Love Has Strings

For over 25 years, Marcy Heisler and I have been writing songs about love and the unique romantic comedy of looking for it in New York. These songs serve as a musical diary that Marcy and I share in concert. As years went by, the songs took on a life of their own, and many artists across the country began performing and recording them.

We’ve often experimented with collections of these songs, and continue talking about the best overarching theme for them. Listening to my orchestrations for a recording that utilized a string quartet one day, Marcy thought maybe we had found an interesting answer.

“Love has strings…” We loved the idea of melodically illustrating the stumbling bonds we forge that create the music of our lives.

Combining the longing of a string quartet with the frisson of a jazz trio, I set about arranging…and we set about creating a sound for an evening that would emotionally satisfy our audience, celebrate our subject, and capture our voice in its most authentic form.

Music and Orchestrations by Zina Goldrich
Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler

 

“Love Has Strings”

 

“Gabriel’s List” – Jill Abramovitz

 

“That’s All” – Jonathan Root

 

“Taylor the Latte Boy (with Strings)”

Breathe: Portraits From a Pandemic

#5 Shortness of Breath

Music by Zina Goldrich

Lyrics by Marcy Heisler

Book by Jodi Picoult and Tim McDonald

Imagine if five musical theatre writing teams began to chronicle the experience of living through coronavirus in real time: This is the premise behind BREATHE, a collection of five musical theatre vignettes that address the toll the virus has taken on five very different relationships.

Vivian (70s) is reluctantly attending her husband Charles (70s) Zoom funeral, their marriage having long been ruined by infidelity and bitterness. As soon as Vivian logs off and begins to pack his belongings away, Charles appears as a ghost, with unfinished business that requires them to retrace the steps that led to this point.

 

Dear Edwina

One Act, Book Musical, Pop / Rock, Rated G
Original Off-Broadway Version

DEAR EDWINA is a heartwarming musical about the joys of growing up.

Thirteen year-old Edwina Spoonapple would do just about anything to be a part of the Kalamazoo Advice-a-palooza Festival. While her siblings both have proof of their accomplishments, poor Edwina has nothing. When a talent scout from the convention visits her hometown, she trots out her musical advice giving shows live from the family garage in hopes of finding her place in the spotlight. She is assisted by her older siblings, quirky friends, and neighbors. Together they set out to tackle the world’s problems in number after hysterical number about everything from birthday party etiquette to the proper table settings.

Told through a show-within-a-show format, Edwina and her friends share wisdom that is sure to delight. Children will thoroughly enjoy watching adults and teenagers playing silly wacky little kids who sing and dance.

Visit the Dear Edwina page on MTI ShowSpace to share and view photos, video, costume and prop rentals and more.

 

Drama Desk Nominee – Best Music and Best Lyrics

Variety Review

NY Times Review

Hollywood Romance

WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A HOLLYWOOD ROMANCE?

Can true love triumph in the make-believe world of movie stars, gossip writers and cinema superheroes? Find out at HOLLYWOOD ROMANCE, the picture- perfect new musical comedy.

Small-town girl Claire McKenna has been burned by love so many times, she’s ready to give up altogether. So when her childhood sweetheart, now a wildly famous but publicly closeted movie star, asks her to say “I do” to a pretend love affair, she high-tails it to Hollywood and begins a glamorous life as Mrs. Jack Victory. Everyone’s on their way to a blockbuster happy ending—until a journalist assigned to write a puff piece on the happy couple senses a scandal…and a chance for a love story of his own.

Writers Jennifer Crittenden & Gabrielle Allan (“Seinfeld,” “Scrubs,”) join forces with songwriters Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich (Ever After, “Taylor the Latte Boy”), under the direction of Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages, Clueless), to create a hilarious, tuneful and smart musical comedy that’s as classic as it is contemporary.

 

 

 

“Hollywood Romance”

 

“There’s Only You” – James Snyder

 

“I Believe in Love” – Kate Rockwell

 

“Go Back (The Brainstorm Song)” – Marc Kudisch, James Snyder & Kate Rockwell

 

“Happy Ending”

Ever After

From the longstanding writing team of Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler comes a stunning world premiere musical based on the 1998 hit film from 20th Century Fox.   Our Cinderella is Danielle de Barbarac – a farmer’s daughter who is forced to impersonate a noblewoman in order to free her beloved fellow servant, but instead catches the eye and heart of the Prince of France.  Caught between loyalty and love, jealousy and desire, bravery and fear, Danielle must decide not only who she is, but what she’ll fight for, and how far she’ll go to win the love she deserves.  In this renaissance tale for all ages, Ever After breaks through the familiar fairy tale, and celebrates a beloved heroine’s funny, brave, all-too-human heart.

 

Music by Zina Goldrich
Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler