants cuts in the musical, but on opening night, the students push back. The three adults in this nine-character show are Arabella, Lillian and Jack. The other six characters are teens. Elinor and Beth are girls, Corey and Fisher are boys, and Sam and Tyler can be any gender. Jack and Corey are white; casting is open when it comes to the ethnic backgrounds of the other characters.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
      In 2024 and 2025, High School Antigone was chosen as a Finalist in the Water Works Festival run by Live Arts in Virginia. It is a 2025 Finalist in the Fresh Looks Festival run by Shifted Lens Theatre in Colorado. It was a 2025 Semi-Finalist in the ScreenCraft Stage Play Competition. Lucy George of Wordville Press in London took a meeting with me over Zoom; she says she wants to publish High School Antigone, and she is looking into how to market it to TYA theater groups in the US. In April of 2025, Lumos Players in Ohio did a reading of High School Antigone over Zoom as part of their reading series of New Works. I would love for it to have a rehearsed reading or, even better, a workshop. Recordings of all of the songs in the show can be heard at: judyklass   dot   com/high-school-antigone   dot   html


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Eight of my full-length plays and 42 of my one-act plays have been produced onstage. A number of my plays, long and short, have been produced as podcasts. My full-length play Cell is published by Concord Theatricals, and my full-length play After Tartuffe is published by Next Stage Press. My full-length play Country Fried Murder, set at a songwriting seminar, which includes songs and song fragments, won the SOPS competition. It was produced at the Shawnee Playhouse in Pennsylvania in 2019. During the pandemic, it was produced online by Quarantine Players. It’s published by Lazy Bee Scripts in the UK. My full-length play Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One won the Dorothy Silver Award. My short plays have appeared in magazines like Seven Hills Review and Ponder Review, and in anthologies like The Art of the One-Act. Many have had multiple productions in the US – a few in the UK, Ireland and Canada. I co-wrote nine songs for the musical film Cooking for Two, produced in Hong Kong, available on Tubi TV. Several of my produced short plays are short musicals. One was produced onstage in Nashville and NYC, and Lost Souls Monologues in London released a podcast version. My full-length musical Senator Scrooge, for which I also wrote the book, music and lyrics, had a staged reading at Emerging Artists in NYC. Here is a "highlights reel" from that reading:             www  dot   youtube  dot   com /watch?v=yEchM7iU-tI&ab_channel=JudyKlass   I’m a songwriter in Nashville with various cuts – some of them singles, some of them hit songs in other countries. I wrote lyrics for the musical Mushky & Mo, which had a reading in NYC in the summer of 2024. In terms of the songs below, the first is sung by Corey, whose father is the school board rep. The second is sung by Arabella and Lillian. The third is sung by Arabella and her students as they write their first song for the show within the show.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     JudyKwrites@aol.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     www.judyklass.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     IMAGINARY GIRL: The Occupation of Patty Hearst

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
      Book, Lyrics + Music by Leonard Dolivio Cetrangolo


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

                    Part
                          – Heartbreaking Family Drama
                          – Psychological Thriller
                          – Spectacular Farce             
                          – True Crime Mystery
                          – Verbatim Docu-Musical
                     100%   New Independent Musical Theater 

IMAGINARY GIRL: The Occupation of Patty Hearst (an alternative identity musical)

Set in 1974, this all-original MUSICAL HISTORY PLAY responsibly tells the 
TRUE STORY of the political kidnapping of 19-year-old Patty Hearst. 
After being held captive for 59 days by a ragtag militant group, she emerges 
declaring her new identity as Tania and her “choice” to join her kidnappers' 
mission to overthrow the US government.

As her ongoing ordeal unfolds it’s dissected, distorted, and exploited by 
The News Media, and holds the world spellbound as Patty changes from an 
innocent victim into a fugitive outlaw right in front of our eyes.

The play’s unbelievable true story centers on a strong complex protagonist 
who eventually discovers she’s the only one who can save herself.

The play examines how The News Media – along with the criminal-justice/
incarceration system, and the mental health system – misinterpret, exploit, 
and compound the suffering of trauma victims, while its central character 
models survivorship, hope, and healing.

This new work’s unique underlying subject matter speaks to the psychological 
and spiritual dilemmas of survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, 
military combat, human trafficking, and extremist religious & extremist political cults.

Through a not-so-distant mirror...
        The play takes on A NEWLY-EMERGING 21st CENTURY THEME: 
        THE DISINTEGRATION OF CONSENSUS REALITY – the end of our once-universal 
        & once-dependable shared reality.

The play prompts the question:
        HOW MUCH OF OUR PERSONAL & POLITICAL IDENTITY IS GUIDED BY FORCES 
        BEYOND OUR OWN FREE WILL?

The story explores:
       TRAUMA’S IMPACT ON IDENTITY 
       & how ALL CONFLICTS – INTERNAL, INTERPERSONAL, AND POLITICAL – 
       ARE BATTLES OF COMPETING VERSIONS OF REALITY. 

Ultimately,
       IMAGINARY GIRL: The Occupation of Patty Hearst is 
       AN UPLIFTING STORY OF SURVIVAL, SELF-DISCOVERY & SELF-LIBERATION, 
       as its historic central-figure triumphantly overcomes 
       seemingly impossible internal and external obstacles.

---

BAND SIZE:
5 musicians

CAST SIZE:
10+ 
This can be easily/practically scaled up for regional theaters or college & Uni to 25+ or more.

INCLUSIVE CAST + TEAM NOTE:
Although the race and gender of the historical characters are fixed,
ANY performer may portray ANY role:

For example, in this “alternative identity musical” the role of Randolph Hearst, Patty’s father, 
could be played by a Norm Lewis- or a Wayne Brady-type (Black). Or, the doubling role 
of Walter Cronkite and F. Lee Bailey could be played by a Rosie O’Donnell- or a Cherry Jones-type (female).

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

IMAGINARY GIRL has been developed by 
a team of Interdisciplinary Artists & Associates 
for 5DMEDIALAB

---

2023 — NATIONAL SEMI-FINALIST
The Eugene O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference

2021 — INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP of selected scenes
La Mama International Director’s Symposium — Umbria, Italy 

2021 — 2 READINGS (one week apart) with invited audience
Felirene (Fe) Bongolan – Arts Activist + Dramaturg — 5DMEDIALAB, San Francisco

2021 — 2 READINGS (one week apart) of selected scenes with invited audience
Dr. Kathleen Tarr – Race + Gender Representation Advisor — 5DMEDIALAB, San Francisco

2020 — WORKSHOP to develop NEW SCORE ARRANGEMENTS for all songs – still need new vocal demos
Gary Adler – Veteran B’way MD + Interim Arranger — 5DMEDIALAB, San Francisco

2019 — ARTIST IN RESIDENCE WORKSHOP on Physical Narrative 
SafeHouse Arts – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE — San Francisco

2018 — A STAGED READING & Community SHOWCASE Production – juried selection 
The Marsh Theater – San Francisco

2017 — A READING of SELECTED SONGS & SCENES – with invited audience
Patricia Cotter, Dramaturg + Consultant — 5DMEDIALAB, San Francisco

2016 — Musical Café DEVELOPMENT LAB – juried selection
San Francisco — *Winner: AUDIENCE FAVORITE*  

2016 — A STAGED READING – with invited audience
Nancy Hayes Casting Studio — San Francisco

2016 - 2024 — AN ONGOING SERIES OF INFORMAL READINGS – with invited audience
Dr. Harvey L. Schwartz — Clinical Psychological Consultant – San Francisco

------------  GOALS + NEXT STEPS  ---------------

*** MENTOR / ADVISOR / PRODUCER ***
Top of Our wish list
For experienced strategy & artistic/business guidance
And to help shepherd a Pilot Production

RECORD UPDATED SONG DEMOS
w/ professional singers & our existing new arrangements
Draft orchestrations
Co-create non-traditional integrated sound design

LITERARY AGENT
Representation for outreach

BUDGETS
Draft tiered budgets by Production Manger
     Paid gig — potential royalty share

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

BOOK, LYRICS + MUSIC – LEONARD DOLIVIO CETRANGOLO 

DRAMATIST / VISUAL STORYTELLER – with a unique vision & voice shaped across multiple creative disciplines. 
Known for synthesizing archetypal story structure with compelling visual narratives.

