David Austin

David Austin, composer, lyricist, playwright, and orchestrator, is the recipient of The Stephen Sondheim Artist Citation. Mr. Austin's songs have been performed and recorded by Tony winners Kelli O’Hara, and Sutton Foster, Primetime Emmy winner Megan Mullally, Saturday Night Live alumni, Ana Gasteyer TV/film/Broadway's, Cheyenne Jackson, Caroline in the City's, Malcolm Gets, and Broadway’s finest, including Tony nominees Caitlin Kinnunen (‘The Prom’), and Nancy Opel (‘Urinetown’).

He has written the book, music, and lyrics to 26 original musicals, including ‘Writing Arthur Danby’, ‘The Innocence’, ‘Every Little Vow’, and ‘Mr. Scrooge’s Christmas Carol’. His adaptation of ‘The Little Prince’ garnered his accreditation by the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry estate. David’s youth-oriented musicals have toured the U.S. with The Children’s Division have played stages across the world. Original Cast Albums of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Every Little Vow’ appear courtesy of TMCWorks.

Alongside novelist Iris Rainer Dart, and playwright Thom Thomas, David
created the musical adaptation of ‘Beaches’, based on the beloved,
best-selling novel by Ms. Dart, and Garry Marshall film starring Bette
Midler. ‘Beaches - the musical’ premiered at The Signature Theatre,
then Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre. In 2016, a significantly updated version under the new direction of Lonny Price received a 2018 London staged presentation for U.K.’s top producers, investors, and theatre owners.

Austin is a proud alumnus of the Tony Award-winning BMI Lehman Engel
Musical Theatre Writer’s Program. In 2013, Mr. Austin was awarded The
Stephen Sondheim Artist Citation by Mr. Sondheim at the Italian
Embassy in Washington DC.

Commissions include ‘Klondike!’, and ‘What Carla Found’ (The 5th
Avenue Theatre, Seattle), ‘On Common Ground’, and ‘Marta’s Light’ (The
Village Theatre, Seattle), ‘Rumplestiltskin’ - an English Panto (Youth
Theatre Northwest, Seattle), ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Puget Sound Musical
Theatre, Seattle), ‘Robin Hood’ (Skye Theatre, Seattle).

David Austin’s work as a professional Equity actor/singer has afforded
him the opportunity to perform on stages across the world. In New
York, he received a rave from The NY Times for his performance in the
original cast of ‘I Love You Because’ (book/lyrics: Ryan Cunningham,
music: Joshua Salzman, original cast album available on PS Classics).

National and international tours took Austin to China and Singapore as
Shawn in Brian Yorkey’s musical adaptation of ‘The Wedding Banquet’,
and across the U.S. as Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. Other New
York credits include ‘Mouse/Cookie’, off-Broadway at the Lucille
Lortel, and his role as Ben in ‘Rags’ at The Nokia Theatre (starring
opposite Eden Espinosa as Bella, Carolee Carmello, Michael Rupert, and
Lainie Kazan). Other notable roles include Freddie (The American) in
‘Chess’, Curly in ‘Oklahoma’, Dickon in ‘The Secret Garden’, Rooster
in ‘Annie’, Jack in ‘Into The Woods’, and Pippin in ‘Pippin’.