On this page you will find a list of the musicals on which I have worked over the course of my playwriting career, with my typically writing the lyrics or writing (and, in one case, co-writing) the book. A special shout-out goes to the wonderful (and very talented) collaborators with whom I have had the great pleasure of working to bring these shows to life. You will also find some selected song samples from these works.
“The Burning of the White House”
Book by Colin Speer Crowley and Norman Berman
Music by Norman Berman
Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Type: Two-Act Musical
Runtime: 2 hours
“The Burning of the White House” takes place in 1814 when the United States is at war with Great Britain and the American effort is looking evermore dismal. With the British fleet just off the coast of Virginia, led by the infamous, tyrannical Admiral Cockburn, it is left to President James Madison and his wife Dolley to deliver a victory, both on the battlefield and in the parlor room of popular opinion. Joining them diligently is their young slave, 15-year-old Paul, filled with the feckless energy of youth and brimming with cheeky self-confidence. When the British defeat the American army and burn Washington DC, however, Paul’s world – and the entire country – is turned upside down. With the Madisons dispersed, the British advancing, and the city in ashes – and his youth and innocence along with it – Paul confronts the injustices of life and of slavery. “The Burning of the White House” is ultimately a coming-of-age story about one brave young boy’s transition to manhood against the backdrop of tragedy.
“Hail and Reign”
Book by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Lewis
Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Type: Two-Act Musical Comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes
“Hail and Reign” is based on a true story from English history concerning a battle for the throne that took place between the well-meaning nobleman Stephen of Blois and the much-despised Empress Matilda. When King Henry I of England dies, he leaves the throne to his headstrong daughter, Matilda, who is married and living in France – but the noblemen of England are not thrilled by the idea of a woman as sovereign and choose one of their number, Stephen, to become king instead. Alas, Stephen is too gentle in nature to be an effective monarch and quickly finds the nation descend into vicious civil war, courtesy of his own weakness and Matilda’s determination to get her throne back at any cost. Enter Stephen’s wife – another, very different Matilda (“Matty”) – and the story takes an unexpected turn. “Hail and Reign” may look like a story of kings and queens, but it’s really about the trials and tribulations human beings are willing to endure for the people they love.
“Hello World”
Book by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Robert Bartsch
Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Type: Two-Act Musical Comedy
Runtime: 2 hours
“Hello World” is a musical re-telling of the Greek myth of Pandora, who (in)famously unleashed misery upon the world by opening a mysterious vase. Specifically, the musical follows Pandora’s hapless husband – the god Epimetheus, a well-meaning dunce of sorts – who is tricked into marrying her as part of a crafty plan by the chief god Zeus to keep human beings in their place. Back then, humans were little better than servant labor – completely mute and completely male – until Zeus creates the first woman (Pandora) with whom Epimetheus quickly falls in love. Perky, pleasant, and insatiably curious, Pandora is enchanted by the world around her and wants to know everything about it – such that, when Zeus gives her a mysterious wedding present (a vase that must never be opened), she can’t help but give into temptation. Before too long, Pandora opens the forbidden vase and discovers it is full of malicious spirits (the Furies) who spread misery on Earth and, through that misery, demonstrate to human beings the dangers of being curious and asking questions… or, at least, that is Zeus’s intent. “Hello World” is a play about the true meaning of humanity and the costs associated with human independence.
“Memory”
Libretto by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Andrew Seligson
Type: One-Act Rock Opera
Runtime: 1 hour
“Memory” is a one-act rock opera – a musical fantasy, you might say – about man and a woman who mysteriously meet in a blissful, serene dream under a majestic spruce tree. Soon after, this same man and woman meet face-to-face in real life in exactly the same circumstances. This one meeting eventually turns into several meetings at different intervals of time, as the man and the women come to know each other, guided by a mysterious cloaked figure who seems to keep watch under the tree. While the woman remembers the dream and the utopian peace it bestowed on her life, the man remembers nothing, eventually causing a rupture between the two – the healing of which ultimately leads the man to a relationship of greater peace with the world and with his own place in it. “Memory” is a thoughtful, touching, intimate tale – avant-garde in nature and tender in style – about the emotional and spiritual journey of two souls looking for peace in their respective lives.
“One Little Wish”
Book by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Robert Bartsch
Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Type: Two-Act Musical Comedy
Runtime: 2 hours, 15 minutes
“One Little Wish” is a musical based on a French fairytale (adapted in other quarters as a Cuban or Puerto Rican fairytale) – here set in 18th century Paraguay – concerning a miserly septuagenarian who is tormented by people who steal pears from his beloved pear tree. This situation changes when the old man is visited by St. Peter in disguise and given a chance to put a curse on the pear tree that traps all potential pear-grabbers in the tree’s branches. The crafty curse, however, ends up causing more trouble than it’s worth when Death visits the old man to take him into the afterlife and unwittingly becomes trapped in the tree himself. With Death now up a tree, no one on Earth can die, leaving the world to face devastation and catastrophe – but the day is saved when a mysterious widow with a long-hidden secret rescues Death from the tree and brings purpose to the old man’s life. “One Little Wish” is a charming and touching musical fable about the hidden gems that exist in our lives and the undying hope that allows us to live long enough to enjoy them.