The Making of a Musical

Once in a Lifetime, Again has been shaped by years of workshops, recordings, and readings, and by the talented actors, directors, and musicians who helped bring it to life. Here's a look at the milestones that brought the show to the stage.

Creative Development

  • "Once In a Lifetime, Again" was selected as one of twelve winners in the 2026 Broadway Bound Theatre Festival in New York City, which took place from July 20 to August 16 at the AMT Theater, 354 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Explore more

  • Once In a Lifetime, Again was selected by The York Theatre Company for its prestigious Reading Development Series. Two Actors’ Equity Readings were performed on September 9, 2024.

    David Lutken* - Jesse Davidson

    David Lutken is a Broadway actor, singer, and musician who created and starred in WOODY SEZ, THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF WOODY GUTHRIE.
    Broadway: INHERIT THE WIND, RING OF FIRE, THE CIVIL WAR, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES. 

    Michele Ragusa* - Jill, Susannah, Elodie, Darcy, Maddie, Tracey, Nina
    Broadway: FLYING OVER SUNSET, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, URINETOWN THE MUSICAL.
    Off-Broadway: THE BUTCHER BOY, Irish Rep

    Andrea Frierson* - Carrie LittleBroadway: THE LION KING, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BRING IN ‘DA NOISE/BRING IN DA’ FUNK, MARIE CHRISTINE, FOR COLORED GIRLS

    Leenya Rideout* - Bass, and Frances (“Mutiny”) Kaine
    Broadway: WAR HORSE, CYRANO DE BERGERAC, COMPANY, CABARET
    Off Broadway: MUSIC CITY, WILD ABANDON, AS YOU LIKE IT, TAMING OF THE SHREW, BEFORE WE'RE GONE, FIRE & AIR

    The 4-piece band included Kevin Kuhn, lead guitarist for ALADDIN and THE LION KING on Broadway. The AEA reading for producers and theater professionals was directed by Samantha (“Sami”) Saltzman, with Music Direction by Logan Medland.

    —
    *Member Actors’ Equity Association

  • An Actors’ Equity Staged Reading of 'Once in a Lifetime, Again' was held at New York City's Pearl Studios In September, 2022. The cast featured:

    John Dossett* - Jesse Davidson
    Broadway: Recently starred as the Wizard in WICKED, PARADISE SQUARE, WAR PAINT, CHICAGO.
    Off-Broadway: DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Film: THE ORANGES, LITTLE MANHATTAN.

    Michele Ragusa* - Carrie Little and supporting female characters
    Broadway: FLYING OVER SUNSET, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, URINETOWN THE MUSICAL.
    Off-Broadway: THE BUTCHER BOY, Irish Rep.

    Jason Smith - Akila, Bass player NYC: SKINFOLK, dir: Mei Ann Teo, BEULAHLAND.

    The 4-piece band included Kevin Kuhn, lead guitarist for ALADDIN and THE LION KING on Broadway. The AEA reading for producers and theater professionals was directed by Jay Stern, with Music Direction by Logan Medland, and produced by Laura Lundy, Blue Panther Productions.

    —
    *Member Actors’ Equity Association

  • Under the direction of Logan Medland, Broadway musical performer Donnie Kehr recorded seven of the original songs in ‘Once in a Lifetime, Again’ at Millrose Studios, New York City.

  • Music Director Logan Medland, Writer/Composer-Lyricist Stephen H. Gardner, and Creative Producer Laura Lundy convened for a 5-day script development workshop and private reading at Open Jar Studios, New York City. Jen Wineman directed AEA actors Tait Ruppert and Michele Ragusa.

Artists featured.

Here are the extraordinarily talented actors, musicians, and directors we worked with in the course of recording all the songs and performing three readings of Once in a Lifetime, Again.

They have kindly allowed me to use these recordings and photos on this website.

David Lutken

  • David Lutken is a Broadway actor, singer, and musician who created and starred in WOODY SEZ, THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF WOODY GUTHRIE.  Broadway credits include INHERIT THE WIND, RING OF FIRE, THE CIVIL WAR, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association

Michele Ragusa


  • Michele Ragusa appeared most recently on Broadway in FLYING OVER SUNSET at Lincoln Center, written and directed by James Lapine. Broadway credits include YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, URINETOWN, RAGTIME, and TITANIC. Off Broadway: THE BUTCHER BOY, Irish Rep.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association

Samantha Sami Salzman

  • Samantha (Sami) Saltzman has worked as an Associate Director transferring landmark Broadway productions to National and International tours.  Associate/Resident Director: KISS ME, KATE (West End), THE KING & I (West End and UK Tour), MY FAIR LADY (second National US), THE COLOR PURPLE (second National US)


  • Logan Medland is a NY-based composer, lyricist, playwright and music director. BROADWAY: DR. ZHIVAGO, CRAZY FOR YOU (national Broadway tour), A BRONX TALE, CATS (national tour), JERSEY BOYS (national tour). Original work as Writer/Composer: FINGERS AND TOES (NY Music Theatre Festival), LOVE GODDESS, THE RITA HAYWORTH MUSICAL (London 2022).

