Musical Comedy & Musical Theater
You'll hear myriad eclectic influences in Musical Comedies and Musical Theater by Brian Woodbury. Your discerning ear may hear distant strains informed by Rogers and Hammerstein, Richard Strauss operas, The Beatles, Luciano Berio, Bollywood's R.D. Burman, and all kinds of pop music, teen and otherwise. Brian studied musical comedy songwriting with Tom Lehrer, corresponded with Yip Harburg, and was a member of the alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.Â
Ghost-SÂ Â (2013)
(music & lyrics, Brian Woodbury; book, Kincaid Jones; co-lyricist, Noelle Donfeld)
A small-town theater troupe tries to put on the Broadway musical based on the Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg movie Ghost, but mistakenly gets the rights to an atrocious musical based on Ibsen’s Ghosts. Developed with The Academy for New Musical Theatre.
Musical by Brian Woodbury, Joe Moe & Elma Mayer
Listen on the Killa Vanilla website – click below:
Where I’m Comin’ From (2004)
(book by Joe Moe, songs by Mr. Woodbury with Sean Altman, Elma Mayer and Michael Webster)
A teen pop musical set in a high school; adapted from unproduced project written for TV.
Where I'm Comin' From (Brian Woodbury & Michael Webster) sung by Carmel Echols, percussion Deep Singh, produced by Michael Webster & Brian Woodbury
What U See Ain't What U Get (Brian Woodbury & Sean Altman) sung by Michele Riganese, produced by Roger Greenawalt & Sean Altman
The Lunch That Changed the World (1997)
(book & lyrics, Sammy Buck) a 10-minute musical posits the counter-historical claim that a Los Angeles luncheon honoring Gorbachev brought down the Berlin Wall and ended the Cold War.
Little Nemo in Slumberland (1997)
(book, Rosanna Gamson) a children’s musical based on the Windsor McCay cartoons, about a boy who gets trapped in his dreams.
Speech Impediment (1995)
A piece for two actors and wind ensemble.
Twentieth Century Limited (1992)
A revue co-written and performed by Mr. Woodbury and his sister actor/playwright Heather Woodbury. The song "My Africa Too" originated in this show.
The Misadventures of Alice E. Neuman (1991)
Co-composer of songs and score with Frank London and Elma Mayer.
Harangue (1986)
A theatrical song cycle performed by Mr. Woodbury, premiered at New Langton Arts in San Francisco. Â Side 2 of "All White People Look Alike."
The Hammerdancer (1983)
(book, music & lyrics by Mr. Woodbury) A circus musical set in a fictionalized Eastern European on the eve of the First World War, amid the local custom of compulsory hat-trading, the dangerous sport of fencing with hammers, and anarchist conspiracies.
Splendrix (1979-1980)
A multimedia theater piece set in a corporate office written by Erling Wold, Everett Shock, Lynn Murdock, Bob Adams & Mr. Woodbury. Performed by the writers.
Dance
Herd (1990)
(choreographer, Clare Maxwell; co-composer Elma Mayer)
Round (1991)
(choreographer, Rosanna Gamson)