ABOUT THE WRITERS
Harvey Edelman and Neil Fishman recently completed, produced, and released a concept album version of “Dead End the Musical,” collaborating with Peter C. Palame, with whom they wrote the wildly entertaining Off-Broadway show “On the Air.” “Dead End the Musical”, adapted from the 1935 landmark play, “Dead End,” written by Sidney Kingsley, was initially developed in the ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop then staged at the Dramatists Guild. The book for the musical was written by Mr. Palame with music by Mr. Fishman and lyrics by Mr. Edelman. With a cast of 16, comprised of Broadway veterans and rising stars, and 20 musical numbers, “Dead End the Musical,” is set on the East Side of Manhattan during the Depression, and shines a light on the social ills of the time that still resonate today: hunger, poverty, crime, class struggle, and social and income inequality.
“Dead End the Musical” is the latest in a series of concept albums aka multicast audiobook musicals from Edelman and Fishman, a genre they essentially created in 2017 with Khristine Hvam, a veteran audiobook narrator, director, and producer. Their first audiobook musical “Spin: the Rumpelstiltskin Musical,” distributed by HarperAudio, featured Jim Dale, legendary Broadway performer and the voice of the Harry Potter series. The music of Spin was composed by Mr. Fishman, who also did the musical arrangements for the audio book. Mr. Edelman wrote the book and lyrics and co-adapted his original stage musical to the audio book with David B. Coe. The cast of Spin, a witty musical re-imagining of the Grimm’s fairy tale, featured a stellar list of Broadway and audiobook performers. Spin won an Audie for Most Original Work and was the recipient of two 2018 SOVAS awards including “Outstanding Production - Audiobook” and “Audiobook Narration - Children, Best Voice Over (the cast)”. Spin also won a 2018 Parents Choice Silver Medal.
After “Spin,” Mr. Edelman and Mr. Fishman wrote “Puss In Boots a Musical,” released in August 2019, which also featured Jim Dale as narrator, along with a stellar cast of Broadway veterans. Edelman and Fishman adapted their 1992 stage musical with Ms. Hvam. “Puss in Boots a Musical,” recently won two 2019 SOVAS Awards for Best Voiceover in a Children’s Production and Outstanding Audiobook Production.
Mr. Edelman and Mr. Fishman first collaborated on a musical adaptation of George Farquar's restoration comedy, "The Beaux' Stratagem," entitled, "To Bed a Fortune," which was produced in 1976. Since that time their writing efforts have been heard from the musical theater stage to Madison Avenue.
Mr. Edelman and Mr. Fishman have collaborated on a number of educational works including "Songsleuth" a musical to be performed by sixth graders for their classmates. Songsleuth was published in the Macmillan Publishing Educational Series, "Music and You" and a recording of the songs is part of the accompanying "Music and You" soundtrack on CBS Records. The 1995 edition of "Music and You" contains "Earthkids," a musical that teaches children about environmental concerns and what they can do about them. "Earthkids" has also been performed live in theaters in the New York area.
Mr. Edelman and Mr. Fishman have also written and produced a number of songs about hygiene, nutrition, and dental care for the national Headstart Program, sponsored by the Soap and Detergent Association, Weightwatchers, and Colgate-Palmolive, respectively.
In 1989, they were commissioned by the Pittsburgh Playhouse to write a musical version of "Puss 'n Boots," for its Spring Season and serve as Artists In Residence prior to its debut. "Puss 'n Boots, the Musical" was subsequently produced in other regional and community theaters. The genesis of that commission was the Pittsburgh Playhouse's production of an earlier Edelman/Fishman children's musical, "Rumpelstiltskin," originally produced in northern New Jersey.
Their other works include "On The Air," a musical spoof of the Golden Age of Radio, which first appeared Off-Broadway in 1984 with numerous subsequent theater productions; and a musical about independent business people entitled, "Entrepreneurs".
“Nighlights”, is a collection of songs that recounts the true story of how people of all faiths and races came together in the town of Billings, Montana in 1993 to successfully fight a group of haters threatening the town’s tiny Jewish population and other minorities. Songs from “Nightlights” were first performed in a musical at the Passage Theatre in Trenton, New Jersey in 2005.
Under the auspices of Creative Audio Enterprises, their audio marketing company also doing business as HOLDCOM and Sammy Smile Music, their publishing company, they have also written and produced award-winning musical numbers for advertising and industrial projects out of their production facilities in northern New Jersey. Their music has been heard on stage, cabaret, television, radio, film, and the Internet.
Mr. Fishman received his formal musical education at Juilliard Preparatory Division and later earned his degree at Yale University. Beside his work as a composer and producer, he has also done extensive work as musical director, vocal coach, and arranger. Mr. Fishman is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.
Mr. Edelman earned a degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. In addition to his work as lyricist and producer, he has written the librettos for a number of their musicals including, "Rumpelstiltskin," "Songsleuth," "Earthkids," and "Puss 'n Boots." Mr. Edelman is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.