 REWRITER / GHOSTWRITER OF STUDIO & INDIE FEATURE FILMS:
− Contributed uncredited rewrites for OSCAR-WINNING DIR. JOHN SCHLESINGER (with: MADONNA, RUPERT EVERETT, 
PAUL GIAMATTI, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS)
− Revisions for OSCAR-NOMINATED DIR. LASSE HALLSTRÖM (with: JULIA ROBERTS, ROBERT DUVALL, GENA ROWLANDS)
− Co-wrote a TV pilot for ROLAND EMMERICH (unproduced)
− Co-authored an adaptation of a PHILIP K. DICK novel (produced)

 VISUAL STORYTELLER / PRODUCTION DESIGNER:
− Designed concert stage sets, music videos & album covers, including for: JOAN JETT, THE RAMONES, LOU REED, 
JAMES BROWN, STING, GEORGE MICHAEL, DAVID BOWIE
− Art Directed luxury brand fashion advertising for LOUIS VUITTON, COACH LEATHER, L’OREAL, REVLON, LEVIS, 
ADIDAS, BERGDORF GOODMAN, CARTIER, TIFFANY, GUCCI + fashion editorials for VANITY FAIR, DETAILS, VOGUE, 
HARPER’S BAZAAR, PREMIER, ROLLING STONE, GQ, Details, NEWSWEEK, HIGH TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES

 WRITER-DIRECTOR OF AWARD-WINNING SHORT FILM:
– The Paris Crystal won numerous National/International awards & aired on SHOWTIME for several years

 INTERACTIVE STORY ARCHITECT + AWARD-WINNING INFORMATION-PLATFORM CONCEPT DESIGNER:
− Created alternative interactive storytelling game design for Ludinc, Berlin, Germany
− Winner of the $25K FIRST PLACE PRIZE in BearingPoint’s International Innovation Award Competition

 CO-FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF 5DMEDIALAB – Media Development & Consulting Company:
− DEDICATED TO SYNTHESIZING FIVE DIMENSIONS: INSTINCT, VISION, VOICE, EMOTION + MEANING
  www.5dmedialab.com

 EDUCATION
− NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts — Writing + Directing
      magna cum laude
      Full Merit Scholarship, MCA Lew Wasserman
      Recipient of the Louis B. Mayer Award
      Winner of prestigious (National) Mobil Corporation Award, presented at Lincoln Center
− Parson’s School of Design, New York, NY              
      Drawing, painting, design & art history
− HB STUDIO (Herbert Berghof Studio), New York, NY
      Studied acting with Bill Hickey

_______________________________________
ASSOCIATE COMPOSER + ADDITIONAL MUSIC – SPENCER TEETER 
− Released his first solo album as a teenager, with several songs charting on Canadian radio
− Co-songwriter for recording artists and actor in indie films, TV series, and commercials
− Merges indie rock with poignant storytelling in Imaginary Girl
________________________________________
INTERIM ARRANGER – GARY ADLER
− Veteran B’way Music Director of Avenue Q (TONY AWARD WINNER, Best Musical)
− Arranged dance music for Escape to Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett’s Broadway musical)
− Co-wrote Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway hit, 2005 Drama Desk nominations)
− Other credits: The Fantasticks, It Shoulda Been You, Nunsense, Urinetown, Hairspray, Kinky Boots
________________________________________
ARTS ACTIVIST + DRAMATURG – FELIRENE (FE) BONGOLAN
− Principal Dramaturg for The Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women
− Uses theater as a vehicle for social change, adapting ancient myths for contemporary storytelling
________________________________________
RACE + GENDER ADVISOR – DR. KATHLEEN TARR
− Harvard Law School graduate and former civil rights attorney
− Lectures at Stanford University on race and gender representation in the entertainment industry
− Advises on socio-political issues in Imaginary Girl
________________________________________
DRAMATURG + SCRIPT CONSULTANT – PATRICIA COTTER
− Emmy Award-winning dramatist and librettist
− Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award, Ovation Award, Garland Award, WGA Award
− Works produced at: TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival, 
Jackalope Theatre, Vineyard Theatre
− Finalist for the 2016 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Semi-Finalist for the 2018 O’Neill 
National Playwrights Conference
________________________________________
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTANT – DR. HARVEY SCHWARTZ
− Internationally recognized clinical psychologist specializing in understanding and treating Complex 
Trauma and Dissociative Identity
− Author of two award-winning books on Dissociative Identity and Coerced Perpetration
− Senior Clinician & Lead Trainer for MAPS-sponsored clinical trials in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
− Co-founder of Polaris Insight Center, the first psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy clinic in the U.S. 
− Director of Clinical Training for Polaris Insight Center’s Program which trains the next generation of 
psyedeclic-assisted psychotherapists to understand and effectively treat trauma and PTSD
________________________________________
CREATIVE PARTNER + ARTISTIC ADVISOR – DAVID SILVERMAN
− Actor, educator, and painter
− Film actor in 1-on-1 scenes with Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith
− Exhibited paintings at The de Young Museum (A Tribute to Gilbert and George, Warhol and Beyond)
− Educator for at-risk and gifted youth in the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon
− Featured in San Francisco Street Art: Mission Muralismo (Abrams, 2009)
________________________________________
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER + OUTREACH LIAISON – REBEKAH D. VEGA
− Raised in a Pentecostal religious cult, later studied musical theater
− Drawn to Imaginary Girl for its exploration of mind control and indoctrination
− Believes in theater’s transformative power
________________________________________

WE BELIEVE
Theater is a form of magic
That stands between us and a hostile world
Theatre has metaphysical power
It is not merely the making of an aesthetic product
Theater offers us an alchemical vessel to transform our terrors
And for manifesting our dreams
By giving them story, color, shape, and meaning
Theater at its very best helps us come to know our way forward
Together
Better
          – 5DMEDIALAB

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     leonard.dolivio@5dmedialab.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.imaginarygirlmusical.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     https://www.imaginarygirlmusical.com/nmi-pitch-video



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Love Is Afoot!

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     BOOK by - Michael LaFata and Perry Sachs; MUSIC by - Kevin Guillaume and Perry Sachs; LYRICS by - Perry Sachs


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

A Fresh Take on a Classic Style

Love Is Afoot!, an outlandish romantic comedy, is a fresh, bold, and wildly entertaining new musical that uses foot and shoe fetishism as clever metaphors for feeling different and facing discrimination—all through a lighthearted, witty, and unexpected lens. Think Singin' in the Rain done by John Waters. At its core, the musical follows one man’s offbeat quest to find his “sole-mate”— a mission filled with surprising twists, outrageous encounters, and deeply human truths.

Set in the 1940s, the show heightens the tension of forbidden love while paying homage to the Golden Age of musicals with an exhilarating, award-winning Big Band, Swing, and Jazz-infused score. Each song is distinct, vibrant, and filled with clever, fun and poignant lyrics. From romantic ballads to gospel revivals and roaring ensemble numbers, the music is as thrilling as it is unforgettable.

At a time when society is grappling with questions of censorship, exclusion, and identity, Love Is Afoot! delivers a timely, thought-provoking message about self-acceptance and tolerance—reminding us that true freedom lies in embracing who we are and loving without limits.

 

---

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

The Evolution of Love Is Afoot!: A Journey from Screen to Stage

Originally conceived as a musical feature film based on an award-winning film noir short, Love Is Afoot! took an unexpected turn when the pandemic hit. Just as we completed a 15-song soundtrack, the world shut down—forcing us to rethink our path forward. With theaters dark and little interest in streaming, we pivoted to the stage and never looked back.

Adapting the screenplay into a full-scale theatrical musical, we expanded the story, refined the music, and elevated the show’s theatricality. Recognizing the need for a standout sound, we brought in renowned Big Band arranger Tim Davis to enhance the score—ensuring the music would shine as brightly as the story itself. The result? A bold, dynamic soundtrack that sweeps audiences from laughter to love with unforgettable melodies.

In late 2021, we staged a live table read with 10 actors and the recorded demos, earning an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Building on that momentum, we mounted a successful workshop production in 2023 at the Miller Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania with 4 shows over first 2 weekends of August. With a cast of 17, an 8-piece orchestra, and a dedicated creative team of 23, the shows received standing ovations and left audiences wanting more.

Armed with insights from the workshop, we refined the script, added two new songs—including a high-energy Act II opener—and sharpened the production. The results have been extraordinary. To date, Love Is Afoot! has earned 9 awards, including 4 Best Song awards for its torch ballad  Special Someone, 4 Best Screenplay awards (from its film days), and most recently, secured Semi-Finalist status at the prestigious 47th annual Eugene O’Neill National Music Theater Conference for 2025.

Love is Afoot! is arriving at a moment when the cultural conversation about inclusion, acceptance, and challenging outdated norms couldn’t be more relevant. We’re at a crucial juncture—where timing truly is everything. As we move forward, we’re actively seeking the right theater partners, sponsorship collaborations, and a seasoned theatrical producer to help bring Love Is Afoot! to its next evolution—on a bigger stage and in front of a broader audience.

With perfect timing and strong momentum, we can’t wait to take audiences on this toe-tapping journey through the wonderful and unexpected mess that is love.

---

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Tim Davis - Interested in hearing Tim Davis? Chances are, you already have. Tim Davis has worked on over 100 feature films and television shows, including The Lion King, Beauty and The Beast, Indiana Jones, the entire 6 seasons on Fox’s hit series Glee, The Goldbergs, American Horror Story, American Idol, The Oscars, and more.

Tim’s collaborations as studio singer, vocal contractor, and arranger/producer span the music industry in seemingly every direction. In fact, it’s hard to escape Davis’s musical mark. If you’ve been to a Disney theme park, played a video game, bought a pop album, seen a TV show, commercial, or film in the last 20 years, it’s likely your interest has been piqued by Tim’s personal vocal stylings, or his innovative vocal arrangements, delivered by the army of LA’s best and brightest vocalists filling his roster.

Additionally, having sung recently with Barbra Streisand on her World Tour and performing comedic stage shows with Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery, Tim has become one of the most trusted top level producers and performers in his field. Further driven to mentor and develop the next generation of vocalists, Tim founded the Studio Singer Intensive (SSI) in 2014 to cultivate and train aspiring talent from around the nation. “At some point in all of our careers we need to “pass the baton” to the younger generation. I have made it my intention to mentor and promote the next generation of studio singers and industry leaders. This is a passion of mine which I plan to continue to the end of my life.”

