Writer / Composer

Lee Summers is a writer, composer, and lyricist whose work for the stage celebrates Black culture through story, music, and theatrical collaboration. Drawing on traditions of soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, and contemporary musical theatre, his writing blends classic influences with original storytelling.

He is the creator and writer of the Off-Broadway musical From My Hometown, now licensed through Concord Theatricals and produced by regional theatres across the country. The show features more than two dozen classic soul songs and an original book exploring friendship, ambition, and the power of music.

Summers is also the writer of Ella, First Lady of Song, conceived by Maurice Hines. The production has been presented by multiple regional theatres and received significant recognition at the AUDELCO Awards, where Summers’ work across several productions has earned 24 AUDELCO nominations and multiple wins, including Best Musical.

Additional works include The Funkentine Rapture, currently in development; If These Shoes Could Talk, which premiered at Milwaukee Repertory Theater and starred Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers in his final stage performance; and The System: Stop Frisking and All That Jazz, a musical addressing contemporary social issues that has circulated in university curricula.
More information about Lee Summers’ musicals can be found on the New Musicals page.

In addition to his theatrical writing, Summers maintains a catalog of original songs spanning musical theatre, soul, and contemporary genres. Selected recordings are available on streaming platforms through the album Soulriginals: Songs from the Vault of Lee Summers.

Private demo recordings and musical materials from several stage works — including From My Hometown, The Funkentine Rapture, Bayard: The Musical (A Celebration of Bayard Rustin, Yo Alice, and The System — are available for industry listening by request.