The Musicals of Scott Miller

UNPRODUCED Book and Lyrics by Scott Miller & W.S. Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan & John Gerdes New Line Theatre presented a public reading, Jan. 6, 2020 at the Marcelle Theater, St. Louis http://www.newlinetheatre.com/oedipus-reading.html SYNOPSIS King Oedipus is already having a bad day, and here comes some REALLY bad news! All Oedipus wants is to lift the curse that's made his city sick, broke, and pissed off, but all these prophecies keep getting in the way. Could it be true that Oedipus killed the last king without realizing it? Is it possible he's married to his own mother? Does his name really mean "swollen foot"? Maybe Tiresias the Blind Seer knows the answers. But does Oedipus really want to know...? After shocking the music and theatre worlds by rediscovering Gilbert & Sullivan’s lost masterpiece The Zombies of Penzance in 2013, and then staging and publishing the controversial original opera, in 2018, now New Line Theatre artistic...

New Line Theatre presents the world premiere Book and Lyrics by Scott Miller & W.S. Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan & John Gerdes Sept. 27-Oct.20, 2018 Marcelle Theater, St. Louis http://www.newlinetheatre.com/zoppage.html Nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association's 2018 New Play Award Purchase the 2018 live original cast recording here . Purchase the script here . Purchase the vocal selections here . Purchase the full piano-vocal score here . SYNOPSIS One of Gilbert & Sullivan's best known works, The Pirates of Penzance , originally debuted in New York in 1879. What we now know is that there was an earlier, stranger draft of the show, which nobody knew about until now, with most of the same characters but a somewhat different plot. In Gilbert & Sullivan's never-before seen original draft, dated December 1878 and titled The Zombies of Penzance (with the unwieldy subtitle, At Night Come the Flesh Eaters ), Major-General Stanley...

New Line Theatre presents the world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller Oct.12-Nov. 4, 2006 ArtLoft Theatre, St. Louis http://www.newlinetheatre.com/johnnypage.html Purchase the script here . Purchase the vocal selections here . SYNOPSIS Johnny Appleweed, itinerant philosopher-stoner, is on his way to Washington D.C. to tell the President he's screwing up our country and he should stop that! Over the course of the first act, Johnny meets up with a Christian-Republican closet-case, a lesbian performance artist, Jesus Christ himself, and a perky former televangelist. In Act II, this quirky gang of five finally meets the President and they set about trying to convince him to change his political ways. Through the lens of a pot-friendly worldview, the show takes aim at American party politics, the War on Terror, poverty, our American culture of violence, gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana, sexual oppression, and increasingly rabid American religious f...

Harrah's Casino presents the world premiere by Scott Miller Dec.27-28, 2000 Harrah's Casino, St. Louis Purchase the script here . SYNOPSIS The family and friends of Preston Seaborn have gathered for a benefit dinner for his upcoming political campaign, but barely five minutes into dinner, Preston falls dead into his food, barely noticed by his bickering wife and kids. Seaborn's campaign manager Sam Gaines tries to control the ensuing chaos, but when Detective Coffee shows up with some uncomfortable secrets from the Seaborns' past, their only escape may be to serve dessert... THE CAST Preston Seaborn/Detective Coffee – Troy Schnider Veronica Seaborn – Mary "Mo" Monahan Cordelia Seaborn – Robin Kelso Thaddeus Seaborn – Troy Turnipseed Sam Gaines – Colin DeVaughan THE ARTISTIC STAFF Director – Scott Miller AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE... I found out in 2018 that, back in 2000, Harrah's canceled further performances of this show because they...

Out of Line Proudctions presents the world premiere by Scott Miller St. Marcus Theatre, St. Louis, Aug.5-28, 1999 Lillian Theatre, Los Angeles, April 6-May 27, 2001 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, August 2002 Strawberry Theatre, London, Feb. 12-March 1, 2003 Purchase the script here . SYNOPSIS It's Michael's thirty-fifth birthday, and his friends are coming over to celebrate, for better or worse, as he grieves over his advancing age in a youth-obsessed culture, and also over his inability to find a smart gay comedy with nudity to fill his small theatre company's bank account. And his late-arriving surprise birthday present will just make it all worse. Much worse. Head Games  takes pot shots at many aspects of pop culture at the turn of the new century, but also at itself, questioning the artistic value of the genre into which it fits. But it also doubles back on itself structurally, playing the story out of chronology -- so that as Act II opens, you realize that m...

New Line Theatre presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller May 5-20, 1995 St. Marcus Theatre, St. Louis Purchase the 1995 original cast recording here . Purchase the script here . Purchase the vocal selections here . Purchase the sheet music for "The Tale of Zachary Church"  here . SYNOPSIS Part romance, part Gothic horror, part comedy, In the Blood explores the unlikely romance between the vampire Zachary Church and Adam Graham, a hematologist with HIV, in the early years of the AIDS pandemic. If vampires are the only ones who can't be affected by the AIDS virus, do they have some responsibility to pass on their immunity? And for someone with AIDS, what price is too high for acquiring that immunity? When Adam asks Zach to turn him to vampirism so he won't die, Zach is torn. He has vowed never to make another vampire, never to subject anyone else to the horrific loneliness he has known for so long. Ultimately, Zach has to choose b...

New Line Theatre presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller based on an actual court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico March 18-26, 1994 New City School Theatre, St. Louis Purchase the script here . Purchase the vocal selections here . SYNOPSIS Based on one of the most important book banning cases in U.S. history, Breaking Out in Harmony (a rewrite of The Line) explores the personal conflicts and powder keg emotions behind a simple act that snowballed into a U.S. Supreme Court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico. A small group of parents in a quiet suburban town break into their kids' high school library one night to remove "objectionable" books they've found on a list from a national conservative parents group. When their kids find out, the town is soon split in two – and so are some of the families – and the kids end up taking their parents and their school district all the way to the Supreme Court. THE CAST Tucker...

