Our Country: Bio

Tony Asaro - Composer/Lyricist

Tony Asaro currently makes his living as a freelance musician and theatre artist in New York City.  He guest lectures at NYU in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program from which he graduated in 2007.  He also teaches voice at Front and Center studio in Springfield, NJ, and teaches lyric writing workshops in New York City public schools for 4^th and 5^th graders through the Johnny Mercer Foundation.  Tony is the recent recipient of the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Award for 2008 for songwriting.  Tony received his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1998, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and in Music.  At Santa Clara, Tony studied composition with Lynn Shurtleff.  Prior to moving to New York, Tony worked as a professional choral musician in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years.  He conducted the Albany Community Chorus, the Ragazzi Boys Chorus Primary Group, and sang first tenor/alto with the San Francisco Choral Artists under the direction of Magen Solomon.  Tony taught voice as part of the music faculty at Santa Clara University in the 2004-2005 school year.  From 2002-2004, Tony was the Director of the Choral Program at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, CA.  As a music director, Tony has worked on many shows with Children's Musical Theatre San Jose, and Milpitas Rainbow Theatre as well as other theatre companies around the Bay Area.  Professionally, Tony served as Assistant Music Director for TheatreWorks' production of Pacific Overtures, and as Vocal Director for Santa Clara University’s production of Kiss Me Kate in 2004.  Tony’s new musical Our Country (with Dan Collins) received its world premiere in June of 2009 through the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.  Our Country won four Planet Connections awards, including Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, and Outstanding Book, Music & Lyrics of a Musical, and will be published in the “2010: Plays and Playwrights” anthology of new plays published by NYTE Small Press.  Tony wrote the libretto for Such Beautiful Things a new oratorio based on the Brothers Grimm fable The Travelling Musician (Jeff Parola, composer).  Such Beautiful Things was performed by the NYC based choir, Choral Chameleon in April, 2010.  Tony's first musical, Family, a collaboration with Dr. Barbara Means Fraser for which he wrote music and co-wrote lyrics, has enjoyed two productions–one at SCU in 1999 and one at the Ryan Repertory Theatre in New York City in 2000.  Tony’s other musicals include Women of Colors (various collaborators), and Broken (with Kevin Cummines) and Going Nowhere.  Tony’s songs have been heard in cabarets at Barrington Stages, Goodspeed Opera House, and various venues in New York City and across the country.  His choral music has been performed by Choral Chameleon, the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims Choir, and the Mel-O-Chords.

Dan Collins - Book Writer

Dan Collins received his B.F.A in playwriting at The Theater School of DePaul University, his M.F.A in Musical Theater Writing at Tisch School of the Arts: NYU and was a member of The Musical Theatre Writer's Workshop at The Theatre Building Chicago. In collaboration with composer Julianne Wick Davis, Dan wrote book and lyrics for the musical WOOD, which has garnered readings and productions throughout New York City, most recently as part of The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) starring Tony Award Winner Cady Huffman. Selections from WOOD have been featured in The York Theatre's NEO4 Concert, NYTB's Untitled 2, and the 14X4 New Works Concert. He is also currently writing book for the concert-musical OUR COUNTRY with composer/lyricist Tony Asaro. His musical SLAYING FAITH with composer Jack Short was presented as part of "Leap Fest: A Festival of New Work." Dan's work has also been featured at Birdland, The D-Lounge, Don't Tell Mamma, The Duplex and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. 

Justin Utley

Since playing piano at age 7, Justin Utley has been involved in music and performing arts, earning numerous awards including "Best Singer and Songwriter" by Salt Lake City Weekly. He was a featured performer at the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics, and composed and performed the theme song to the Emmy-winning PBS movie "The Shadow of Light", along with numerous other independent films.

Theatrically, his credits include a 7 month Utah regional run as "Joseph" in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in 2001 and 2002, and the 2005 Utah premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida" as the leading man "Radames". In 2009 he debuted in the New York City theater scene as Tommy Dautry in the new musical "Our Country", which won Best Musical and Best Actor for the Planet Connections Theater Festivity.

Musically, in November 2005 Justin released his first nationally distributed album, "Runaway" on Kolob Records. "Runaway" was co-produced by his bandmate, lead guitarist and co-writer Lance Yergensen, who also hails from Salt Lake City.

In June 2006, Justin left his roots in Utah to begin anew in New York City. Prior to his move, a remix EP entitled 'Hold You + Remixes' was released in April 2006, which contained remixes and a live recording of the title track taken from the album "Runaway".

In June 2010, Justin released “Stand for Something,” which was the much-anticipated single he wrote to inspire both the LGBT community and our straight allies to stand up for LGBT equal rights.

Justin’s next full-length album, tentatively titled "The Great Escape,” will be released in the spring of 2011.