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     mlafata1010@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.loveisafoot.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Lustily Ever After

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music & Lyrics by Stephanie Bentley


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Lustily Ever After is a hilarious, heart-forward, and sex-positive love letter to romance novels and 90s pop music. Riley Jackson is just an "ordinary girl" who loves racy romance novels and her 'bestie for the restie' Kim Nolastname. Trystan Lay is a genuine schmillioniare, and the worlds most perfect human (according to NASA). Never in the history of the universe have opposites been known to attract...until now! Can Riley pretend to be Trystan's fake girlfriend without falling for the playboy superstar? Can Trystan convince his super rich parents to let him off the hooky wooky so he doesn't have to take over Lay Enterprises? Created by a musical improv comedy performer turned romance audiobook narrator, and an erotica ghostwriter, and adapted from the Award Winning audiobook performed by comedians from Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings. Inspired by 90s & early 2000's pop music and hundreds of real romance novels. This show is a steamy fusion of Airplane or The Play That Goes Wrong and every romance novel ever written. Lustily Ever After is a side-splitting musical parody that hilariously celebrates and satirizes romance novel tropes!


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Hot Off the Press: First Reading Recap

On Monday, April 21st, Lustily Ever After made its NMI-sponsored debut at the DOMA Theatre in LA—igniting waves of unbridled laughter and leaving the audience in stitches, clamoring for an encore performance.​

Minimalist Magic

This show is designed with simplicity in mind: minimal costumes, almost zero props, and a set that's as flexible as our hero's concept of a 'work-desk'. ​

Cast & Characters

This dynamic ensemble of 6 (5 women and 1 rooster in the hen house) include three lead characters and three versatile 'narrators' who effortlessly slip into every other role. Think of it as theatrical speed-dating with characters—fast, fun, and full of surprises.​

Script Refinements Underway

We're currently fine-tuning the script, creating a tight 90-minute performance without intermission. Because who wants to pause the fun when the romance is heating up?

Next Steps 

We’re on the lookout for a fabulous team to help us bring this show to a full-blown workshop production.

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
      

---

Stephanie Bentley (Book, Music & Lyrics) Creator, Musical Improv Performer, Songwriter, Romance Audiobook Narrator Stephanie Bentley, known in the audiobook world as Stephanie Rose, is a multifaceted performer and writer who seamlessly blends her talents in musical improv comedy, songwriting, and romance storytelling. A graduate of the UC Irvine Musical Theater program and New Musicals Inc. (NMI) Core Curriculum, Stephanie honed her skills in musical theater writing, culminating in the creation and performance of her first original musical 'Best Friends For Now' at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theater in (early!) 2020. Her dynamic stage presence has been showcased at renowned Los Angeles comedy venues, including UCB, iO West, and Westside Comedy Theater, where she engaged audiences with her humor and spontaneity. In the realm of audiobook narration, Stephanie has brought to life nearly 400 romance novels under her pseudonym, captivating listeners with her emotive and nuanced performances. Her innovative creation, Lustily Ever After: The Audiobook Musical, earned her an Audie Award nomination and an AudioFile Earphones Award. Active on social media platforms, @stephrosevoice connects with a vibrant community of romance enthusiasts, particularly within the #BookTok and #RomanceBookstagram spheres. Her latest adaptation of Lustily Ever After represents the culmination of her diverse experiences, merging her comedic flair, songwriting, and romance expertise to celebrate and parody the romance genre in a laugh-out-loud theatrical production.    


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     lustilymusical@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.lustilyeverafter.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     MORE

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Lyrics, Music and Arrangement by Steve Couch


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Our story begins when Hope, a woman who has become homeless, is forced to move in with her fussy sister, Grace.  There's escalating family drama and supernatural creepiness. Then Hope gets a job at the More Employment Agency, a temp Agency run by the Devil! Grace's boyfriend, Randy, wants to be a viral social media influencer so badly that he sells his soul to MEDIA, a demonic online computer. MORE is a musical about the biggest problems of our contemporary times: Consumerism, online addiction and physical and mental insecurity.  It's about work, debt and the soulless quest for attention at the cost of real human connection. MORE is creepy, it's funny, it's deep.  There's lots of audience engagement and plenty of spectacle. Think "Nightmare Before Christmas" meets "Damn Yankees" meets "Glengarry Glen Ross" MORE is Faust for the 21st Century.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     Over the last 20 years Steve Couch has built the show MORE to address problems that keep people from finding happiness and true purpose. Studying horror, comedy, and musical theater he utilizes their best moments to present difficult and uplifting themes in the most engaging and entertaining ways. To workshop the project, he created a full audio book of the musical in 2022 using the demo singers to record the songs and dialogue to better understand plot strengths and weaknesses, and has since re-written parts of the play accordingly. His goal is to get the help and vision of theater professionals to fully develop the musical as complete staged and touring productions.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Steve Couch (book, lyrics, music, and arrangement) is a songwriter, comedian, children's entertainer, videographer and animator. He is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatist Guild. He has spent his life as an entertainer, studying how to engage people and better them emotionally. He has toured as a musician in and with national acts, managed video departments, created award winning music and toured through out Midwest with original comedy music and his children's shows that feature animation and science-based edutainment.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     info@morethemusical.com or steve@stevecouch.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://morethemusical.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     MORTGAGE MELTDOWN: THE MUSICAL

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Eve Sutton--Book, Music, Lyrics, Curriculum


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     "O. P. M. -- Other People's Money. It's not an addiction. It's the way we do business." (The Bankers) MORTGAGE MELTDOWN: THE MUSICAL (MMTM or MortMelt) is a tragic, campy comedy, a mix of Schoolhouse Rock and The Big Short. From the start, I consulted with instructors at high schools and colleges to make my show entertaining, educational, easy to produce, and profitable. I own all the rights to all the intellectual property, and I can adjust the script or songs to match each venue's requirements. Music and scene samples are on YouTube > MortMelt Sampler  (a playlist)  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRP6oPj8uWA14NsqUaCDNU8JIWQjPCdT0 Set in 2004-2013, MORTGAGE MELTDOWN follows two plot lines inalternating scenes: Three generations of parents and kids in five inter-connected households navigate their lives, while Bank of the Wild West profits by making predatory loans and selling those loans to investors. Staging can be adjusted so the most intense scenes are appropriate for different audiences: One father's suicide attempt, and another couple's domestic violence. Music includes a barbershop quartet of Bankers, who are assisted by the Laissez Fairies, complicit courts, and political allies like Senator Backslapper. The energetic ensemble learns a vaiety of music and dance genres: waltzes, a jazz tango, a brisk march, and classic showtune styles. The more challenging songs are duets and solos for the homeowners, although almost any song can include backup singers. Staging suggestions include graphics and diagrams for projection or painted posters, and visual puns: a kiddie wading pool to represent the 'pool' of securitized loans covered by the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, and a revolving door for US Attorney General Eric Holder to pass in and out of his job as a lobbyist. Easy rehearsal. Practice tracks include full scores or piano-vocals with digital voices. Most scenes have only a few characters, so scenes can be rehearsed in parallel. Mostly sung through, with most dialogue in rhymed couplets.  (I am revising the script to convert much of the dialogue to concise rhymed couplets or songs.) No foul language, no violence, no sex, no drugs. Ensemble cast with many small named parts. Full package includes curriculum for high school or college/university classes in History, Economics, Finance, Government, Business, Ethics, Philosophy, Psychology, Child Development.

What's It About?

Five households in one bank's vicinity— We'll call them Households A, B, C, D, E— Are pushed into traps set six years before Scene One opens: March fourth, two thousand four. Watch banks base loans on neighborhood and race, Buy ratings for pools of loans (“Triple-A's”), Forge signatures, drop their lending standards, File fake documents in public records. Which homeowners are not evicted yet? Will Bankers find out how rich they can get?


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     I was an accomplished poet and curriculum designer long before the financial crisis -- two skills that I combined for this musical.  I was teaching middle school science in 2008-2009 and I had no way to explain to my students WHY they were "losing" their homes and moving in with Grandma.  I started to create Mortgage Meltdown  as a fun, musical curriculum with catchy songs and some sections of rhymed dialogue.  In 2014, I was recording my demo album and filming scenes for cable television when I was rudely interrupted: My bank started putting my house into foreclosure, and I knew from my research that their documents were completely illegal. I managed to stay in my house through years of court battles, but I was stretched very thin with fundraising and networking to keep working on the musical. I became an expert on illegal foreclosure, advising foreclosure victims, educators, legislators, and their staff.  Is the foreclosure crisis over? NO. But reserach plus humor makes for a really good show!  Even today, most adults  cannot describe the role of corruption in the financial industry, the courts, and Congress. But they can enjoy learning from the songs and scenes from MORTGAGE MELTDOWN: THE MUSICAL on YouTube.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

I have worked on my musical for more than 10 years, through very difficult times, but never quit.  I kept my humor and did not give up. Along the way, I met and worked with fabulous supporters:

__Sherry Hernandez and several other long-term foreclosure fighters who have taught themselves law and are a wealth of information and insight. __Mark Moulton, housing advocate and Board Member of non-profit and government agencies for housing justice. __Stephen Riddle, musician and fellow poet who has supported this project from the beginning. __Daniel Simpson, a professional composer whom I hired to transcribe and format my scores in Sibelius.    


