Rags Parkland POSTPONED

January 11, 2022

Due to the ongoing COVID spike and uncertainty about the safety and surety of beginning a production process, we have had to postpone the 2022 production of Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future. We anticipate setting new dates at Irondale in winter/spring 2023.

Rags Parkland Returns!

December 14, 2021

I'm THRILLED to share that my Lortel-winning musical Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future is returning to the stage in 2022! The Ars Nova production is getting a remount in March and April of 2022 at the Space at Irondale in Brooklyn. We're excited that most of the original cast and creative team are able to rejoin the production. I can't wait to invite audiences to join The Future! Tickets are on sale now at www.RagsParklandMusical.com!

Rags Parkland Album Celebration

December 1, 2021

The cast of Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future is reuniting for a concert to celebrate the March 2020 release of their original cast recording, released by Broadway Records! The night will feature the whole band, back together for the first time since they recorded the album. Expect songs from the Lortel Award-winning show, other music from the Rags Parkland universe (including cut songs!) and a very exciting announcement! We almost had this concert last year, so we are excited to finally celebrate the past, present, and future of Rags Parkland with you all!

My Song In Helluva Boss!

November 1, 2021

I got to write a song for the hit indie animated web show Helluva Boss! It's the big musical number in Episode 7 Part 1-- and is primarily performed by Broadway stars James Monroe Iglehart and Alex Brightman and legendary voice actor Richard Horvitz. The tune was orchestrated, arranged, and tracked by Debbie Tjong and Nate Hopkins.

The embed below is cued up to the song! If you dig it, check out the whole series. And CW: it's for adults! the show is about a bunch of imps who live in hell and run an assassin for hire business-- and this episode takes place a club run by the Prince of Lust! You get the picture!

Reading of Freaks! Or, The First Werewolf

October 25, 2021

Come see me in a reading of Chris Harder's new play Freaks, Or The First Werewolf at Abrons Arts Center!
It's been a pleasure to reunite with Chris (this time IRL!) and work with director Annika Prager and this talented cast on a new queer coming of age story!
Tickets are Free!

American Cryptids Comes To Jackson Heights!

October 11, 2021

Portia Krieger and I have been conducting in-depth creature research in her neighborhood of Jackson Heights Queens all year long. Thanks to a City Artist Corps grant we've been able to bring in other artists from the neighborhood to help us gather stories and adapt them into a theatrical concert for the community! Along with songwriter Kacia Flórez and designer Reish Baboolal we've crafted a bilingual English/Spanish concert that we'll be performing in Travers Park at 5pm on 10/17/2021. Thanks to Jackson Heights' artist Eric Teran we have this fun poster:

Hamlet: A Pop Musical at Discovering Broadway

August 23, 2021

I just spent a week in Carmel, Indiana working on Hamlet: A Pop Musical as part of the development program at Discovering Broadway. I'm one of MANY songwriters contributing tunes to the musical. Each of us is writing the songs for a different character in the play. Well, I'm writing for two sets of characters: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern and The Gravediggers. We got the chance to finally spend some time together thinking about the show-- and also put on one heck of a concert in Carmel. It was a dreamy trip-- and I can't wait to share the work of my cohort of co-composer/lyricists with you when the time comes!

Declan on Girls5Eva

May 11, 2021

Check me out as Declan on the new NBC/Peacock comedy Girls5Eva!

It's a new show created by Meredith Scardino and Exec. Produced by Tina Fey, starring Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps. I'm in Episode 2! 

Here's the trailer (which, full disclosure, I'm not in!) 

Hunter MFA Playwrights Festival

May 3, 2021

I'll be reading a role in a new play as part of the Hunter MFA Playwrights Festival. The reading of playwright Chris Harder's My Ajax, directed by Jackson Gay, will be streaming on 5/6. More info available here!

Never Again Is Now

November 1, 2020

Rick Burkhardt invited me to sing in a video for a timely new tune he wrote. I'm a big fan of Rick's! Check it out! 

PoliSub Election Night Detox Party

October 12, 2020

Political Subversities returns with an election night event to give you a break from doomscrolling and election anxiety. 

Novemeber 3rd at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Streaming live on YouTube
Tickets are Pay What You Can -- Available Here

Featuring new original material from PoliSub
Plus special guest acts and speakers
Sharing comedy, storytelling, knowledge, and inspiration! 

Rags Parkland Album Spotlight

October 1, 2020

Broadway Records featured Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future in an Album Spotlight Livestream, featuring me, Stacey Sargeant, and Jessie Lindon in conversation with our producer David Treatman! Check it out!

