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DEAD JOHN Horror-Comedy Rock Musical Will Premiere at Hollywood Fringe Festival

The show plays Madnani Theater, featuring a 10-person cast and 13 original songs inspired by KISS and Def Leppard.

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DEAD JOHN Horror-Comedy Rock Musical Will Premiere at Hollywood Fringe Festival

An original horror-comedy rock musical, DEAD JOHN will premiere this June as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Madnani Theater in Los Angeles.

This original musical follows all-female rock band Third Twin - on the verge of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction - when a freak onstage accident kills one of their bandmates. As conspiracy-fueled rumors spread and a sinister deal with devilish media mogul Bobby Beelz begins to unravel, the band must navigate fame, sacrifice, backstage chaos, and a rising body count - because... the show must go on!

Inspired by everything from Stephen King and Final Destination to This Is Spinal Tap and '80s arena rock, DEAD JOHN blends theatrical spectacle, dark comedy, supernatural horror, and live rock performance into a high-energy original musical experience. The production features 13-original songs, a 10-person cast, four full-scale death sequences, and a fully original score inspired by legendary bands including Journey, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, KISS, and Motley Crue.

The show's incredible cast includes: Sophia Marie Rizzo, Claire Jansen, Gabriella Certo, Renee Cohen, Paulina Celeste, Joya Mia Italiano, Tasha Taylor, Brittany Hoza, Kayle Jaye, and Roo Dawn Spear.

The creative team behind DEAD JOHN includes music/lyrics writer and musical director Tyler Rivera Stein, a NYU and Berklee grad composer whose work includes the Emmy Award-winning short Deviant and the feature film Surrender Dorothy; book writer/director Logan Horberg, whose background spans FX makeup, immersive entertainment, and horror storytelling through his podcast Scare Me Twice; and producer Taissa Zveiter, a Television Academy member and actress known for her roles in TV series like The Lincoln Lawyer - NETFLIX, The Morning Show - AppleTV, Pam & Tommy - HULU, The Offer - Paramount+ and High Potential - ABC.

Performances will take place at The Madnani Theater, located at 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles. Performance dates include June 6 at 3pm, June 14 at 6:30pm (SOLD OUT), June 17 at 7pm, June 24 at 8:30pm, and June 27 at 6pm.



Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Revival of a Musical - Top 3
1. Ragtime
39.5% of votes
2. Chess
22% of votes
3. CATS: The Jellicle Ball
21.9% of votes

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