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     eve@mortmelt.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://mortmelt.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Off the Beaten Path

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book & Lyrics: Tory Doctor with Melody McClellan; Music: Nico Rhodes Additional Lyrics: Brynn Doctor; Additional Music: Eric Wigston & Melody McClellan


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

"What if an audience could choose which protagonist to kill off in a musical...?"

Overview:

Off the Beaten Path is a “Pick Your Path” (choose your own adventure style) fantasy musical that follows a ragtag group of companions seeking a powerful artifact that could destroy the world. Full of epic battles, sacrifice, love, secrets, intrigue, and a fantasy inspired musical score, the audience ultimately decides the fate of the heroes. This multi-platform musical experience has over 135 different scripted incarnations (and a secret ending that the audience can unlock) which allows Off the Beaten Path audiences to keep coming back for more.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Upcoming Live Workshop:

Beddington Theatre Arts Centre and OBPmusical Present:

Off the Beaten Path

375 Bermuda Dr NW

Calgary, AB T3K 2J5

 

July 4th-6th 2025

  **GET TICKETS HERE**  

Previous Workshops of Off the Beaten Path:

Development Workshop- Act I (2019) StoryBook Theatre Invited Workshop (2020) Performed and workshopped online for international audiences (2020-present)  

***CLICK HERE FOR STATS ON FANTASY, ENGAGEMENT, AND THEATRE AUDIENCES***

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Bios:

Tory Doctor’s career as an Actor, Writer, Director and Producer spans over 30 years in hundreds of productions throughout 40 countries. Select credits include: The Secret Garden; Hey, Mr. Producer!; Cats; Legends; Beauty and the Beast; Blood Brothers; Me and My Girl; Man of La Mancha; Grease; Evita; Anne of Green Gables; Austentacious; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Damn Yankees; My Fair Lady; Guys and Dolls; A Christmas Carol; Crossing Swords; and Married Alive. Tory has also worked with the world’s largest producers of musicals, Disney and Cameron Macintosh. He is also an accomplished writer having written four musicals and over 20 plays that take place in Arlyrus, the world of Off the Beaten Path. Melody McClellan, one of OBPmusical's co-creators, is an actor and singer originally from SC and currently living in Seattle, Washington. With a background in opera and musical theatre, performance highlights include: Maria/Lisa Simpson in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play; Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet; Allison in First Date; Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd; Irene Molloy in Hello, Dolly!; Giulietta in I Capuleti e Montecchi; Gasparina in La Canterina; Nella in Gianni Schicchi; Genovieffa in Suor Angelica; and The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. She has co-written over a dozen plays with Tory Doctor and is his co-creator for the world of Arlyrus. Nico Rhodes is one of the most in demand young arranger/musical directors in Canada, with 40 stage musicals to his credit. He’s written 400 original compositions, four original musicals and arranged two symphonic pops concerts. He’s been nominated for two Jessie and five Ovation Awards and in 2019 was honoured with Nanaimo’s Emerging Cultural Leader Award. He composes for stage, screen, and media, collaborates with multiple choirs, plays with several jazz trios and tours in a duo with his mother, renowned chanteuse Joelle Rabu. In 2022 Nico created his dream show – Piano Heist and produced a series of four multi-artist multi-genre concerts entitled Chapters for The Port Theatre in Nanaimo B.C.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     tory@obpmusical.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://obpmusical.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     On Top of the World

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Lyrics, Music by Yuri Worontschak


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

On Top of the World is a musical about Tracy Clifford, a teenage surfer and marine biology prodigy from Australia. Awarded a scholarship to study at California State University, Tracy balances her academic pursuits with her passion for surfing. Before leaving, she competes in the Bells Beach International Surfing Competition, where she meets Errol, a charming American surfer.

As Tracy navigates her budding relationship with Errol and her passion for marine life, she discovers a way to communicate with marine creatures using AI technology. Tracy qualifies for a prestigious competition in Hawaii, where her innovations and surfing skills take centre stage. However, she faces challenges as a woman competing in a male-dominated sport. With the support of Errol and her friends, Tracy defies expectations and pushes for equality while using her platform to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Along the way, she confronts personal dilemmas and forms a deeper connection with herself and the world around her. The story culminates in a thrilling surf-off, in which Tracy, disguised as Errol, triumphs in the men's competition but is disqualified for being a woman. Undeterred, Tracy uses the media attention to amplify her message about protecting marine life. The musical blends adventure, romance, and environmental activism, highlighting Tracy's journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

​

It's GIDGET 2.0 meets Surfin' HANNAH MONTANA. 

​​


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Keep in mind the 2028 LA Olymics are in 3 years and the 2032 BRISBANE (ie Surfers Paradise) Olympics are in 7 years. Surfing will become a 100% fully fledged event in 2032.

The musical is set in both countries and is crying out for funding.

The musical is structured in "concert" form and is intended for performance on both stage and screen. It has just been completed, and no readings have taken place yet. The music is in excellent shape, and a soundtrack album is available on all streaming platforms. There is also a 90 minute "podcast" on youtube. I am hoping to bring it to the stage with the help of some readings and dramaturgy.

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Yuri Worontschak yuri.au

Yuri is a multi-award-winning composer who has worked on over twenty feature films, hundreds of television programmes and eight musicals:

​Musical Theater

yuri.theater

All my musicals are available as full-length podcasts, accompanied by screen pitches.

Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space

(with Paul Western-Pittard) had an off-Broadway run in 2019 and opened the NYMF festival.

One step ahead of America for “crazy”

Cruising Broadway

A ship full of gay passengers gets lost in the Bermuda Triangle. What could go wrong?

On Top of The World

A story about a teen surfing girl beating the men with her magical multi-coloured wetsuit.

My Voice

A K-popera for modern times: Love and Identity theft in the age of AI.

Margaret Fulton: I Sang for My Supper

(with Doug McLeod) is currently touring Australia and has had over a hundred performances.

Main Man Yurii

a 90s RAVE featuring the legendary Ukrainian Australian rap duo.

Malibu 

​Surfers

(with Ian McFadyen)

Generation on demand

The Love is Love Boat

Bondi High

with Brendan Luno) had a ticketed public reading at Bondi Pavilion (Sydney 2019) 

​​ MT Playlist

​Screen composition

yuri.film

Credits include Love the Beast (Eric Bana), Take Away (Rose Byrne), You and Your Stupid Mate (Nathan Philips),

The Mao Game (Kirsty Alley and Piper Laurie), Little Oberon (Sigrid Thornton) and Halifax f.p.(Essie Davis).

Animation: Dogstar (Disney), The Flaming Thongs, Lil’ Larrikins, Animalia (Emmy Award) and Never Mind the  Gumwalds (Disney).

Television: Utopia, Mad as Hell, Newstopia and Your Generation (Shaun Micallef), The Art of Australia (BBC/ABC)

Big Girls Blouse (Kath and Kim), the AFI Awards (Hugh Jackman), Agony Uncles and Aunts,

Sit Down Shut Up, Hamish and Andy, Letters and Numbers, Big Bite (Chris Lillie), Fast Forward (Magda Szubanski), Full Frontal and Comedy Company.

Screen Playlist

Production

kinesound.com

As a score supervisor and music producer Yuri has worked on many international movies and events including:  It Runs in the Family (Michael and Kirk Douglas), Empire Falls (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Newman), Shiner (Michael Caine), the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony and the Sydney Para-Olympics Closing Ceremony, Neighbours, One Night the Moon (Paul Kelly), Human Touch (Katie Noonan), Nijinski (Derek Jacobi, Paul Cox), The Fine Art of Love (Jaqueline Bisset) and Unfolding Florence (Gillian Armstrong). Yuri was synth supervisor for Jerry Goldsmith on "Warlock".

As a record producer, Yuri won multiple platinum albums (production and engineering) on Anthony Warlow’s first two breakout orchestral albums, “Centre Stage” and “On the Boards”. He has produced music for Peter Andre (“Give a Little Sign”), Peter Cousens (“Love Changes Everything”), Jamie O'Neil, Russell Crowe,Jason Donovan and Diana Krall. He headed a record label "Divine Comedy" for Sony Music releasing a number of records.  kinesound.com

Yuri was musical director and composer for the Centenary of Federation Concert (Deborah Byrne, Deborah Cheetham and Todd McKenny), Circus Oz, Outer Sink (Nigel Triffit and Lost Trios Ringbarkus), Bond-arama, Tiny Tim’s Australian tour, every network televised Comedy Gala  (Bea Arthur, Terry Jones, Jason Byrne and Lenny Henry etc.) and Micallef Tonight (Jose Feliciano, Percy Sledge and Delta Goodrem)

As a musician Yuri was a member of the Christie Allen Band, one half of legendary 90's rap duo Special K and Main Man Yuri and founding member of supergroup Way Back Five, which featured Michael Hutchence of INXS, Kate Ceberano and James Reyne.

