Musicals By Zach Ammon Peterson
Storytelling driven by complex characters, narrative-forward music, and art that dares to be a bit “out-there.” From fully realized productions to new scripts currently in development.
Current Projects in Development
The Yellow Wallpaper
The Musical
Short scratch night demo
The Yellow Wallpaper – (CAST 1M – 1F)
The Yellow Wallpaperis a surreal, two-person one-act musical that reimagines Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic feminist short story into a theatrical psychological horror theatre piece. The show follows Jane’s descent into madness while isolated in a single room, but this highly stylized, mostly-sung adaptation brings a major twist: the disturbing wallpaper itself is the star. It’s a physical, shape-shifting presence played by both actors throughout the show. The wallpaper acts as a third cast member that represents Jane’s unraveling reality.
Currently in the writing stage, this project lives right at the intersection of musical theatre, avant-garde movement, and gothic drama. I’m actively looking to connect with companies and collaborators who want to help map out this slippery narrative and bring this dark adult fairy tale to life.
A Dick’s Guide To Winning Friends
A Dick’s Guide To Winning Friends – (CAST Leads: 5M – 2F Ensemble: 3+M – 3+F)
Welcome to Stone Parker High, where it’s Club Day and everybody is trying to figure out who they want to be. Well, everybody except Gary. Lacking tact and dripping in social awkwardness, Gary is officially the school “dick”. He’s completely alienating his crush, getting into fights with the football captain, and stressing out his best friend. Just when it looks like Gary is going to be stuck at the bottom of the social ladder forever, his very own “Dick Fairy” arrives to coach him out of his tragic ways. But with a strict principal looking for any excuse to cancel Club Day for good, Gary and his crew have to pull off the ultimate scheme to save their future.
Currently in development, this original work has garnered praise from industry heavyweights, including Tony Award-winner Lisa Lambert, who called the latest script and presentation “Fantastic work!” and “So clever!” following its recent workshops.
Finished Projects
On The Outside:
A Cabaret
On the Outside is a raw, deeply personal autobiographical cabaret by Zach Ammon Peterson that takes audiences on a heartfelt journey through over a decade of his original music. The show follows Zach, who starts out as the “weird kid” trying to navigate a world where he constantly feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Through a series of witty and vulnerable musical numbers, he recounts his lifelong hustle to find true community, from getting abruptly kicked out of a high school anime rock band to eventually drifting away from his college black metal crew. The emotional core of the narrative hits even harder when Zach opens up about a beautiful but heartbreaking romance with a woman named Taylor, a loss that sent him into a multi-year pit of despair.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hits, the show captures the surreal isolation of lockdown, showing how Zach coped with the crushing loneliness by escaping straight into virtual reality worlds. Underneath the humor of VR headsets and quirky lyrics, the cabaret doesn’t shy away from heavy, deeply honest themes of mental health; Zach bravely touches on the dark moments where he considered ending his life after feeling like his presence only caused discomfort to the people around him. Ultimately, On the Outside shifts into a powerful, uplifting celebration of self-acceptance and resilience. Instead of watering down his personality to match what others expect, Zach embraces his “rough and jagged edges,” leaving audiences with a moving reminder that true peace comes from loving your authentic self and holding out for the people who will appreciate you for exactly who you are.
Request Perusal Materials
MOTHERSHIP
MOTHERSHIP – (CAST 2M – 1F)
MOTHERSHIP is a deeply moving contemporary musical that follows Marcos, a struggling artist who hits absolute rock bottom after getting evicted by his best friend and rejected by the local art scene. In his darkest hour, right when he’s about to throw in the towel on life completely, he heads back to his hometown wheat fields and runs right into Frayja, an eccentric, free-spirited woman dancing naked who claims she’s an alien waiting for her spacecraft to take her home. This bizarre and beautiful encounter sparks a creative fire back up inside Marcos, inspiring him to pick up his paintbrush one last time to capture her essence.
Featuring a dynamic score and lyrics by Zach Ammon Peterson alongside a book by Mira Alin Hills, this show masterfully navigates heavy themes of isolation, family trauma, and mental health struggles. As Frayja forces Marcos to look past his grief and appreciate the stories of the everyday people around him, Mothership transforms into a powerful, soul-stirring celebration of resilience and the human experience. It’s a raw, humorous, and ultimately uplifting journey that reminds us that even when we feel completely alienated, there’s always a beautiful reason to keep fighting for tomorrow.
MOTHERSHIP was produced in the Calgary Fringe Festival as a part of their 2019 lineup starring Zach Ammon Peterson, Caitlyn O’Connor, and Nicole Helena Cates
KinderWunsch
KinderWunsch – (CAST 1M – 3F)
KinderWunsch is a captivating new musical fairytale featuring music and lyrics by Zach Ammon Peterson and a book by Mira Alin Hills. The story follows Annalise, a desperate woman who makes a high-stakes deal with a kooky Witch to conceive a son and save her marriage to her wealthy husband, Klaus. But magic always comes with a serious price! The Witch decrees that the moment the child falls in love, Annalise’s life is forfeit. After Klaus abandons her anyway, a terrified Annalise raises her son, Amadeus, in total isolation, keeping him locked away for nearly eighteen years under the lie that he is too deathly sick to ever step foot outside.
Everything gets turned upside down right before Amadeus’s eighteenth birthday when he hears the beautiful voice of Katrin, a traveling performer singing outside his window. Sneaking out into the world for the very first time, Amadeus connects with Katrin and her band of runaways, and the two quickly fall deep in love while writing music together. This bond triggers the devastating terms of the curse, forcing Annalise to confront her own deception and make the ultimate sacrifice to set her son free. Rich with themes of maternal love, control, and freedom, Kinder Wunsch delivers a powerful, bittersweet look at the lengths a mother will go to protect her child and the necessity of letting them live their own life.
Ready to bring this energy to your venue or theater company?
Whether you’re looking to license a full production, book a live performance, or collaborate on developing new workshop materials, the door is wide open. Let’s team up, push some creative boundaries, and bring these unforgettable stories to your stage.