About
Michael Holland is a composer/lyricist/orchestrator/arranger/producer who hates writing bios. Originally from Southeastern Connecticut in the pre-casino era, he spent a number of years as a singer/songwriter, selling literally hundreds of CDs. Then, he learned to start saying yes when the phone rang, and now he does more things. Onetime he even did orchestrations and vocal arrangements for Godspell on Broadway. You never know.
Some other, more recent things include music, lyrics, orchestrations and vocal arrangements for Twelve Angry Men: A Musical (book by David Simpatico) at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota. The show had its world premiere at Theater Latté Da, Minneapolis in 2022. He composed and produced original music for Clue On Stage, currently on tour and being licensed throughout the land. Additional 2024-type stuff: orchestrations and vocal arrangements for From Here to Eternity (Lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Stuart Brayson), Skylight, Milwaukee; arrangements and EDM production for The Ugly Christmas Sweater Musical, Theater Under the Stars, Houston and Playhouse on Park, Hartford.
Upcoming projects include an adaptation of Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Undone (music and lyrics; book by Darrah Cloud and David Simpatico), commissioned by Theater Latté Da, Minneapolis. A selection at their 2024 NEXT Festival, the show is barreling toward a full production to be announced soon. There are at least three other cool items on the 2025 agenda, but it’s too early to say what they are because I don’t want to jinx them. He doesn’t want to, I mean. He means. This is exhausting.
Holland was producer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/general nuisance on Farah Alvin’s On Vinyl recording (2023), as well as music director of her live show of the same name and its spinoff, B-side. He was arranger/music director for an innovative actor/musician production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and created orchestrations and vocal arrangements for Emma: A Pop Musical (Broadway Licensing). He has composed incidental music for various productions at Playwrights Horizons, Bay Street Theater, Dallas Theater Center, The Old Globe, Alley Theater, Colorado Shakespeare, and others.
He has music directed seven million cabaret shows, sung with a couple of orchestras, scored a short film, and is always looking for some new trouble to get into. Hobbies include hunting for sea glass with an intensity you would not believe, riding bikes, and complaining. Not necessarily in that order.
at the O’Neill one summer
