Onward & Upward

In 1982, Walter Griffin made national headlines after flying 16,000 feet in the sky with a lawnchair and a cluster of weather balloons. 17 years later, a surreal visit from his idol, wirewalker Philippe Petit, blurs the line between reality and fantasy in this intimiate chamber musical adapted from Up (The Man in the Flying Chair) by Bridget Carpenter.

Onward & Upward received the Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists and was subsequently developed in a reading at the Phoenix Theatre Company and a ten-day workshop in New York City co-produced by TPTC and Amas Musical Theatre. The musical was also a Semifinalist for the 2023 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center.

Selected demos from Onward & Upward.

Word Nerd

Bob Otto is America’s second favorite cruciverbalist (someone skillful in creating or solving crossword puzzles) and the host of his very own syndicated television game show, Word Nerd. But when the show’s producers devise a questionable plan to boost the show’s falling ratings, Bob is faced with a difficult choice. Should he maintain his personal and professional integrity, or do whatever it takes to save the show from its imminent cancellation?

Word Nerd was a Semifinalist for the 2023 and 2024 National Music Theatre Conference, and its first act was performed at the 2022 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament at the personal invitation of Will Shortz, earning a mention in The New York Times. The original musical was also a Finalist for Normal Ave’s 2023 NAPSeries festival. The book was written with Simon Rabinowitz.

Selected demos from Word Nerd with mixing by Noah Vinogradov.

The Order of Chaos

The world is full of questions, and answers are in short supply. Some people, however, believe they have found a way to bring order to the chaos. At an annual retreat at a Motel 6 in rural Idaho, these enlightened few—they call themselves “Truth Seekers,” but we know them as conspiracy theorists—gather to discuss the harsh realities the rest of us are afraid to confront, until a newcomer begins to question whether the summit hides secrets of its own.

The Order of Chaos was first presented in August 2022 during a residence at the Shakespeare Academy @ Stratford.

Unscheduled Maintenance

During a hiccup in her morning train ride, a young woman escapes the tedium of the everyday and plunges into a world of unforeseen freedom. This short piece was a nominee at the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards.

Video Rental Store

When all of the streaming services in the country are suddenly disabled, a small video rental store becomes an unexpected beacon of hope. Soon available for licensing through MTI’s second 10-Minute Musical Collection.