Meet the Writers…

Laurence Holzman & Felicia Needleman

Book & Lyrics

Laurence & Felica won the prestigious Kleban Award for Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettists, as well as ASCAP’s Sammy Cahn Award for Outstanding Lyricists. They collaborated on the book & lyrics of musicals for many years, up to the time of Felicia's untimely death from breast cancer in July 2023. The duo first met in Modern Drama class at Columbia College and wrote together in the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Laurence and Felicia's other works include Wallenberg (White Plains Performing Arts Center, NYMF and Equity Lab directed by Martin Charnin), The Jerusalem Syndrome (Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company; Original Cast Recording on JAY Records; winner of the Theatre for the American Musical Prize for Most Promising Book Musical), That Time of the Year (Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company; Original Cast Recording on JAY Records), Suddenly Hope (Stamford Center for the Arts, Garfield Theatre in La Jolla and Denver Civic Theatre) and I Married a Witch (ASCAP Workshop), as well as the children’s musicals The Hudson River, We All Are America, and All the Same.   Projects in development include the original musicals, One Night (music by David Shenton) and The Window (music by Benjamin Rosenbluth), as well as Suddenly a Song, a collection of their cabaret material. Laurence and Felicia are both members of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. In addition to his work with Felicia, Laurence is the co-author (with Marc Goldsmith) of the original play and screenplay, The Queen is in the Parlour, and the original screenplay, Fella.  As a principal of Bard Theatricals, Laurence's producing credits includeThe Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jagged Little Pill, Stranger Sings!, Fiddler on the Roof, China Doll, The Scottsboro Boys, Looped, The Anarchist, and the Latin American premiere of El Chico de Oz, as well as the Museum of Broadway. Laurence is also a graduate of Columbia Law School. Felicia toured in 42nd Street as a member of Actor’s Equity, and was a featured performer with the A & G Dance Company. For several years, she was on the faculty of Broadway Dance Center, where she taught tap dance.  Her popular blog, UnwrittenRecipes.com, offered easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes. Felicia's many talents will be sorely missed.

Ian Brandon

Music

Ian is originally from London where he has worked as a Composer, Music Director, Actor, Vocal Arranger and Orchestrator in the West End and on National/European Tours. Composing credits in the US include: Lit (California Center For The Arts, Escondido), Walks of Life (Blindspot Collective, La Jolla Playhouse), A Christmas Carol (Lamb’s Players Theatre, Coronado), Cat (Theatre Of Note, L.A.), Hall Pass (WOW Festival, La Jolla Playhouse), The Winter’s Tale (Coronado Playhouse), Stuck, Warm It Up (Canyon Crest) and Wake Up Brother Bear (Casa Del Prado Theatre, San Diego). London/European Composing Credits include: Scales of the Unexpected, (Edinburgh Festival, European Tour), Ishq (Sadlers Wells), The Fall (Redbridge Drama Centre), Her Aching Heart (Hope Theatre), Trailertopia, Trash (Tristan Bates Theatre, Belgium), Mil Std 1815 (George Wood Theatre, Goldsmiths Univeristy), Notes From My Shelf (Battersea Barge), A Scent of Flowers (Brockley Jack Theatre), Arabian Nights (New Diorama Theatre), On Our Street, The Actor’s Nightmare, All In The Timing (Kings Head Theatre), Broadsheet Ballads, Broke, Twists & Turns, The River, ‘Dentity Crisis (Bridewell Theatre), Defining Johnson (Dr. Johnsons House, Bridewell Theatre), Big Bruvva (Edinburgh Festival, Upstairs At The Gatehouse), The Kids From Shame (Battersea Barge, Upstairs At The Gatehouse), Karfunkelfee (Bridewell Theatre/The White Cube) and The Enchanted Palace (Bridewell Theatre/Kensington Palace). US Music Direction/Conducting credits include: Hair (The Old Globe), The Wizard Of Oz (Moonlight Amphitheatre, Vista), Victoria & Victor Mature Cabaret (Bodhi Tree, San Diego/Palm Springs), Alice (Lamb’s Players Theatre, Coronado), Chasing Fear (Cygnet Theatre), Cancelled, A Kind of Weather (Diversionary Theatre) and Ragtime (Arena Stage, Washington D.C.). Other UK/European Musical Direction credits include Spring Awakening, Xanadu, Newsies, In The Heights, Parade, Sister Act, Carrie, The Addams Family, Frozen, Legally Blonde, The Lion King, Now Here This, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Crazy For You, Bare, Forever Plaid, Starting Here, Starting Now, Songs For A New World, Bat Boy, Violet, Children of Eden, Once On This Island and Pippin. Ian was the resident Composer and Music Director at the Bridewell Theatre and he has frequently Musically Directed and taught at many of the top Drama Conservatories in London. www.ianbrandon.com