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 (or 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 march on Washington, however, Paul’s world – and the entire country – is turned upside down. With the Madisons dispersed, the British advancing, and soon, the city in ashes – and his youth and innocence along with it – Paul confronts the injustices of life and of slavery, but, more importantly, discovers the tall, proud man hiding just behind the boy.
“HAIL AND REIGN”
Book and Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Lewis
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 (if amusing) Empress Matilda. The play itself details the intriguing and ambiguous relationship between Stephen, Matilda, and Stephen’s wife – a very different Matilda (“Matty”) – as they interact with each other against the struggle for the throne. The story around which the musical is based comes from a relatively under-represented gem in English Medieval (12th century) history – but the musical is not really about kings, queens, and crowns. The major theme of the piece concerns the trials and tribulations human beings are willing to endure for the people they love.
“HELLO WORLD”
Book and Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Robert Bartsch
Type: Two-Act Musical Comedy
Runtime: 2 hours
“Hello World” is a musical re-telling of the Greek myth of Pandora and her hapless husband – the God Epimetheus – who is tricked into marrying her as part of a crafty plan by Zeus to limit human curiosity. The story behind “Hello World” transforms the traditional legend so that Pandora becomes a heroine for humans rather than a villain who unleashed misery upon the world. Her rabid curiosity is the spark that causes the downtrodden humans of the past to emerge from ignorance and superstition into thinking and feeling beings. There is a new dawn, too, between Pandora and Epimetheus, who, through their struggles for humankind, develop a deep and abiding love for each other. “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 the story of a man and a woman who mysteriously meet in a blissful, serene dream and then, later, come face-to-face in the flesh underneath a majestic spruce – a meeting which turns into several meetings, at different intervals of time. While the woman remembers the dream and the utopian peace it bestowed on her life, the man remains in ignorance, 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. Ultimately, “Memory” is a thoughtful, touching, intimate tale about the emotional and spiritual journey of two souls looking for peace in their respective lives.
“ONE LITTLE WISH”
Book and Lyrics by Colin Speer Crowley
Music by Paul Robert Bartsch
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 Puerto Rican fairytale) 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 given a sudden 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 unwittingly becomes trapped in the tree and dooms the world to pain without relief. The day is saved when a 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.