Meet Craig Holland! Craig is a screenwriter, playwright, composer and lyricist who writes for family audiences. Two of his new musicals, Pirates vs Leprechauns and Birdbrain are now available for licensing with Plays for New Audiences. To celebrate, we sat down with Craig to hear more about the inspiration behind these works.
What inspired you to become a writer and composer?
I have an eclectic taste in music. When I was a kid, I loved the Pink Panther cartoons because of the music written by Henry Mancini. I learned to play the Theme from Pink Panther on the piano when I was a young teenager. I still love that song. I got into the Beatles when I learned how to play the guitar in high school. In fact, the first song I learned on the guitar was Paperback Writer because it only has two chords. The Beatles were great songwriters.
Then in my later years in high school, some friends turned me onto Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. I would say that is the first time I really understood the power of musical theatre. I listened to that album over and over. I also enjoyed the music created by the Sherman brothers for Disney films like Jungle Book, Aristocats and Mary Poppins. Later, I was inspired by the stage musicals Les Misérables and Wicked. In the last 10 years, I’ve really enjoyed listening/watching musicals written for a young audience like Seussical, Fancy Nancy, and Dogman the Musical. And of course, I love anything written by Alan Menken including Little Shop of Horrors, Little Mermaid and Aladdin. I love the animated musical he did last year called Spellbound.
I like writing songs (both lyrics and music) because a song is a way of telling a story with emotion that sticks with you. I can remember the words and melody from songs I learned years ago because when you combine a great lyric with a memorable melody, it makes an impact on your soul.
I also enjoy writing songs because each song is a complete story in and of itself with a beginning middle and end.
What do you enjoy most about writing for kids both onstage and in the audience?
My favorite thing about writing for kids is hearing them laugh and have fun. It’s addicting. When my first musical was performed for over 500 elementary school kids, I was overwhelmed with the audience’s reaction. They laughed at most of the jokes I had written into the story, but they also belly-laughed at things I didn’t think were that funny. I loved hearing that laughter. And that is the most exciting thing about writing for kids. You never know how they’re going to react to the material you write, but you know they’re going to react in a genuine way and give you real feedback. If they like it, they’ll laugh, sing the songs, clap their hands and stomp their feet spontaneously. If they don’t like it, they’ll just sit there and look bored. I love that unfiltered honest feedback about my work.
One of your new musicals is Pirates vs. Leprechauns. Are you team Pirates or team Leprechauns? What would your pirate or leprechaun name be?
This is an awesome question! I am torn. I have always identified with both. In Pirates vs. Leprechauns, there is a character (spoiler alert) who is called Greenbeard. Both the pirates and the leprechauns claim him for their own, but he tells them that he is both. His mother was a pirate, and his father was a leprechaun.
I identify with Greenbeard because my mother came from an Irish family (McCann) and my father was English (many pirates were English). So, I would say that I am team Greenbeard! Although most people would look at me and say my name should be “Graybeard” because those gray hairs are sprouting everywhere on my face.