Jonathan Fadner is a composer, lyricist and writer whose works for theatre have been produced by Queens Theatre, National Asian Artists Project, Common Man Musicals, Mr. Finn's Cabaret at Barrington Stage Company, 23 Elephants Theatre Company, Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA), among others. His songs have been featured by 54 Below, NYMF, Barrington Stage, MSTDA, Don't Tell Mamma's, Sardi's, The Duplex, and more.
His full-length musical, “The Unspeakable Act” (Book by Steven Hess, Lyrics by Steven Hess and Jonathan Fadner) and music by Jonathan Fadner, won Best of Fringe in the San Francisco Fringe Festival. Jonathan Fadner has written four full-length musicals for the stage: “The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical,” “The Wind in the Willows,” “The Ghosts All Around You,” and “Book About Life,” as well as many scores for plays and other musicals.
Jonathan Fadner’s commissioned piece from Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance, “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical'' which he wrote with his wife Kimbirdlee (Sau Wai) Fadner, has had developmental NYC performances at the Queens Theatre in the Park (directed by Steven Eng); the Actor's Temple in NYC, Flushing Library, the Howe Theatre, Figment Festival and the public library on Roosevelt Island, and was presented as part of Queens Theatre's online content. It received a well-acclaimed, full production at Queens Theatre in 2022. As a Junior version, “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical,'' has been performed multiple times in New York and California. Fadner’s musical, “The Ghosts All Around You,” was commissioned by MSTDA, is now an annual tradition and was funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
Fadner also writes music for plays. He has written music for Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” and “As You Like It” at NYU’s Meisner Studio in Brooklyn, “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Comedy of Errors” at NYU Tisch's New School, and “Richard II” at MSTDA. Jonathan Fadner works in New York City as a teacher who specializes in creating new musical theater pieces with youth. He also serves as the technical director of a nonprofit performing arts center.