A. J. Freeman is a writer, teacher, and performer originally from Los Angeles and now based in New York. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors' Equity. A. J. has worked for over 12 years in educational theater, directing dozens of full scale productions (favorites include The Secret Garden, Into the Woods, The Pirates of Penzance, White Christmas, and The Boy Friend), and running her own literacy-based arts nonprofit for under-served students. Through this program, The Troupe, thousands of children in schools across Los Angeles received free reading books and theater workshops. Her favorite quote comes from a 2nd grader after an assembly: “I only have seven books at home…now I’ll have eight!”
A. J. is a cabaret performer, championing brilliant but forgotten music of the 1920s and 30s. She has created shows that celebrate Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart, Dorothy Fields, Cole Porter & Noël Coward, and many other legends. Speaking of legends: A. J. has studied with Karen Morrow, Donna McKechnie, Helen Gallagher, and Betty Garrett! She also stubbornly continues to post a ukulele song every Monday on her youtube channel despite several noise complaints from neighbors.
Her new musicals include: Tomorrow, The Carousel of Inevitability and Certain Foreboding, Hay Fever, Derailed!, Fables, A Cordial Invitation, Curses!, The Crane Wife, What's Her Line?, A Note of Explanation, Kurt 'n' Pat: Spies 4 Hire!!, Double Double, and In Other Words. Click here to learn more about her writing.
IN OTHER WORDS
Chapter 1: YOU DON'T SAY!
Coming soon!
Written by (& starring!) A. J. Freeman & Sam Balzac
Produced by The Barn
Directed by Jeffrey Simon
We're a podcast!! Listen to our li'l musical HERE
Starring: Richard Kind, Maya Lagerstam, Marissa Rosen, Daniel Barrett, and Christopher Michaels
Directed by Rachel Klein
Music Direction by Jonathon Lynch
Orchestrations by Katie Coleman
Sound Design by Sean Hagerty
and Post Production by Mike Lunoe
Casting by Gregory Jafari Van Acker of the Casting Collaborative
Bruno Walter Auditorium at LINCOLN CENTER
Witness the birth of TEN brand new musicals, including 'Bill of Fare' by Kit Goldstein Grant, Sean Ivy, and A. J. Freeman! Across a Crowded ...
Bruno Walter Auditorium at LINCOLN CENTER
Bruno Walter Audittorium at LINCOLN CENTER
Fellowship Winner THE CRANE WIFE will make its full-length debut with an all-star cast! Written by Keurim Hur, Maria Caputo, and A. J. Freem...
Bruno Walter Audittorium at LINCOLN CENTER
(Rodgers & Hart)
Curses! by A. J. Freeman & Jonathon Lynch debuted at the Overtures New Musicals Festival directed by Todd Buonopane and starring Laura Cetti!
Jacksonville University created a fully staged production of 'Tomorrow'- a new musical by Kristoffer Bjarke and A. J. Freeman! A. J. also worked with the students in various workshops related to the musical- it was an incredible experience!
A new song from the musical TOMORROW (by A. J. Freeman & Kristoffer Bjarke) was featured in the New York Theater Barn's Choreography Lab! Sam Lobel choreographed and an all-star cast performed!
An evening of songs! Jon Hugo Ungar and A. J. performed the song 'Bad News' from their musical 'DERAILED!'
Fables in Concert featured a stellar cast!! Written by Dimitri Landrain and A. J. Freeman.
A. J. performed the lead role of 'Mom' in the very first reading of the new musical Next Year in Connecticut- written by Sequoia Sellinger and Sarah Rossman!
Our movie musical on the Big Screen! Screenplay by A. J.! Lyrics also by A. J. and music by Sam Balzac; produced by The Barn. Screening at Eight Flow Studio.
Had a great time performing in
Miss Humanity, a new musical by Jonathon Lynch and Michael DiGaetano!
A. J. debuted a brand new 20 minute musical, Curses!, written with composer Jonathon Lynch and starring Laura Cetti!
Our Lincoln Center reading starred Autumn Hurlbert, Bruce Sabath, Akron Lanier Watson, Anne Brummel, Carly Gendell, Diego Lucano, Sam Balzac, and Kenny Harmon!
A. J. performed the role of Jackie in a reading of the new musical Benny in Beta by Matthew Greene and Amir Shoenfeld! Lots of exciting folks in the audience, including Stephen Schwartz!