Production Playlist

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     yuri@yuri.com.au


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
      https://ontopoftheworld.com.au


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Purplestiltskin

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, music, and lyrics by Alex Meleras


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Purplestiltskin represents a thoroughgoing transformation of one of the most confusing and meaning-evasive fairytales ever told, that of "Rumpelstiltskin." In this new story, Olivia Mueller's precarious avoidance of death and rapid but unwanted rise to the queendom of Rockton - thanks to her foreboding deals with a mysterious imp man - are taking place in the context of political turmoil, betrayal, revolution, and the impending collapse of the monarchy. As such, the imp, (with his own ambitions and rivals back in Imp City,) is not the only intriguant who would like to take possession of Olivia's newborn baby.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     The next step for Purplestiltskin is a staged reading or a series of staged readings, en route to a workshop.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Alex Meleras is a recent graduate of Concordia University (BFA in Music) and a pianist / songwriter / composer by trade. He has released a number of original songs, has created a Hannah Montana parody album called Double Life, and has composed scores for projects such as Musical Without a Cool Acronym and Where Darkness Grows. Purplestiltskin is his first full-length original musical, but it will not be his last. He is also currently writing a comedy musical called Celebrity Jeopardy: The Musical with his friend and collaborator Zach Timson. ** Demos: 1. "Life of a Queen" 2. "Ten Soldiers" - (soon to be revised down to Five Soldiers) 3. "Let it Happen" (vocals by Laura Dae)


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     ameleras10@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Reunions

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book and Lyrics by Jeffrey Scharf; Music by Jimmy Calire


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

“Reunions” is a musical adaptation of two famous one-act plays with unique casting possibilities.  The plays share a common theme: ex-lovers met by chance after many years apart. “A Sunny Morning,” based on the charming play by the Quintero Brothers, shows that hope of love springs eternal – even among septuagenarians. “The Twelve-Pound Look,” adapted from the play by James M. Barrie, is a thoroughly modern look at issues of class, a woman’s “place” and the high price of success.

 “A Sunny Morning” takes place in a park in Madrid. Dona Laura is a handsome woman of seventy-five who delights in life. Don Gonzalo is an irritable 75-year old gentleman interested only in having a park bench to himself. Finding all the benches occupied, Don Gonzalo grudgingly sits next to Dona Laura. After exchanging “unpleasantries,” the two discover that they both spent time in the city of Valencia. As they share veiled memories, each comes to the realization that they had been thwarted lovers more than fifty years before. Each, believing the other is unaware of the connection, must decide whether revealing his or her true identity will kindle hope for the future or spoil the memory of the past.

 “The Twelve Pound Look” is set in a London drawing room during the Downton Abbey era. Harry Sims is a nouveau riche striver who thinks he has it all - a Kensington mansion, a beautiful if browbeaten second wife Emmy, and an impending knighthood. All appears well until Harry’s first wife, Kate, arrives. Sent by a secretarial agency to answer the multitude of letters congratulating Harry on his knighthood, Kate and Harry set eyes on each other for the first time since Kate abandoned Harry's gilded cage for of life of independence fourteen years earlier. By the time Kate leaves this day, Harry doubts his success as a man or a husband while Emmy’s eyes are opened to the possibility of a different and better life.

 Time period for both acts: 1910.  With maximum double casting, six actors are needed.  There is no upper limit to cast size.   Two set locations:  A British drawing and a park bench.  Music for "A Sunny Morning" has a Spanish flair.  "The 12-Pound Look" music harkens to the Golden Age of Broadway.

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     SAVE THE DATE.  May 22, 2025  Time: tbd "REUNIONS" will have a stage reading at the Roundabout Theatre Company Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, Black Box Theatre

111 W. 46 St. New York City

Ken Davenport, Executive Producer

Gabriel Barre, Director.  Sonny Paladino, Musical Director.

Featuring:  Kennedy Kanagawa, Ashley Blanchet, Bryan Fenkart

For invitation:  Contact jscharf_music@msn.com "Reunions" was initially produced in Ojai, CA.  Moving on to Off-Broadway production Fall 2025.  Looking to fine-tune based on feedback from the reading.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Jeffrey Scharf is a playwright, bookwriter, lyricist, songwriter, screenwriter and Kleban Award finalist.  In addition to "Reunions," produced musicals in the 1930's style show-in-a-show "Who's Got Me?" and “David Copperfield, The New Musical."  His holiday play with music “The Three Tales (Gifts) of Christmas” was commissioned and produced by the Elite Theatre Company.  Works in progress include "For a Moment in Time" (music by Glenn Richard Treibitz) which had a well-received stage reading at the Garry Marshall Theater in Burbank in 2023.  His “Banana Slugs Fight Song” is heard in the movie “The Baxter.”  Other works include book and lyrics for “Houdini Among the Spirits," the movie script “The Best Laugh” and the ten-minute plays “Postcards from the Ledge” and “M-Urgency Room.”  Jeffrey is the co-writer of "I Don't Want to Know" recorded by Spencer Day and "Life in the Slow Lane" recorded by Roberta Donnay.

Jimmy Calire has had an extraordinary and versatile career.  In the later 1960’s, he was a member of and principal writer for the legendary “Raven”, a Buffalo, New York based band that played with such luminaries as Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Led Zeppelin and went on to become a favorite of musicians all around the country.  Playing keyboards and saxophone, he toured worldwide for several years with the group “America.”

He studied composition and arranging with his mentor Leroy Holmes, who was renowned as an arranger for Harry James and Della Reese, in addition to founding Everest Records.  Jimmy has recently worked as musical director for the Ojai Art Center, and has received rave reviews for his work in several productions including “Show Boat”, South Pacific,“My Fair Lady” “Guys & Dolls“ , “ Man of La Mancha” and “Big Rive.”

Reunions” is Jmmy’s third musical.  He has written music, lyrics and orchestrations for both “A Christmas Carol the Musical” (book by J.B. White) which has played widely in the U.S. and England and “Beggars the Musical” (book by Taylor Kasch and Richard Dewhurst) based on the original “Beggar’s Opera.”

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     jscharf_music@msn.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.jeffreyscharftheatrical.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, music, and lyrics by Greg Shepherd


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     SIDDHARTHA: SEEKER OF TRUTH A Hero’s Journey SHORT SYNOPSIS: With Hermann Hesse’s classic novel “Siddhartha” as a jumping off point, “Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth” is a musical comedy setting of the mythic “hero’s journey”. In this show, the hero is a young college student whose journey is a quest for meaning in his life, a quest which ultimately brings all of the main characters to a higher level of meaning in their lives as well. He quits college and ropes his best friend into joining him on his journey that is by turns hilarious and deeply thought provoking. FULL SYNOPSIS: With Hermann Hesse’s classic novel “Siddhartha” as a jumping off point, “Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth” is a musical comedy setting of the mythic “hero’s journey”. In this show, the hero is a young man whose journey is a quest for meaning in his life, a quest which ultimately brings all of the main characters to a higher level of meaning in their lives as well. Arthur Hope, Jr., a college student, reads “Siddhartha”, and decides to quit college to go on a search for truth in his life. He stops off at home in the village of Bountiful Peninsula, which is in the midst of a religious dispute. To resolve the dispute, they arrange a marriage between Arthur, who is from one of the two sects, and his longtime girlfriend, Patience Puregood, who is from the other. But Arthur is having none of this arranged marriage business. He announces that he is going on a search for truth and enlightenment, just like the title character of Hesse’s novel. And he’s also changed his name to…Siddhartha, which means ‘seeker of truth’. The townspeople call in Ace Hurlbut, the village’s richest citizen, who tries to persuade Siddhartha to find peace of mind like he did…by being richer than everyone else. He makes his materialistic points with his song “Gravy Train”. Siddhartha tells Ace Hurlbut that he wants no part of his life of materialism, so the townspeople drag him to the village psychiatrist, Dr. Scrooby (the Threshold Guardian of myth). Dr. Scrooby analyzes Siddhartha and concludes that he must be insane to want to leave Arcadia, and he announces that Siddhartha will be committed to the Scrooby Institute for Malcontents, Maniacs and Lunatics, all the while singing his signature song, “God Is Not a Sentimentalist”, an anthem to his patented product, Scrooby’s Miracle Oil and Brain Cleanser. Siddhartha escapes from Dr. Scrooby and ropes his best friend, Farley Riggle (the archetypal Ally), into joining him on his search for meaning in life. They must leave behind their girlfriends, Patience Puregood and Dolores Del Fuego, who are heartbroken. Farley agrees very reluctantly to join Siddhartha, and together they go off in search of enlightenment for Siddhartha, and any loose young women they might encounter along the way for Farley. They begin their journey with the archetypal call to adventure, a song titled “Portals of Mystery”. After they leave Arcadia, their series of misadventures eventually leads them to the Commune of the Manifest Ecstasy, a cult by any other name, where the Father Benevolent, their leader, has just died. The commune members are frantically searching for a successor, and by a zany turn of events, they choose Farley, the most unspiritual character in the whole show, to be their next Father Benevolent. But he’s soon discovered to be a fraud, and he and Siddhartha are thrown in jail. Their girlfriends and Ace Hurlbut, who have come to do an intervention on Siddhartha, have arrived on the scene, and they too are thrown in the commune jail. After escaping from the jail, Siddhartha declares his intention of continuing his search for truth, but Farley and the others have had enough and want to go home. So, Siddhartha goes off on his own. But not long thereafter he gets lost, and he wanders for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, at the end of which time he is losing his mind. He decides to end his life. Suddenly there appears on the scene the Angel of Death. Through a case of mistaken identity, she tells him that it’s ‘not his time’ and that he needs to go on living despite his existential despair. She points him in the direction of a character known as the Man of No Wisdom, the archetypal Mentor figure of myth, who lives within a remote grove of apple trees. The Man teaches him that he must find himself by losing himself. Siddhartha is puzzled. How can one find oneself by losing oneself? Just as he is puzzling over this conundrum, his best friend Farley suddenly appears, telling him that Patience Puregood is close to death. Siddhartha accompanies Farley back to Arcadia. Upon seeing Patience on her sickbed, Siddhartha realizes that the meaning of his life has been there all along. The Man of No Wisdom was right: Siddhartha can only find himself by losing himself, in his case through his love for Patience. The show concludes with Siddhartha and Patience getting married and the townspeople uniting under their new church: the Church of Boundless Loving-Kindness. A final reveal of the show is that the Narrator is actually Farley who has written the show we've just seen as a memoir of his youth.              


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     "Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth" had its very successful premiere as a non-professional production in May 2023 at Kauai Community College. I am looking to have it produced professionally as the next logical step in its development.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT Gregory Shepherd (playwright, composer, and lyricist of “Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth") I spent my early years in New York City's Lower East Side; New Jersey; London, England; and Honolulu. I was the recipient of a graduate fellowship from the Japanese Ministry of Education for music study at Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, where I studied music composition and vocal performance. I am fluent in Japanese. I have also studied operatic and musical theatre performance, and was cast in leading roles in a number of productions, notably Figaro in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”, Paul Berthalet the puppeteer in “Carnival”, Emile DeBecque in “South Pacific”, El Gallo in “The Fantasticks”, and Don Quixote in “Man of La Mancha”. I was the classical music critic and a feature writer for the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii's main daily newspaper, for ten years. I have two master's degrees in music and am currently a Professor of Music at Kauai Community College. I studied piano for many years and have facility in advanced works such as Chopin ballades, Beethoven sonatas, and Bach English Suites among other concert pieces. I have composed music in numerous genres, from orchestral to solo song, but “Siddhartha: Seeker of Truth” is my first full-length musical.  


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     shep@hawaii.edu


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.siddharthaseekeroftruth.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Tango Tonight!

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book by Joy Kosta, Music by Bob Merrill, Lyrics by Bob Merrill and Joy Kosta


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Since its origins, tango filled a feeling of loneliness among immigrants. Today when people don’t have the words to connect across diverse perspectives and backgrounds, tango still brings people together in an artistic encounter of self-expression, no matter who they are, where they come from, or whether they speak the same language. Tango Tonight! draws from the rich tradition of Argentine tango, weaving it into a contemporary musical with romance, betrayal and redemption. We see tango’s lessons as a metaphor for living, and a unifying force to embrace humanity. Diversity and inclusion are central themes. Six of the nine characters are Latinx. Logline: To win the woman he loves and first prize at a world competition, a professional tango dancer severs ties with a con artist “agent” -until the police and his checkered past catch up with him. 


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     Joy Kosta (book writer) and Bob Merrill (composer) have worked on Tango Tonight! for nearly ten years and formed an LLC to further their creative collaboration with investors. Table reads: Artistree community theatre, Northern Stage, professional theatre Staged concert reading: Pentangle Arts, Woodstock, Vermont    The Vermont Standard called Tango Tonight! "a love letter to the musical style."


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Joy Kosta, Book writer –  A life-long writer and dancer, once Joy discovered tango, Tango Tonight! became inevitable, brought to life with composer Bob Merrill. She brings operations experience in professional and community theatre and is a member of Musical Writers Academy, National Alliance Musical Theatre, and New Musicals Inc. She is actively developing two more plays, participating in Watch Me Work, Public Theatre & Howl Round Theatre Commons with Suzan-Lori Parks. Bob Merrill, Composer –Bob Merrill is a composer, producer, and audio engineer. He brings 40+ years experience in ensemble performance, and composed music for numerous commercials, albums, theatre sound reels, ballets, musical theatre and film. Bob formed a quartet, Tango Norte, to play at public tango dances, with a long-standing following. “When I started reading Tango Tonight!, the music started pouring out of me. I really had no choice but to do this.”


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     tangotonightmusical@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://tango-tonight.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Curse of Batvia

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book & Lyrics by Katherine Burger; Music by Roland Tec


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     THE CURSE OF BATVIA i s a witty and fast-paced musical comedy - think P.G. Wodehouse on speed - with wer-beasts. A lonely English manor house upon the moors; a woman consumed with finding a particular book of spells in its library; a crotchety, hunt-obsessed lord who seems to regret his marriage to his beautiful, restive, bibliophilic young wife; a mysterious, oddly-accented manservant; and a Scottish Chief Inspector bent on finding his man – or whatever creature has committed two hideous, unnatural murders. This is the set-up and cast for THE CURSE OF BATVIA, an original chamber musical, a Gothic romp about an ancient wer-beast curse and those who are caught in its jaws. It involves much convoluted wordplay, silly songs and sillier folkloric dancing, with no agenda except entertainment.  


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Productions of Katherine Burger’s play MORPHIC RESONANCE include:  The Donmar Warehouse Theater in London; Theatre de l’Atelier in Paris, where it won several Moliere awards; The Eclectic Theater in L.A.; The Westport Country Playhouse;  Rover Drama Werks in Texas; The Kleines Theatre in Berlin; and over Radio BBC.  Her one-act play WAY DEEP, winner of the Samuel French short play festival and published  by them, has been produced throughout the United States. Productions of other plays includeThe Barrington Stage Radius Festival, Fire Rose Productions, The Double Image  Theatre.  DOWN THE RUSHY GLEN has had staged readings at The Unison Arts Center and  Medicine Show Theatre.

Katherine has written two plays on commission for South Coast Repertory Theater, as well  as two commissioned screenplays, one of which had a staged reading at The Nuyorican  Poets’ Café Fifth Night screenplay reading series.

Katherine is a member of The Dramatists Guild, Howl Playwrights, and the BMI Lehman  Engel Musical Theater Workshop, where she was awarded the Harrington Award for best  libretto for THE CURSE OF BATVIA. A singer and actor, Katherine has performed in the  United States and Europe.  She is also a visual artist: bobcatbooksandcards.com

Roland Tec is a producer, director, filmmaker and composer. He has taught in the Music Departments of Harvard and Brandeis, in the MFA Playwriting Program at Hollins University and is on the faculty of the Dramatists Guild Institute. Tec served as Artistic Director of the innovative New Opera Theatre Ensemble which mounted new work in such unlikely venues as the Danco Furniture Showroom, The Boston Public Library and the Charles Hayden Planetarium. During his tenure N.O.T.E. toured throughout New England, to music festivals and the 92nd Street Y under the auspices of the Center for Contemporary Opera. His work has been commissioned by the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation, the Heida Hermanns Foundation, The Bar Harbour Music Festival, The René B. Fischer Piano Competition, Performers of Connecticut and the Concorde Ensemble, for which he composed Ever After, a song cycle based on quotes from Hollywood starlets on the subject of love.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     katherine.burger@icloud.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     www.thecurseofbatvia.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Darkest Light

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, Music & Lyrics by Chris Fortunato


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

LOGLINE: The Darkest Light is an epic tale about redemption and hope in which love and forgiveness restore friendships and family once broken by generations of greed, loss and war.  Set long ago on the majestic and mythical coast of Cornwall, England, the show combines the sweeping narrative of Les Miz, the romantic mystery of Phantom and the rollicking adventure of Oliver!

SYNOPSIS: Three boyhood best friends (Jeremy, Will and Devon) are torn apart by the greed and betrayals of their royal parents who vie for control of a secret, supernatural power capable of changing their fortunes and history forever.  When Will and Devon are lost in a shipwreck, Jeremy is blamed for sabotaging the lighthouse that could have saved them. Jeremy spends the next thirteen years haunted and alone in his castle home atop St. Michael’s Mount until the “Great Pirate War” draws him out of his hermit life with the unexpected possibility of love and redemption in a mysterious woman and an orphan boy both in need of saving.  As both war and an epic storm descend on the Mount, Jeremy must fight his inner demons and enemies old and new as a series of startling revelations challenges everything he ever thought was true and shockingly reunites the three friends in a final battle over duty, family and power.

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     HISTORY: The Darkest Light was first staged as a workshop at Harvard University's famed Paine Concert Hall after being awarded funding in a grant competition. Now years later, author/composer Chris Fortunato, who put aside the show to pursue his more than 25 year career as an attorney, social worker, university dean and private school headmaster, returned to The Darkest Light, rewriting the story and recording the 20 song concept soundtrack album which involved collaborations with producer/composer/musician Mike Farrell (Jagged Little Pill), composer/music director/pianist Michael Sobie and work with composer/writer/coach Bob Garrett from the The Song Writing School of Los Angeles.   ________________________________________________________________________


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     BIO: Chris Fortunato has spent his life and career forging and following the roads less travelled - from turning down a renowned music school as a child to live a "normal life," putting aside his Harvard senior thesis to write/produce The Darkest Light before he graduated to leaving big law firm life to work with teenagers in need of connection, engagement and hope.  The Darkest Light is his 30-year long passion project inspired by travels to mystical and majestic Cornwall, England (birthplace of the Arthurian legend) while a student at Oxford.  This play has been informed by the gift of his work with thousands of students as a boarding school headmaster, nonprofit leader, therapist and now private school head outside of Boston.    