New Songs Now

July 30, 2020

I'm delighted and honored to be sharing some new songs as part of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Rosalind Productions' New Songs Now concert series. I'm on a bill with some true lights of the new music-theater universe: Troy Anthony, Ellen Winter, Masi Asare, Julian Hornik, and Jillian Walker. 

Rattlestick has swiftly become one of my favorite NYC theaters and communities. 
Join us on Thursday, July 30th at 8pm
Streaming live -- RSVP here for the link!

New Song At SIGNAL

April 17, 2020

I shared a new song as part of SIGNAL - a new music theater performance series produced by Adam Lenson Productions, based in the UK. To watch the whole show, and shows past and future, visit https://www.thebonfire.uk/

Rags Parkland Album Release Livestream

March 28, 2020

Rags Parkland Album Drops!

March 27, 2020

The Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future Official Cast Recording is now available!

Gotta shout out all these brilliant creative collaborators:
Featuring Stacey Sargeant, Rick Burkhardt, Jessie Linden, Tony Jarvis, Debbie Christine Tjong, and me!
Directed by Jordan Fein
Music Directed by Madeline Smith
Produced by David Treatman and Tony Maimone
Recorded and Mixed by Tony Maimone
Mastered by Adam Ayan
Sound Designed by Ben Lapidus
Package Design by Philip Romano

We worked LONG and VERY HARD making this thing, and we're SUPER PROUD of it. I hope you'll check it out!

You can view and download the album booklet here!

Buy a digital copy on iTunes, GooglePlay, or Amazon.
Stream it on Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Tidal.
Buy a CD on Broadway Records website (deliveries are currently delayed due to COVID-19)

YOU CAN EVEN EMBED A SPOTIFY PLAYER 
So feels free to check it out right this gosh darn moment:

National Lampoon's LEMMINGS: 21st Century

February 15, 2020

EDIT :: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LEMMINGS: 21st Century has been postponed until August 15th & 16th at 9:30pm, at Joe's Pub. Tickets are currently available here! 

---------------------------------

I will be performing in the reboot of the iconic National Lampoon live show Lemmings!
This completely new show, inspired by the 1973 long-running show that kicked off the careers of Christopher Guest, John Belushi, Harold Ramis, and other legendary comedians, will premier at Joe's Pub March 15th and 16th at 9:30pm.

You can learn more about it here.

Finn The Fearless Demos!

January 24, 2020

I'm excited to share the newest demos for Finn The Fearless! (a musical I wrote with Andrew Farmer)

Farmer and I received a $2,000 Saw Island Foundation Recording Grant as part of the 2018 Jonathon Larson Award-- and we put it towards cutting these three demos! They were recorded by Lorenzo Wolff at Restoration Sound with an incredible group of generous and talented artists:

Rick Burkhardt (accordion, guitar, music direction)
Andrew R. Butler (vocals)
Adrian Enscoe (vocals, banjo)
Freddy Epstein (bass)
Eric Farber (percussion)
Andrew Farmer (vocals)
Ben Langhorst (vocals)
Jessie Linden (drums)
Sage Melcher (vocals)
MiMi Scardulla (vocals)
Nicole Weiss (vocals)
Lorenzo Wolff (dobro)

Recorded by Lorenzo Wolff at Restoration Sound

If you pop over to my soundcloud there are more (older) demos of other songs from the show as well! We are currently seeking a world premiere production of this show. It has been workshopped and developed extensively at institutions around the country over the past six years, including at Theater Aspen, The American Music Theater Project at Northwestern, Polyphone Festival at University Of The Arts in Philly, in residence at Ars Nova, and at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. 

I'd love for you to give a listen!

The Songs Of Andrew R. Butler at 54 Below

January 1, 2020

I'm excited to do a show of my songs at 54 Below on the 16th of this month!

I've invited a collection of brilliant friends to perform songs from my musicals, including tunes from Rags Parkland Sings The Song Of The Future (the Ars Nova cast!), Finn The Fearless, BLESSING, and my new bunny murder-musical with OTR,  The Hole Story!

Here's who will be joining me onstage:
Brittain Ashford
Kuhoo Verma
Nicole Weiss
MiMi Scardulla
Debbie Tjong
Stacey Sargeant
Eric Farber
Freddy Epstein
Rick Burkhardt
and more TBA

Get your tickets pronto and I'll see ya there!

EDELWEISS at Ars Nova!

