"Crazy, Just Like Me" is the story of three twenty-somethings who are teetering on the brink of large, personal discoveries. Simon and Mike are best friends since diapers, and also roommates. Lauren is Mike's insightful, confident girlfriend. The relationship between the three of them shifts when Simon begins seeing a therapist. The therapist, Dr. Albert Headman, begins to play a paternal role in Simon's life and through the course of their sessions, he guides Simon to the realization that he is in fact gay, and in love with his best friend, Mike. Simon being head over heels in love with his best friend, who is head over heels in love with his girlfriend causes turmoil for the three of them. But reality kicks in for Simon when he grasps the fact that he will never be with Mike, and accepts the honor to be the best man at his and Lauren's wedding. Simon may have to let something go, but when a door closes, a window opens and all is not lost.
Based on the Henry James novella Adapted and written by Michael Kimmel
Music & Lyrics by Drew Gasparini
The musical "Turn of the Screw" is a modernized version of the classic Henry James thriller, but with a twist. We follow the Governess as she travels up to East Hampton, NY during the winter of present day only to find herself in a bombardment of unexplained deaths, spirits, and the children she's looking after, Miles and Flora. All the while, the Governess explains her fears during all that's going on in her journal.
Written with the intent to put the idea of the classic story in the minds of a new generation, and also to take the classic story and mold it to fit present day plights. The music sets the tone with a alternative dark rock feel with classic undertones.
Music & Lyrics by Drew Gasparini
Book by Alex Brightman
"Make Me Bad" is a story that touches on the inner dark side that each and every one of us have, but often don't know how to channel or embrace. It's as character driven, as it is plot driven with twists that tie the whole thing together.
Max, a killer, who likes to see his murderous technique as his work ethic is now living and "working" in Billings, VA. Daisy, in her late 20's, was just released from a psychiatric hospital and is now living with her dying mother and trying to find the thing that makes her thrive. Upon meeting Max she felt something new. She found someone with passion, someone with precision, someone who didn't bore her. The two become very close and ALL of Max is revealed only to further Daisy's interest in him. Not only does she admire how hard he works and how passionate he is about his sick talent, but she begins taking part in it. Love is always a little more exciting when there is an element of danger as its foundation. With Daisy on a killing spree behind Max's back, flashbacks of her childhood before she was locked away begin to surface, and we much more about Daisy and her darkness. Meeting Max only made her darkness come to light, and she uses Max as her scapegoat in order to continue the one thing she is good at…the one thing she can't not do. A killer kills.
With additional characters like Detectives Nordvig, and Ehrlich, Daisy's mother, Irene, Irene's hospice nurse, Gretchen, and the memory of Daisy's father, this story becomes a darkly drawn out downward spiral centering around one wayward soul… Daisy. She uses love for a killer to maintain her love for killing. And as a reader or audience member you often find yourself rooting for the killers before realizing how twisted and wrong they are. "Make Me Bad" is an interesting look into the characters but also the people engaged by the show.
Music, lyrics, and book by Drew Gasparini
Musicalized versions of every embarrassing story that has ever happened to you in the dating world or otherwise.
Drew took real stories from his real life and his friends real life, put a musical spin on them, and stretched them out to enhance the extremity of each situation. Offensive on levels, hilarious on levels, and moving on levels… this show is portrait of Drew's humor and how far he can take an audience without losing them. As seen in this clip: "I Could Use A Drink"
Music & Lyrics by Drew Gasparini
Book by Alex Brightman
Tom and Lucy are 17 years old and starting their senior year of high school. These two have been best friends since they were in 4th grade. In a year where the future, and the "real world" are supposed to be just at a teenagers finger-tips... a year where college and jobs are usually on the top of the "to do" list, these two manage to stumble into a situation that ignites the flame behind feelings they've both had for one another since they were much younger. After having sex in place of a study session, Tom sees his dreams come true, and though afraid of hurting an already amazing friendship, Lucy too begins to see that her feelings for Tom can't be held back. Caught up in the moment so much so that they both insist that they are floating high above the ground where "the view from there can't get better..." they lose track of the future, and their young love takes over all other thoughts. That is, until, Lucy realizes that they have gotten ahead of themselves when she makes the discovery that she is pregnant. After Tom, who never knew his father finds out, he figures that there is "No Turning Back Now," and that he will be there for Lucy no matter what she decides, but he is ready for anything. 17 years old, pregnant, and potentially putting their future and the "real world" on hold. Their story is told through a series of love letters and inner monologues.