New Line Theatre presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller July 17-18, 1992 Center of Contemporary Arts, St. Louis Purchase the script  here . Purchase the vocal selections here . SYNOPSIS Attempting the Absurd is one of the first truly postmodern meta-musicals (written 1986-1992, debuted 1992), about a young man named Jason who has figured out that he's only a character in a musical and doesn’t actually exist; and his special knowledge has persuaded those around him that he's off his nut. After he loses his girlfriend, he sets off on a quest to find The Answers To It All, along with his musical comedy sidekick, Chaz. Along the way the two find love (both gay and straight), community theatre friends, a little jail time, and ultimately irrefutable proof that Jason is right after all. Love and a copy of the script to Attempting the Absurd conquer all, and all ends as it should, with a happy, full company reprise. THE CAST Darcy Bowles – Jenn...

Affton Alumni Theatre presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller based on an actual court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico July 26-27, 1985 Affton Senior High School Theatre, St. Louis Purchase the script  here . Purchase the vocal selections  here . SYNOPSIS Based on one of the most important book banning cases in U.S. history, The Line explores the personal conflicts and powder keg emotions behind a simple act that snowballed into a U.S. Supreme Court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico. A small group of parents in a quiet suburban town break into their kids' high school library one night to remove "objectionable" books they've found on a list from a national conservative parents group. When their kids find out, the town is soon split in two – and so are some of the families – and the kids end up taking their parents and their school district all the way to the Supreme Court. THE CAST Max – Ann Pierce Kevin Strat...

never produced Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller Winter 1984 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Purchase the vocal selections here . SYNOPSIS Astro Turf is a twenty-minute one-act musical written as a special project for a history of astronomy class at Harvard University in 1986. Five major astronomers, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler, come together and present in song their views on the nature of motion and the creation of the heavens. THE CHARACTERS A Voice Not Unlike God Aristotle (Greek, 384-322 BC) Claudius Ptolemy (Greek, c. 125 AD) Nicolaus Copernicus (Polish, 1473 - 1543) Tycho Brahe (Danish, 1546 - 1601) Johannes Kepler (German, 1571 - 1630) THE REVIEWS (i.e., my professors' comments) “This is really quite super! There is obviously a lot of research and thought here, and a lot of very subtle points! Bravo!  A+” – Owen Gingrich, professor emeritus of astronomy and the history of science, Harvard University “A ma...

The Harvard Off-Key Musical Theatre Company presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller March 15-17, 1984 Leverett Old Library Theatre, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Purchase the script  here . Purchase the vocal selections  here . SYNOPSIS Topsiders eavesdrops on six Harvard freshman, as they navigate their first year away from home, surrounded by nothing but other over-achievers – other “topsiders.” A full academic year goes by, from freshman orientation through to summer break, with papers, finals, drinking, Hostess snack cakes, all-nighters, more drinking, dating, homesickness, and the legendary final episode of M*A*S*H. THE CAST Michael – Charlie Godinez Ice – Jonathan Engel Steve – William Henderson Kath – Lesley Blumenthal Anne – Susan Harmeling Dana – Marie Schumacher THE ARTISTIC STAFF Director – Scott Miller Producer – Charles Rudnick Choreographer – Clarissa Cerda Technical Director – Christopher Roy L...

The Harvard University Freshman Dean's Office presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller Additional Lyrics by Dave Englehart April 21-23, 1983 Harvard University Freshman Union, Cambridge, MA SYNOPSIS In Musical (the musical), Dave is a writer of musicals, and he navigates the difficult social, academic, and artistic terrain of college the best he can, considering the circumstances – but Dave is writing the musical we’re watching as we’re watching it, and as all the conflicts come to a head in the middle of Act II, the show stops cold, because Dave – the show’s author – doesn’t know what comes next... THE CAST Dave Musgrove – Christopher Roy Ms. Rachel Lockhart – Teddi Howe Ben Garfield – Charles Rudnick Alec Moore – Chris Cowperthwaite Nancy Kramer – Kendall Webb Mike Langstrom – Chris Crutcher Sue McDonnell – Clarissa Cerda Roz Garrett – Carolyn Martin Mr. Harvey Crumm – Jack E. Holt Chet Forreter – A.J. Bakalor THE ARTISTIC STAFF D...

Affton Senior High School Drama Dept. presents a world premiere Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller Nov. 20-21, 1981 Affton Senior High School, St. Louis Purchase the script here . Purchase the vocal selections here . Purchase the original Affton High School cast recording here . SYNOPSIS Adam Graham is just an ordinary, nerdy, drama kid, who has an unhealthy attraction to the school’s sluttiest ball-buster, Angela. It takes losing his best friend and getting cruelly dumped for Adam to hit rock-bottom and realize he always had everything he needed to be happy inside himself. THE CAST Adam Graham – Chris Honigfort Charley Williams – Darren Thompson Ralph Stingleman – Jeff Kinderman Fuzz Daniels – Craig George Angela Richardson – Ann Pierce Sherri – Stephanie McDowell Skip Washington – Steve Murray Mrs. Mildred Pyewacket – Laurie Plant Mary Baxter – Linda Meyer Principal Winslow – Chris Pratt Mephistopheles – Jeff Amann Ensemble – Paul Abbott, Debbie Amann, Lauri...