BW alumnus Ryan Fielding Garrett brings new musical to Cleveland

Composer, music director and orchestrator Ryan Fielding Garrett '12 has credits on some of Broadway's biggest hits. Now, he composes the music for a world premiere musical opening at Cleveland Playhouse.

 

Garrett has built a career that most musical theater artists can only dream about. The New York City-based composer, music director and orchestrator has lent his talents to some of Broadway's most celebrated productions, including "Kinky Boots," "Wicked," "Back to the Future," "The Notebook" and "Mean Girls." This week, Garrett adds another significant credit to that list: composing the music for a world premiere musical.

"Freak the Mighty," a new musical based on the beloved young adult novel by Rodman Philbrick, opens May 22 at Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre in Cleveland and runs through June 21 before traveling to Seattle Rep. Garrett's credits for the production include composer, arranger and vocal arranger.

Milestone moment

For Garrett, who studied music theatre at BW's Conservatory of Performing Arts, the premiere represents a significant professional milestone: an original musical debuting on a professional stage with a nationally recognized producing team.

The production is being developed in collaboration with Junkyard Dog Productions, the Tony Award-winning team behind "Come From Away," making this a major moment not only for Cleveland Play House but also for Garrett, an emerging composer gaining national attention.

"Freak the Mighty" follows two very different boys who form an unlikely friendship, drawing its heart from Philbrick's widely read novel. The co-production between Cleveland Play House and Seattle Rep signals strong institutional confidence in the work.

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BW connection that runs deep

Garrett's return to Northeast Ohio carries an extra layer of significance for the Baldwin Wallace community. The world premiere follows another recent Playhouse Square world premiere of "Star Machine," which spotlighted the talents of Gideon Temple '25, who was a student in Garrett's class when he was an adjunct faculty member teaching theatre music direction at BW.

That full-circle moment speaks to the reach of BW's training and the mentorship culture that defines the BW Conservatory of Performing Arts. For the University, Garrett's trajectory is a compelling testament to how conservatory training continues to shape artists who are creating the next generation of musical theater.

Bringing the story to life

In a recent video from Cleveland Play House, Garrett and writer/lyricist Anthony Drew discuss how the story evolved from page to score and what drove their creative choices in adapting Philbrick's work for a live audience.