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     christophermfortunato@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2NkoCFm5Ft7Rl4bBfkqQSn?si=19041e1f838947a7


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Land Beneath the Sky

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book, music, and lyrics by Adrienne Gray


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, the world was a magical place where Mother Earth and Father Sky raised their children in peace and harmony, but after celebrating the birth of their first fairy daughter, an agitated Shadow Prince re-emerges to unleash fear and hatred across the land. Mother Earth and Father Sky quickly create a barrier between the magical realm and their children in order to protect them. Their now-mortal children must use the gifts that were written on their souls to overcome the shadows of the past and restore magic and peace to the world, while there is still a world left to save!


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Development Notes:

"The Land Beneath the Sky" has undergone a table read followed by 10 months of professional feedback and revision. The libretto, piano/instrumental/vocal scores, and an initial demo have been completed, but are open to further development and iteration. For next steps, Adrienne Gray is hoping for a basic reading or a staged reading.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Biography

Adrienne Gray was born in the Chicago area and has had a love for the fine arts since she was a little girl. She was heavily involved in musical theater until she graduated high school, after which she decided to pursue an education and career in research and design. Her love for artistic and musical storytelling has recently been reignited, and she published her first book, “The Grand Exchange,” in 2023. “The Land Beneath the Sky” is her debut musical work.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     mrs.adrienne.gray@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.thelandbeneaththeskymusical.com


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Overview Effect

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Schmidt Sisters: A Revolutionary Situation

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book by Rebecca Farley, Lyrics by Margo Hera, Music by Ashlynn Hazel Pilger


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     

“A revolution is impossible without a revolutionary situation.”

- Vladimir Lenin

 

We are living in historic times and have a revolutionary situation on our hands right now.

What better time to share this story?

The Schmidt Sisters: A Revolutionary Situation is based on a true story. In turn of the 20th century Russia, two sisters are bestowed with a lofty inheritance from their Bolshevik brother. Lenin wants that money for the Bolshevik party, so he sends two comrades to woo the women and marry them to secure the funds. One couple is diametrically opposed while the other falls so in love they are blinded to their surroundings.  


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Our Story

  Rebecca Farley and Margo Hera met in October 2020, when they were both working on “Save the Libraries: No on #2!,” a political campaign in New Orleans. Picture this: New Orleans, a struggling city in the Gulf South, has a problem. Their mayor, in a desperate ploy for funds, wants to cut the public library’s funding by 30%. After a public outcry, a few of the city’s left-leaning organizations form a coalition titled “Save the Libraries: No on #2” to fight this proposed city ordinance. Margo and Rebecca worked as volunteer coordinators for this campaign. Operating from Zoom, they galvanized over 200 volunteers across the New Orleans metropolitan area over the course of two months. They organized daily phonebanking sessions — both Rebecca and Margo make pretty awesome phonebankers — and sent volunteers across the city to wave signs on election day. And they won the campaign! A group of several hundred library-obsessed volunteers saved the local libraries!

---

The Schmidt Sisters feels like the natural child of this union. During the campaign, Rebecca told Margo about a story she couldn’t stop thinking about: the story of the Schmidt sisters. Rebecca had read about it in a book about Lenin — a book from the library, no less! — and thought it could make for an interesting Les Mis-style dramatic musical. Or maybe a Great Comet. Margo confessed she wrote lyrics. Rebecca confessed she wrote librettos. They decided they would continue their political partnership by writing a musical. Rebecca and Margo met Ashlynn shortly thereafter. Margo found Ashlynn Hazel Pilger, a recently graduated composer from Boston Conservatory, through mutual friends. They were thoughtful, kind, and brilliant. Margo was ferociously organized, meticulous, and erudite. Rebecca dreamed and wrote a lot. Ashlynn composed with an astonishing atttention to detail. They all learned a lot about Stravinsky.

---

In March of 2021, just four months after they started a shared Google Drive, they held a reading over Zoom with a full libretto, lyrics for 13 songs, and music for 9. They received feedback from actors and made a call to keep working, to keep going, to keep Schmidt-ing. They worked in their separate corners of the country, meeting over Zoom and phone calls, working away in Google Drive, until February of 2024, when they finally all convened in New Orleans for a week-long writing retreat. They got to work writing more intensely than ever and submitting to theatre festivals and competitions.

---

In June 2024, The Schmidt Sisters was accepted to Emerging Artists Theatre’s Spark Theater Festival. For the festival, the writing team presented a one-night-only staged reading September 18th at The Chain Theater in NYC. It was performed with a pared-down cast of 10 to a sold-out house with an audience of just over 100 and a waitlist. The rave reviews poured in.

---

As for next steps, the writing team would like to mount a 29-Hour Industry Staged Reading or a developmental production at an incubator theatre or university. In the big-picture-future, we see The Schmidt Sisters on a big stage like one on Broadway or the West End.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Production Elements

Cast size

It can be done with a cast of 10, but can also be scaled upward with a large ensemble. The requirements for the main cast seven named characters: two women, three men, and a non-binary person in their early-to-mid-twenties and a man in his thirties or older.

Orchestrations

A 29-Hour Reading or developmental production would need 3-5 musicians on piano, guitar, and keyboard, with optional bass and drums.  A full production would need 10 musicians on guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, trombone, 2 reed doublers, and 3 keyboards (fill-in for strings, brass, winds, synth). The goal is to make 10 musicians sound like 30.  Ashlynn has the skillset to orchestrate if desired.

Number of songs

There are 20 songs, including the overture.

Target audience

The target audience is lovers of grandiose history-based mega musicals like Les Miserables; Evita;  Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; Miss Saigon; and Anastasia.  

Meet the Team

  Rebecca Farley (Book) she/her is a writer living in her native New Orleans, Louisiana. She has a Bachelor’s in creative writing from Columbia University, where she wrote books for two musicals. She studied musical theater in high school at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. Most recently, Antigravity Magazine published her work. She previously wrote for Martha Stewart Living Digital and Refinery29, a women’s website. In her spare time, she works in labor organizing and harm reduction.

---

Margo Hera (Lyrics) she/her is a multi-hyphenate theater artist who lives in New York City after escaping her hometown in South Florida. In between those cities she got her B.A. in Theatre Performance and B.S. in Psychology and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Tulane University in New Orleans. She also studied theatre in middle and high school at Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos High School of the Arts. This is her first foray into writing a musical after a lifetime of working onstage. She is part of the musical improv team Elevator Pitch which started as a house ensembles team at the People’s Improv Theatre. She can be seen doing theatre, standup, improv, and sketch comedy around the city.

---

Ashlynn Hazel Pilger (Music) they/she is a non-binary composer, music director, and pianist residing in Portland, Oregon. They received their BM in Composition at Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2020 under Jonathan Bailey Holland, Marti Epstein, and Eun Young Lee. Additionally, Ashlynn took musical theatre writing classes with Michael Wartofsky and David Reiffel at Berklee College of Music. For 8 years, they music directed at educational, community, and professional theatres. Ashlynn wrote a full-length musical entitled Indigo with their brother, and the reading was performed in Boston Conservatory. Additionally, Ashlynn is a mathematics educator and tutor. They have an MS in Mathematics from Portland State University and started their PhD program last fall. Ashlynn is a proud member of the Musical Theatre Writing Collective.

Follow Us On Social Media:

Instagram: @theschmidtsisters TikTok: @the.schmidt.sisters  

Demos

 

1. Live for the Cause/Die for the Cause (Full Song): After our two suitors, Viktor and Nikolai, are tasked with wooing and marrying the Schmidt sisters, they debate their personal and political values, roping the entire bar of Bolshevik comrades into the ordeal.
2. We Never Needed You (Full Song): Leader of the local Bolshevik faction, Anna, regrets their role in the Schmidt affair and goes to Elizaveta to apologize. They admit that they have always loved Elizaveta.
3. Curtain Up (Clip): A piece of our finale.

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     schmidtsistersmusical@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The Village Bicycle

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book/Lyrics by Anne Fidler, Music/Lyrics by Jerrick Cavagnaro


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     The Village Bicycle is a story of a young woman in the American west, who in 1896, when given a bicycle, is liberated from the narrow possibilities of her small, religious town and finds an alternative and supportive community in a city brothel. In the process, she discovers damning evidence which frees her small town from a hypocritical and controlling preacher. The show uses a historical setting to deal with modern issues of sexual agency, women’s rights, worker’s rights, sex workers rights, queer culture and freedom of expression, while exploring the crucial role the bicycle plays in women’s liberation.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     

Anne first conceived the idea for The Village Bicycle in 2013 while working as the creative director for Bike Smut, a touring film festival showcasing short erotic bicycle movies. From the start, she knew it had to be a musical—a big, classic-style production, but with unconventional themes. Anne was inspired by the bicycle’s role in the first wave of feminism and how they continue to be important tools of liberation to this day. She also wanted to create a story where sex work was neither demonized nor glorified, challenging societal shame and stigma around sexuality that perpetuates unsafe conditions for sex workers, instead drawing on her own experiences of camaraderie in these spaces. Through her in-depth research of the Bay Area in the late 1800s, she was further inspired by the ingenuity of sex workers at the time and the existence of a real life all-girl bicycle gang called The Falcons.

Anne started writing the story and looked for a composer. After some failed collaborations, she was finally introduced to Jerrick through a mutual friend of a friend. With Anne in Berlin and Jerrick in Boston, they began collaborating remotely, exchanging ideas and drafts online. By October 2023, five songs were complete, and they held a second table reading in Berlin, with Jerrick playing the music over Zoom. Since then, they’ve drafted three additional songs and continue refining the work whenever their schedules allow.