Mandy and James are both 40 years old. They are married. They got married about 16 years ago, which just so happens to be around the time that James got Mandy pregnant with their daughter, Charlotte. The only child they had, and its because they live a life where communication and physical attention are things of the past. Because of their lack of communication, Mandy, who holds on to what she had with her husband, assumes that James won't touch her or treat her the way he once did because she had the baby when he wasn't ready. The truth is, James fell out of love with Mandy years ago because she wasn't growing. She was trying to be who she was in college in order for him to notice her. Of course, Mandy had no way of knowing this because he neglects talking to her, and merely stays in the marriage because of his daughter. Charlotte, now 15 years old is the only child, in a house where the air is so thick with tension and resentment that she tries anything to be noticed and show her parents that she is in fact, "Someone." Her early teen years will be memories of her mom faking a smile to make it seem like they are normal, or her dad walking around like a zombie because the whole "family" thing has jaded them both, and Charlotte, just wants out. After spending her life not getting heard, or given the time of day from her parents, Charlotte finally reaches her breaking point and calls her parents out on the awful way they dysfunctional lead their lives. This is a wake up call for Mandy and James, and it leads to their next step. James leaves the house he and Mandy shared for 16 years, to get an apartment for him for an indefinite amount of time. The two agree that ultimately the space is needed in order to gain respect back from their daughter, and it will give James the time he needs to think about his life, and maybe even get back to loving Mandy again. Their story is told to each other.
Jasper and Ella are both in their early 80's. Two very different people with a very hard to come by story. Ella's childhood was very memorable. Unfortunately, the abrupt demise to her parents marriage affected her so deeply, that she was stunted in her social growth. Trying her best to keep to herself, she never travelled. She stayed quiet, and watched as her parents grew old, already apart, and took her family inheritance. She never married, she never worked, she just goes to her favorite bench in her favorite park and feeds the birds, feeling very much at peace with her new outlook on life, which is: "If loss is what comes with love, how can love exist?" On the other hand, Jasper, a sharp witted, working class man just got out of the hospital. He has overcome a rare lung disease and has a new appreciation for life now that he has been given this second chance to live it. He happens upon a quaint park and spots lovely, Ella sitting alone. With Jasper's new hold on life, he seizes the opportunity and sits next to her attempting to make conversation. No matter how reluctant she is, he persists and eventually strikes a chord with her. Once Ella sees the wonderful thing that love and admiration starts to bring out in a person, she starts to love Jasper and more profoundly, she starts to really love herself. After months of getting to know one another, Ella goes to the park bench where her and Jasper have spent everyday together, she waits to find that he isn't coming. His lung disease rebounded and in a much worse way. A fatal way. The devastation of the loss is exactly what Ella was trying to avoid her whole life, but this time she actually feels something. Jasper took his second chance on life, and made it a mission to show her that it's never too late to fall in love, and even though loss sometimes comes with it, love is a feeling that can never be replaced, and Ella came full circle, remembering the girl she once was.
Shotgun Mondays With Drew & Michelle. A sketch comedy web series that was shot in Drew's old apartment with his roommate, actress/singer, Michelle Nikoomanesh. Drew and Michelle play alternate versions of themselves getting involved with all sorts of strange shenanigans such as Drew chest waxing, Michelle setting Drew up with a eHarmony account, Drew shipping Michelle to Korea, Michelle catching Drew stealing her tampons to stop his nose bleeds, Michelle dates someone identical to Drew, and Drew having relationships with everyone in Michelle's Kansas based family. Michelle is a ball buster with very little confidence in Drew, and Drew is a loud mouthed, quick to respond, large vernaculared brat who thinks he's smarter than he is. The chemistry between Drew and Michelle is addicting to watch as proved by the fans they've established just by independently releasing their episodes on youtube. Watch them here!
Drew is partners with the brand new hilarious off-broadway musical, "Triassic Parq". The winner of the Fringe Festival 2010 in NYC is now making it's off-broadway debut. This raucous new musical combines singing, sex, and Velociraptors in ways hitherto unimagined. "Triassic Parq" follows a group of cloned dinosaurs as they unearth the very foundations of their existence. Morality, faith, science, gender identity, and interspecies fornication are all explored, and sung about, as Morgan Freeman narrates this epic tale of love, loss, and resurrected reptiles.