I interview David Yazbek (music and lyrics) and Erik Della Penna (lyrics) about their new Broadway musical Dead Outlaw. After a successful Off-Broadway engagement, the show opened on Broadway on April 27, 2025 to positive reviews. It has been nominated for seven 2025 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
THIS EPISODE WILL BE AVAILABLE BY JUNE 6.
Dead Outlaw is a musical with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna and a book by Itamar Moses. It is inspired by the life of Elmer McCurdy. It premiered in 2024 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. The musical was originally conceived by Yazbek. It opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on April 27th 2025.
David Norman Yazbek (born 1961) is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty (2000), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2004), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010), The Band’s Visit (2017), Tootsie (2019), and Dead Outlaw (2025). He won a Tony Award and a Grammy for The Band’s Visit. He also consulted on the musical Buena Vista Social Club.
Erik Della Penna (born June 2, 1965) is an American composer-lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He wrote the music and lyrics of the Tony-nominated musical Dead Outlaw with David Yazbek, and has been the principal guitarist for pop singer Natalie Merchant since 2001. He has written and recorded twelve albums of songs for his various music projects, has scored two films, and was the composer-lyricist for two children’s musicals. In 2024 he was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards, winning one, for Outstanding Lyrics for Dead Outlaw. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Dead Outlaw in May of 2025.
READ MORE:
deadoutlawmusical.com
Good and Dead: David Yazbek & Erik Della Penna Unpack the Music of DEAD OUTLAW
Podcast Posts footer
Donations Accepted
DONATIONS ACCEPTED! We need your support to help us grow. Consider a small monetary donation or purchase a one-of-a-kind gift for friends, family, loved ones or even yourself.
Full information for each episode including playlists is available on our main PODCASTS page or view a list of ALL episodes.