So far, there has been two table readings in Berlin, and we are currently talking to English Theater Berlin about a staged reading this fall. Then the next step would be to have a workshop production, and because this is a very American story, we think it would be best to do that in the US, as we believe this show should ultimately be produced in the US.

BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     

Anne Marina Fidler - Bookwriter and Lyricist

A multi-disciplinary performance artist and writer, whose work explores themes of vulnerability, sexuality, feminism, and otherness through theater, film, and performance art. Her dynamic practice draws on her years of experience performing in basement cabarets, drag shows, and nightclubs. She has also worked as a costume designer for theater and as a sex worker, and brings these experiences to her artistic practice.

Originally from Seattle, USA, Anne trained in performance and design in London before completing an MA in Performance Practices at ArtEZ University in 2022. She was the creative director of the touring film festival “Bike Smut”, from 2011-2015, screening curated collections of short, independent erotic bicycle films in 27 different countries. Since 2017, she has been an active member of the Berlin independent performing arts scene, working on productions at venues such as Sophiensaele, The English Theater, and Uferstudios.

Anne's first full-length solo show, 'SLUT: A Love Story', was invited to be part of the Erotifakton festival in Malmo, SE in June 2022 and premiered in Berlin at the English Theater in 2024. Her most recent work, 'Remedies Against Panic', is an interactive post-capitalist narrative that incorporates karaoke and polyvagal practices. The performance encourages participation, inviting the audience to join in and create an immersive experience. It premiered at the Berliner Ringtheater in 2023 and showcases Anne's innovative and collaborative approach to performance.

Jerrick Cavagnaro - Composer/Lyricist

Organist, pianist, and composer Jerrick Cavagnaro has received degrees in organ performance and sacred music from Westminster Choir College and Yale University. He currently serves as the associate director of music at Trinity Episcopal Church (Copley Square), Boston, MA and was most recently assistant director of music and organist at Christ Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC. In 2022, Jerrick won second prize in then National Competition in Organ Accompaniment, third prize in the Quebec Organ Competition, and was a semifinalist in the Boston Bach International Organ competition.

This summer, he competed as a quarter finalist in the St. Alban’s organ competition. Also an active composer, Jerrick’s choral music has been published by Oxford University Press and performed by choirs around the world.

CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     annemarinafidler@gmail.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     The White Rose

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Music, Lyrics, and Book by Jennifer Rosenfeld


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     The White Rose, explores what it means to connect with people from the past who inexplicably - and mystically - reach out to us in the here and now, to help us find our own voices in turbulent times. The show tells the story of a modern-day university student who discovers a forgotten document from the 1950s, buried deep in the archives. This sets her on a path of bringing awareness to an inspiring but tragic instance of student resistance in Nazi Germany, known as the White Rose. As our protagonist gets to know the members of the White Rose through their own writings, she develops a connection with them. However, as she learns more, her perception of them as untouchable heroes is shattered. As secrets, contradictions, betrayals, and private moments of courage come to light, they become all the more human - and real.

This is a haunting, dark academia musical, with a show-within-a-show structure and a rich sound world that evokes the historical period. Think The Sound of Music meets Indecent.

This is a full-length show with no intermission. It’s an ensemble piece, featuring 8 actors (some of whom play instruments) and 2-4 additional instrumentalists who are situated on stage.

HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     Over the last 8 years, I’ve done several workshops and readings, including one at NMI after going through their Core Curriculum. I also released a concept album and a podcast about the show (2022), and I have a documentary in progress. In 2023, I produced a fully-staged workshop production that ran for three performances at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, in collaboration with Director/Dramaturg Diana Wyenn. Concept Album: https://www.thewhiterosemusical.com/listen Podcast: https://www.thewhiterosemusical.com/the-podcast Music videos: https://www.thewhiterosemusical.com/video


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     JENNIFER ROSENFELD (Composer, Lyricist, Bookwriter) Jennifer Rosenfeld is the creator of The White Rose, a musical based on the true story of a student-led resistance movement in Nazi Germany. This project was sparked by an unexpected discovery Jennifer made in the archives while doing research for her senior honors thesis in Russian literature, and has led her to create not only a stage musical, but also a concept album and podcast (released in 2022) and a documentary (in progress). Jennifer also performs as a pianist and singer and in 2024 released her debut solo album Piano Girl, a musical memoir/song cycle featuring classical piano works interspersed with original, autobiographical songs. Previously, Jennifer composed the music for the 15-minute musical Fears Anonymous, which debuted at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival, presented by New Musicals Inc. In addition to being a producing artist, Jennifer is a leading arts entrepreneurship educator, speaker, and coach. Since 2010 she has advised and consulted for individual artists, educational institutions, and arts non profit organizations, on projects ranging from developing new artistic and education programs, to curriculum design and organizational culture. Jennifer co-authored the book Awakening Your Business Brain: an iCadenza Guide to Launching Your Music Career. She received her BA in History and Russian Literature and her JD/MBA from Stanford University.


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     jennifer@jenniferrosenfeld.com


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.thewhiterosemusical.com/


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---

YOUR LOGO:


TITLE OF YOUR MUSICAL:
     Tightwire

CREDITS (i.e. Book by Jane Writer, Music by Joe Piano, Lyrics by Amy Poet):
     Book and Lyrics by Ann E. Eskridge, Music generated by AI


PITCH: (a paragraph that gives a summary of your musical - to whet the producers' appetites!)
     Sidney Monroe Trent, a young Black Vietnam vet, is on the run—hunted by Southern law enforcement and the Klan for a murder he may not have committed. Detroit offers a brief refuge, but survival forces him to flee to Canada and then Cuba, where he expects solidarity but finds suspicion. Now walking a tightwire between two countries, Sidney must fight to define freedom on his own terms. Longer Synopsis: In 1970, Sidney Monroe Trent, a 22-year-old Black Vietnam veteran, is running for his life. A deadly encounter with a white mob in  South Carolina has made him a fugitive, wanted by both law enforcement and the Klan. With nowhere to turn, he heads to Detroit, where the Black radical movement offers him shelter—but not safety. When the heat gets too intense, Sidney flees to Canada, then makes a desperate leap to Cuba, believing he’ll be welcomed as a comrade in the revolution. But Cuba is not the sanctuary he imagined. Instead of brotherhood, he is met with suspicion, and imprisonment. Trapped between two worlds that reject him, Sidney grapples with his identity, his past, and the meaning of freedom. Through betrayals, unlikely alliances, and hard-won lessons, Tightwire explores one man’s journey through exile and revolution. When given the choice—stay in Cuba or risk returning home—Sidney must decide whether freedom is a place, a right, or something he must create for himself.


HISTORY/NOTES: (a spot to talk about what level of development you have reached, and/or what you are looking for next)
     Scriptreading upcoming.


BIOS: (biographies for the members of your team)
     Ann E. Eskridge is a 2021 Kresge Fellow in playwriting, a 2013 Black Metropolitan Research Consortium Fellow and a Fulbright Hays Group Project Abroad participant in Brazil.  She is a cross-genre writer. She written on subjects like the Underground Railroad, all-black towns in Oklahoma, New Orleans’ free people of color, the Gullah community on the Sea Islands, and Chicago’s black Tin Pan Alley through her plays, musicals, and novels. She currently is a member of Theatre Now New York, International Musical Writers Workshop. A screenplay she wrote became a PBS Wonderworks movie, Brother Future, which won several awards. Her book and play, The Sanctuary, Cobblehill, 1994, was optioned by Producer Bill Blinn (Fame), and Sundance. Two monologues from the play are included in Childsplay; an anthology of children’s play monologues. The Sanctuary was also the basis for a children’s grief and bereavement program in Detroit. She is has written four musicals: Satin Doll, a re-interpretation of Pygmalion from a black perspective, Echoes Across the Prairie, about the founding of a fictional all-black town in Oklahoma, and The Boundaries of Freedom: A Seach for Home,  a musical about an African American civil rights activist, exiled in Cuba.  Her play with music: If Pekin is a Duck, Why am I in Chicago?, is about the first black musical theater in the country: The Pekin.  It had its World Premiere January 2023, at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Tenn, and was nominated as Best Original Play for the 2022-2023 season. Her short musical, The Chicken Never Crossed about a small black business along with others was destroyed because of urban renewal in Detroit was a finalist in the Obsidian Black Theatre Festival. Her children’s plays: The Sanctuary and Bug and Junior were finalist in 2022 and 2024, in the Growing Stages Theatre in New Jersey.   In 2024, her play, A Home for Christmas won first place in the Community Theatre Association of Michigan playwriting contest.  


CONTACT EMAIL: (the email a producer should use to contact you about your musical
     annesk@ameritech.net


WEBSITE: (if you or your musical already have a website, include the full web address here)
     https://www.asalondet.com/salon-artists


AUDIO DEMO 1: (you can include up to three audio demos)
     


AUDIO DEMO 2:
     


AUDIO DEMO 3:
     


VIDEO DEMO: (if you have a video demo/trailer/pitch, include the full LINK here)
     https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aKeNZoK_BhCAQpeBaoJRrMWlwy5PYBY0/view?usp=drive_link



NOTE: To view how this page will appear to the producers, CLICK HERE

---