Musicals
For Love or Funny
Book by Sonya Hayden & Megan Loughran
Music by Sonya Hayden
Lyrics by Megan Loughran
Based on the public domain Three Stooges film Sing a Song of Six Pants
Full-length, comedy, 8 actors
With a brassy, toe-tapping score inspired by vaudeville and big band music, this classic musical comedy follows three sisters (Mo, Mary, and Curley) who own a clothing store in 1930s Brooklyn that's about to close—unless they can somehow get $500 by tomorrow. When they learn that the cops are offering a substantial reward for the capture of a notorious robber, they hatch a plan to catch him themselves. Through mix-ups, mayhem, and mistaken identities, our trio must rely on their bonds of sisterhood to succeed—all the while throwing punches and punchlines.
North Star
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Additional Music by Kristoffer Bjarke
Full-length, dramedy, 8 actors
In this Greek mythology adventure musical for family audiences,
teenage princess Andromeda must assemble an A (well, more like B) team of heroes to help her survive when a god comes after her soul. Along the way, she discovers that she’s far more capable than she thought and realizes she herself might just be the hero she’s been looking for. The show explores themes of empowerment, sacrifice, and the meaning of heroism. Listen here.
Taking Off!
Book & Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Music by Matthew Lowy
Based on a short musical by Matthew Lowy, Sonya Hayden, & Rachel Sklar
Full-length, comedy, 12 actors
In this full-length musical comedy set in 1970, an enthusiastic first-time stewardess must navigate a wacky group of passengers' demands to succeed on an overseas flight. In this upward bound new musical, the sky is the limit and life vests are optional! Listen here.
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
The Luckiest Girl
Full-length, drama, 8 actors
A sheltered young woman becomes secretly involved in a women-led experimental theater troupe in 1920s Greenwich Village. As she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with another female member of the troupe, she finds a new kind of freedom, self-confidence, and independence. Listen here.
Design by Julia Peiperl
Wanda Does the Water Cycle
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Short, theater for young audiences, 4 actors
In this short musical for kids, precocious young water molecule Wanda visits the forbidden surface of her lake, where she promptly evaporates and, through learning about the water cycle, must figure out how to return home before the wind blows her away. Listen here.
Crazy But True
Book and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Music by Jon Hugo Ungar
Short, comedy, 2 actors
In this short romantic comedy musical, two awkward, lonely individuals meet in a deserted subway station and must decide whether to pursue their surprising connection before the next train arrives. Listen here.
It Ain't Over 'Til the Bat Lady Sings
Book by Sonya Hayden & A.J. Freeman
Music by Sonya Hayden
Lyrics by A.J. Freeman
Based on the play The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart & Avery Hopwood
One-act, comedy, 6 actors
An all-female murder mystery comedy musical! In the 1950s, after 60-year-old homemaker Cornelia's husband passes away, she feels ready for a new life chapter of adventure, excitement, and independence in a big city. But to her frustration, her beloved niece and perpetually anxious sister-in-law whisk her away to a remote village to grieve in peace—only to discover there’s a serial killer on the loose! Having found some excitement at last, Cornelia is determined to solve the case before the killer can snuff out someone she loves.
Dream a Little Dream
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Full-length, comedy, 8 actors
Composer Neil battles financial and career decisions while caught in a love triangle. In a wacky dream sequence involving in-laws, widgets, and a judge that places his music on trial, Neil confronts his dilemmas Freudian-style.
It's a Hard-Rock Life
Book and Lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Music by Jon Hugo Ungar
10-minute, theater for young audiences, 4-13 actors
In this short musical for kids, three awesome rock bands – Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic – vie for the title of Rock Star in a Battle of the Bands competition, trying to win over the audience with their moving origin stories and layer upon layer of rock puns.
Princeton University Triangle Club
As a member of the Triangle Club Writers' Workshop, Sonya contributed music and lyrics for the shows Tropic Blunder, An Inconvenient Sleuth, and Zero Gravitas. Listen here.
Triangle Writers' Workshop 2015