John Dossett


  • John Dossett is a Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee who recently starred on Broadway as the Wizard in WICKED.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association

Andrea Frierson


  • Andrea Frierson has been nominated twice for the Helen Hayes Award. She has performed leading roles on Broadway in THE LION KING, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BRING IN ‘DA NOISE/BRING IN ‘DA FUNK, MARIE CHRISTINE, and FOR COLORED GIRLS.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association

Leenya Rideout


  • Leenya Rideout’s Broadway credits include WAR HORSE, CYRANO DE BERGERAC, COMPANY, and CABARET. She has appeared Off-Broadway in MUSIC CITY, WILD ABANDON, AS YOU LIKE IT, TAMING OF THE SHREW, BEFORE WE'RE GONE, FIRE & AIR.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association


  • Kevin Kuhn is the lead guitarist for the Broadway production of ALADDIN, and was lead guitarist on THE LION KING, also on Broadway.

  • Donnie Kehr is a singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He co-founded the band Urgent on EMI-Manhattan Records and their album ‘Cast the First Stone’ sold over 400,000 copies.

Stephen H. Gardner

  • Stephen Gardner is a singer-songwriter who wrote the book, lyrics and music to “Once in a Lifetime, Again.” To learn more, visit www.stephenhgardner.com.

Lynn Philistine


  • Lyn Philistine’s Broadway/National Tours include GYPSY (starring Bernadette Peters), Monty Python's SPAMALOT, CINDERELLA (starring Eartha Kitt), Disney's ON THE RECORD.

    Member Actors’ Equity Association

John Mullen

  • John Mullen is the lead guitarist for “Not My Problem,” a popular bar band based in Connecticut.

Adam Weiss

  • Adam Weiss is the drummer for “Not My Problem,” a popular bar band based in Connecticut.

Lisa Kaine

  • Lisa Kaine is the lead vocalist for “Not My Problem,” a popular bar band based in Connecticut.

Lisa Ratner


  • Lisa Ratner is a composer, record producer, and performer who co-owned East West Music, one of New York’s leading commercial music houses. Her original songs have been performed by Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Vanessa Williams and many other notable performers.

  • Fran Southworth is a singer, songwriter, and actress who wrote over 40 songs for “As the World Turns” and has appeared on dozens of television and radio commercials.

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Here are some quotes

from attendees at the readings

  • “’Once in a Lifetime, Again’ is a poignant and though-provoking play that will have you rooting for its protagonist, a widower struggling with grief and trying to move on and find love again. It adeptly blends deep emotion with witty humor, laugh-out-loud moments, and catchy tunes, resulting in a highly engaging and entertaining experience that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.”

    Cathy Zales

  • "We are musicians, so when we go to a musical, we are very focused on the score. Sometimes musicals might have two or three songs that stay with you after you've left the theater, but this was different. Each song had a distinctive hook, a catchy melody, and clever, well-crafted lyrics."

    Lisa Kaine and Adam Weiss

  • "Interesting show! I've have never seen a show dealing with an older man’s grief before, it’s a unique and interesting perspective. Nice framing, a guy at a bar telling his story between songs, it works well. I liked the world of the play, being in the bar, and returning to it. I loved the character & portrayal of the therapist, Carrie Little."

    Tracey Rhys

  • “Anyone who has questions about their marriage should see this show. Men, in particular, might get new ideas of what’s at risk, and even more important, why new thinking might change the outcome. Women may just be thrilled to know that someone has finally gotten the point of what they’ve been trying to say for so long.”

    Sherrye Henry

  • “I have lived in Manhattan most of my life and was raised on theater. This play has two things that I found unique and quite wonderful: (1) Multi-genre music, paired with sophisticated lyrics that are sometimes hilarious; sometimes dark and raw — but always memorable! (2) And a flawed, sad, angry ‘every-man’ protagonist who still believes in love and yearns for a second chance to do it right — as do we all!”

    Deborah Heineman

  • “Five days after the reading, my sixty-something husband turned to me out of the blue and said, ‘do you think I’m like the guy in that play?’ The play clearly struck a chord…”

    Holly C.

  • “There aren’t many plays about people in their sixties and seventies… they’re usually dark explorations of impending death or comedies that make fun at the expense of older people. This is a play about what it is really like to be sixty, alone, and believing there is still life to live and love to be found. It is deeply poignant, evocative, and at times hilarious.”

    Jean Schoenleber

  • "I really enjoyed it! I liked the story. I was interested and engaged. Great use of the female roles, great songs, and characters. Fascinating that the main female character is a therapist. I LOVED Michele Ragusa playing all the women, each character was just as good as the next. Totally believable! All of her accents were great, very authentic."

    Bradley Reynolds

  • “It spoke to me as a universal story — the main character gets a second chance to live his life in a better way. It reminded me of classics like ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ or ‘A Christmas Carol.’”

    Jane Mandelbaum