A. J. had the pleasure, the distinctly creepy pleasure, of recording the voiceover for the website of the new book The Centre - have a listen (make sure your volume is up and click 'let's begin'): https://welcometothecentre.com/
Lyrics & Adaptation by A. J. Freeman
Music by Sam Balzac & Joshua Cerdenia
Based on the play by Noël Coward
Directed by Robert W. Schneider & Todd Buonopane, Music Directed by Ben Covello
Stage Managed by Joey Paradise
Starring:
Donna English, Alison Lea Bender, Patrick Brady, Jay Aubrey Jones, Gabrielle Lee, Richard Rowan, Patricia M. Lawrence
What an incredible experience with a marvelous team!
Written by: Kristoffer Bjarke (music);
A. J. Freeman (book & lyrics)
Directed by: Nico Krell
Music Directed by: Ben Covello
Starring: Laura Cetti, Hannah Fairchild,
Barrie Kreinik
A cast of only four performers create a patchwork collection of characters who are caught in a cosmic whirlwind while lost in the thick London fog…
A. J. played Leona Helmsley's older sister (?!) in a special presentation of the musical Queen of Mean!
The concert featured an incredible cast of performers in hilarious and moving material by Ron Passaro, Alex Lippard, and David Lee!
By: Jon Hugo Ungar (book/music) +
A. J. Freeman (book/lyrics)
Directed by: Banji Aborisade
Starring: Scott Ahearn, Sam Balzac, Laura Cetti, Alexandra Foucard, Mick Rafalski, Meaghan Sands, and Herman Sebek!
We had a wonderful reading, thank you to all who attended!
A. J. played Pearl Jenkins alongside a fantastic cast in a public reading of the new play by Abby Tilly!
A. J.'s song 'Away From It All' (written with composer Sonya Hayden) was performed ON BROADWAY at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a collaboration with Maestra!
A. J. joined Los Angeles-based production company The Barn for a week of filming! We shot our new short movie musical In Other Words- written by and starring A. J. + Sam Balzac! Coming soon!
TOMORROW
(by Kristoffer Bjarke & A. J. Freeman)
Starring: Laura Cetti, Hannah Fairchild, Barrie Kreinik; Directed by: Nico Krell
It Ain't Over 'til the Bat Lady Sings!
(by Sonya Hayden & A. J. Freeman)
Starring: Meredith Brandt, Sabrina Koss, Patricia M. Lawrence, Johna Miller, Yael Rizowy; Music Direction by: Jonathon Lynch
A. J. was the recipient of the inaugural Across a Crowded Room Fellowship for her musical The Carousel of Inevitability and Certain Foreboding with Gil Varod and Jonathon Lynch! She also won a SECOND grant for her musical Tomorrow with Kristoffer Bjarke! Public performances of each will be held Spring 2023!
A. J. joined a spectacular cast for a 29 hour reading of the new musical BLACK SWAN BLUES at Pearl Studios- directed by Stephanie Klemons & Rickey Tripp!
Standing room only for our event at Lincoln Center! Written by A. J. & Shoshana Yavneh Shattenkirk- hoping to bring this magical story to more families soon!
A. J.'s new musical was featured as part of the Across A Crowded Room program at Lincoln Center! Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vow6fft5cpg
Fables was a great success! We had a nice crowd and the kids were dancing around and having a grand time =) And every child received a free reading book!!
Our new musical 'A Cordial Invitation' was featured on The York Theatre's program In The Pipeline, dedicated to new musicals. You can watch this on The York Theatre's YouTube channel!
Full length online reading of Hay Fever- with a stellar cast! Produced by Theatre Now New York and Directed by J. Scott Lapp.
What's Her Line? was featured in the FIRST EVER West Coast Dramatist Guild Footlights! It was such an honor to be in a lineup celebrating Women's History Month!
A. J. wrote THREE of the EIGHT musicals featured in the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library's annual writing program! The link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WnN8nxOYq8&list=PL1LGP-91vyr-dpIROi1SMj-UedTOnBIqn
Tulane University students presented an online performance of A. J.'s musical "Fables," written with Dimitri Landrain!
A. J. was selected to join the Theatre Now New York Writers Lab! She is developing Noël Coward's Hay Fever and other musicals in the lab!
A full presentation about the source material for the Hal Prince musical! A. J. sang the title song, the event also featured Broadway legend Loni Ackerman! Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center.
Reading of this brand new musical, written with Dimitri Landrain. NYU.
An evening of new songs- A. J. presented a song from her new musical based on Noel Coward's "Hay Fever" and also sang "The Sky Is The Limit!"
A. J.'s musical "Derailed" was performed by a world class cast! Signature Theatre.
Sang songs by the brilliant Jon Bauerfeld/Melissa Weisbach and Kate Douglas/Jason Weisinger!
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