Works Written by Sami Horneff:
SINGLE RIDER (co-written with Amanda D’Archangelis)
THE RADIUM GIRLS: A JAW-DROPPING NEW MUSICAL (co-written with Lisa Mongillo and Amanda D’Archangelis)
COMING ATTRACTION (co-written with Gray Horan and Amanda D’Archangelis)
ACROSS THE SKY (co-written with Ben Diskant)
Synopses:
Single Rider (Music and Book by Amanda D’Archangelis, Lyrics and Book by Sami Horneff) – (6W, 4M) It’s the hottest day of the year at Lucky Land Amusement Park in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Abigail, Sarah, and Moira – three Amish girls from a nearby community – arrive at the park for their very first day of Rumspringa, the year in an Amish teenager’s life when they are given the opportunity to explore the “English” world. In their one day at Lucky Land, each girl has a life-changing adventure that will alter the way she thinks about her upbringing – and herself – forever. And when Abigail falls for Shane, a troubled but kind-hearted teen from Florida, she must make the ultimate decision: return to the safety of the Amish world or leave her family behind in favor of a life she’s never known and a feeling she never expected.
The Radium Girls: A Jaw-Dropping New Musical (Book by Amanda D’Archangelis, Sami Horneff & Lisa Mongillo, Music by Amanda D’Archangelis, Lyrics by Sami Horneff & Lisa Mongillo) – (10(+)W, 5(+)M) THE RADIUM GIRLS: A JAW-DROPPING NEW MUSICAL is a female-driven, horror-laced dark comedy inspired by the stories and spirits of the incredible young women who worked the factory line at the U.S. Radium Corporation in the 1920s. From Marie Curie’s laboratory to the watch dial factory floor to speakeasies illuminated by radium powder and beyond, THE RADIUM GIRLS is a thrilling, chilling tale of three daring girls who discover the evil lurking under the glittering surface of the radium craze and ultimately give the patriarchy a taste of its own poison.
Coming Attraction (Book by Gray Horan, Music by Amanda D’Archangelis, Lyrics by Sami Horneff) – (8-11 W, 10-13 M) Set in glamorous 1920s Hollywood, Coming Attraction tells the story of two trailblazing women artists – Ruth Harriet Louise and Greta Garbo. One you’ve probably never heard of; the other is a legendary icon. Ruth Harriet Louise is a 22-year old gifted photographer who aspires to create great art with her camera. At the invitation of her movie star cousin, she leaves her life in New Jersey behind, hoping for a lucky break in Hollywood. Meanwhile, MGM Studios takes a chance on an unknown 19-year old pan-sexual actress, Greta Garbo. Both at the cusp of womanhood, Garbo and Ruth Harriet forge an exciting artistic collaboration that has profound professional and cultural repercussions. And like many artistic collaborations, it gets personal. The realities of the world beyond the studio, replete with misogyny and fraught with jealousy, conspire to sway their choices and govern their lives. These persuasive forces eventually lead the women in different directions: one toward tragedy and one toward triumph; but the art they created will keep them ever entwined.
Across the Sky (Music and Book by Ben Diskant, Lyrics and Book by Sami Horneff) – (Adult Version: 2W, 4M or 3W, 3M, Junior Version: 15+ child performers, any gender) Based on the children’s book Elinda Who Danced in the Sky by Lynn Moroney, this charming family musical follows Elinda, a young princess whose job it is to direct the migration of the birds. When the migration goes wrong, Elinda is forced to take the adventure of a lifetime to make it right. Along the way, she makes unexpected friends, conquers nearly insurmountable challenges, and discovers there is room in life to both tend to her responsibilities and follow her dreams. Featuring a whimsical and romantic original score, Across the Sky is a family adventure for the next generation. Across the Sky is one act and runs approximately 60 minutes. Two versions are available: one for 6 adult actors and one for 15+ child performers.
Bio:
A born and raised New Yorker, Sami Horneff is a proud graduate of Brown University and an advanced lyricist and librettist in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. In 2019, she was named one of The York Theatre Company’s New/Emerging/Outstanding (NEO) writers with Amanda D’Archangelis. Recent credits include: SINGLE RIDER (Lyrics & Book, Off-Broadway); THE RADIUM GIRLS: A JAW-DROPPING NEW MUSICAL (Lyrics & Book, five-time winner at The National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival); ArtsPower National Touring Theatre’s JUDY MOODY & STINK (Lyrics) based on the bestselling book series by Megan McDonald; COMING ATTRACTION (Lyrics), a new musical about the life of Hollywood icon Greta Garbo, which premiered as a staged reading at the Wilbury Theatre Group in Providence, RI in 2019; THE BREAK (Lyrics, Omaha Creative Institute); A NEVER-ENDING LINE (Lyrics, Off-Broadway); ROCK AND A HARD PLACE (Music & Lyrics); THE UNDER 5ERS web series (Writer/Producer, 2016 Indie Series Award Nominee for Best Original Song); and two original songs for the feature film A RING FOR CHRISTMAS (UPtv). Her work has also been performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below, The Green Room 42, The Metropolitan Room, The Duplex, Prohibition NYC, Northwestern University, The University of Alabama, Western Connecticut State University, Lied Center for Performing Arts, and on Ken Davenport’s The Producer’s Perspective podcast.
Website: www.samihorneff.com