Category Archives: Literary Lyricism

The music in great literature, or great literature adapted to music.

The Young Lovers’ Path to Speak Easy

Posted on June 25, 2017 by

Two Fawns in the Wood Dance into the Light   Maybe it’s just a dream.  Maybe it’s real.  Maybe it doesn’t matter either way.  For the shame and the betrayal are felt just as acutely. In the musical Speakeasy, an … Continue reading →

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SPEAKEASY – The Irony of the Young Lovers’ Duets

Posted on June 22, 2017 by

Curious Colorful Night – It’s a Dream – Momentary Bliss Three lovers’ duets that are not what they seem to the ear Ah, young lovers’ duets.  A hallmark of musicals, especially those of the 1920s and 1930s, and so of … Continue reading →

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SPEAKEASY – Advice from a (Lesbian) Caterpillar

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

Two songs from “Speakeasy” explore two sides of a closeted 1920’s lesbian For many years I hoped to write a musical about the queer subculture of Roaring Twenties New York, but didn’t find my “in” until I came upon the … Continue reading →

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The Passing of The Oriole’s Song

Posted on May 18, 2017 by

  The Last Question   I do not remember                     what my father said           when we last spoke.   But my mother remembers       … Continue reading →

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SPAMALOT infiltrates EMILY DICKINSON in A QUIET PASSION

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

Arthur: But I’m alone (Patsy: oh no you’re not!) So all alone (Patsy: I’m here you twat!) All by myself I’m all alone   I’m All Alone (from “Spamalot”) – Tim Curry and Michael McGrath What do Monty Python and … Continue reading →

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CANNIBALISM IN THE CARS – a Musical Take on Mark Twain’s Succulent Satire of Congress

Posted on April 11, 2017 by

Congress … yuck!  A distasteful subject!  Quite literally even, according to Mark Twain. Every year Congress gives us more reasons to loathe it.  This year perhaps more than ever. Thinking ill and making fun of Congress is a sport that … Continue reading →

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SONGS OF JOB’S DESPAIR – “I’m Alive” & “Divine Intervention”

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

“I’m Alive” and “Divine Intervention” are two songs that speak to humanity’s age-old despair, in the person of one man crying out against overwhelming unspeakable events outside of his fault and control. They were written for The Song of Job … Continue reading →

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HOPE? Maybe just PRAYING FOR TIME

Posted on January 3, 2017 by

Last year I ushered in the new year with Hope for a New Year, featuring the cathartic finale “Hope” of my oratorio The Song of Job 9:11.  A song of phoenix like rising from the ashes, a gently defiant assertion … Continue reading →

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LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI – a mini musical adaptation

Posted on July 15, 2016 by

  I recently created the TWAIN page, where you can read about stories and listen to musical excerpts from my Mark Twain musical comedy beTwixt, beTween & beTWAIN.  Below I will reproduce a complete scene from the musical, the mini-adaptation … Continue reading →

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So, Apparently the Corpse of Harry Potter Washed Up on a Beach

Posted on June 25, 2016 by

SPOILER AND ODOR ALERT: The following contains details of the movie Swiss Army Man, starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, as well as of the Harry Potter series which many will consider spoilers.  As well as ghastly many references to … Continue reading →

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Speakeasy inspired ART by PETER BONNER

Posted on February 28, 2016 by

Peter Bonner is a New York based artist originally from Australia.  We met as members of the choir singing the Ode to Joy in Carnegie Hall with the World Community Orchestra.  He has been reading the libretto and listening to … Continue reading →

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The BROADWAY BLOG spotlights SPEAKEASY

Posted on February 8, 2016 by

The Broadway Blog has posted an article about Speakeasy.  Find it here or read the excerpt below: Opening — ‘Speakeasy: John and Jane’s Adventures in Wonderland’ February 8th, 2016 Matthew Wexler Before there was Hedwig and the Angry Inch, there … Continue reading →

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Speakeasy – THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE vs. THE LOBSTER CHARLESTON

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

Introducing the latest dance craze from the Roaring Twenties: The Lobster Charleston! The Lobster Charleston Yes, it’s a novelty dance, like the Turkey Trot, or the Chicken Dance, or the Macarena, the Mashed Potato and Gangnam Style. But it’s imaginary, … Continue reading →

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Speakeasy Photo Shoot Extra: The Unbearable Cuteness of Jane and John

Posted on January 13, 2016 by

Or perhaps I should say, the off-the-charts adorableness of Rosalie Graziano and Matias Polar as Jane and John Allison? The last shot of the day we did at the press photo shoot was a shot of Jane and John reading … Continue reading →

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Behind the scenes at the SPEAKEASY PRESS PHOTO SHOOT

Posted on January 11, 2016 by

It is an odd reality of our production of Speakeasy that our Public Relations officer required press photos before we even launched into rehearsals.  So we had to “create” moments from the show before we had yet gotten around to … Continue reading →

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A Halloween Treat: THE TELL-TALE HEART – A MUSICABRE and the roommate from hell who planted its seed

Posted on October 28, 2015 by

Just in time for Halloween the Tell-Tale Heart page goes live today, showcasing the audio of a live performance of my musical adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”. The Tell-Tale Heart is the ultimate bad roommate story, as … Continue reading →

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