December 1, 2019

My holiday show with On The Rocks Theater Co. is returning for its third year, and this time we're taking the show uptown to Ars Nova! 

We'll be there December 18th, 19th, and 20th at 8pm.
I'll be reprising the role of Chick, one of the elves of the North Pole Botanists' Society throwing an impromptu memorial for the suddenly and improbably deceased Santa Claus. (RIP) The cast has some new faces I'm excited about. Come ring in the holidays with us!

STEREOPHONIC workshop

November 1, 2019

I've had the honor and joy to participate in a number of workshops/readings of the new David Adjmi play STEREOPHONIC over the past few years, always under the brilliant direction of Daniel Aukin. This month we're doing the biggest round of work yet, under the care of NYC's Second Stage Theater and LA's Center Theater Group. The cast is a re-mark-able collection of actor-musicians (the play follows a band recording a studio album over the course of a year) and the songs for the show are by none other than Arcade Fire's Will Butler. 

Very Smart And Fragile Boys

October 27, 2019

I'm spending some time over the next month devising a new show helmed by director Andrew Neisler (Political Subversities, Folk Wandering) and lead artist Scott Sheppard (of Lightning Rod Special). We're looking at several texts and sources, ranging from pick up artists, to mass public apologies, to the transcendentalists, in an investigation of male entitlement and fragility. The crew is thick with brilliant creator-performers, and we have the Public Theater to thank for supporting this round of development of this nascent project! 

FOOD CO-OP Available Online!

August 15, 2019

Here's the web comedy pilot I did earlier this year!
It premiered at New Filmmakers this summer and is now available online.
Fingers crossed, we'll get to make some more episodes this fall!
You can watch it below or learn more at https://www.foodcoop.tv/

FOOD CO-OP
created by Hayley Appelman, Willy Appelman and David Bernstein

Directed by Willy Appelman
Written by Hayley Appelman, Willy Appelman & David Bernstein
Produced by Tom Capps
Edited by Willy Appelman
Music by Andreas Haberlin
Sound by Ruben Morales?
Shot by Jamie Northrup

Featuring Andrew R. Butler, David Carl, Hayley Appelman, Iliana Inocencio, Katie Hartman, Michael Cruz Kayne, Michael Delisle, Brittany Lee McDonald, Sarah Grace Welbourn, Tessa Hersh, Tim Dunn, Willy Appelman and Woody Fu

Friday Afternoon To Premier in Mexico City!

July 15, 2019

Paige Campbell's indie feature Friday Afternoon will be receiving its world premiere in August as an official selection of the MICGenero Film Festival in Mexico City! I play Jacob, the boyfriend of the film's protagonist Gus (played by the incredible Kim Blanck). I'll be attending two of the film's screenings at the festival in CDMX with Paige on 8/7 and 8/10. There's also a screening in CDMX on 8/2, and additional screenings around the country in Xalapa, Acapulco, and Chilpancingo. If you know anyone who will be in Mexico City while a screening is happening, send them our way! 

MICGENERO SCREENINGS:

CDMX:
AUGUST 2 / FRIDAY / 20:00 / GOETHE-INSTITUT MEXIKO
AUGUST 7 / WEDNESDAY / 9:00 PM / CINEMEX INSURGENTES
AUGUST 10 / SATURDAY / 5:00 PM / NATIONAL CINETECA

XALAPA, VER .:
SEPTEMBER 1 / SUNDAY / 7:00 PM / AGE OF THE CITY WARRIOR

ACAPULCO:
SEPTEMBER 12 / THURSDAY / 3:00 PM / FARO ZAPATA CULTURAL CENTER

CHILPANCINGO:
SEPTEMBER 9 / MONDAY / 5:30 PM / AUDITORIO FEELINGS OF THE NATION

The Elementary Spacetime Show at Powerhouse

July 1, 2019

I'm spending the next couple of weeks in Poughkeepsie working on César Alvarez and Emily Orling's musical The Elementary Spacetime Show as part of New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse season. I did a reading of a much earlier draft of the project in 2014 (or 2015?) at Ars Nova, and the show has had many stages of development since then, including productions at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and at NYU. 

This workshop is the first sharing of a totally new version of the show, directed by Sarah Benson, who directed César's show Futurity at SoHo Rep. I was in Futurity and am excited to be back in the room with Sarah, César, and Emily to work on this incredible show. There are four workshop-readings of the musical at The Martel Theater on the Vassar Campus, where the Powerhouse Season is in residence each summer.