About Us
Our Mission
MusiCoLab nurtures new musicals and the artists who create them, cultivating a vibrant community of Philadelphia-based writers and sharing their work with local audiences as part of the wider ecosystem of musical theater development.
Our History
Founded in 2018 and incorporated as a non-profit in 2023, MusiCoLab has produced readings of two full-length musicals and selections from dozens more. So far, our work has benefitted over 50 writers, employed more than 100 local performers and been seen by more than a thousand patrons. Each year, our programming and professional development opportunities have expanded.
Work seen at MusiCoLab has gone on to be performed in New York, London, Chicago and at curated theater festivals. An archive of past presentations on our YouTube channel helps our creators’ work gain even greater exposure.
Our Team
Marley Shropshire, Executive Director
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Marley Shropshire is an award-winning director, producer, and writer with a career rooted in the development of new theatrical work, particularly new musicals. She holds an MA in Theatre Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, and a BFA in Performance from Baylor University.
Marley began her professional directing career in London before relocating to Houston, where she spent several years in senior leadership roles at Theatre Under the Stars, including Associate Artistic Director. She later served as Director of Artistic Production at HITS Theatre and as Producing Executive Director of Queensbury Theatre.
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Madison Claus is a theater artist and arts administrator based in Philadelphia. She holds her BFA in Musical Theater from University of the Arts, where she also worked in the School of Theater for over three years.
Charlie Gilbert, Artistic Director Emeritus
Madison Claus, Company Manager & Marketing Coordinator
Charlie Gilbert, Artistic Director Emeritus
Charlie Gilbert is a composer, writer and educator who has taught, written, composed, directed, conducted and played for musicals in Philadelphia since the 1980’s. A Professor Emeritus at the University of the Arts, Charlie started the musical theater program there in 1990 and trained hundreds of young artists, many of whom are now lighting up stages in Philly, on Broadway and beyond! (“Emeritus” means he’s retired from full-time teaching to start his next career as a full-time ruckus-maker.)
Barbara Bellman, Co-Founder
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Charlie Gilbert, Artistic Director Emeritus
Barbara Bellman is a playwright, author, librettist and songwriter who divides her time between Philadelphia and New York City. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing (Stonybrook University), and an MFA from the Tisch/Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, and is a member of the BMI Librettists Workshop. Her musical, BORDELLO, is currently in development.
Seth Rozin, Co-Founder
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Seth Rozin is a lyricist, librettist, playwright, director and producer who is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of InterAct Theatre Company and has twice served as President of National New Play Network. His musical A Passing Wind premiered at the Kimmel Center’s inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts in 2011.
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Michael Bihovsky, Programming Director
Michael Bihovsky is an internationally award-winning musical theater and film composer, writer, performer, director, teacher, and chronic illness advocate. He is best known for his viral Les Mis food allergy parody “One Grain More,” and his music video “Paperweight” written about the COVID-19 pandemic through the lenses of romance and disability.
In Memoriam - Marjorie Bicknell
In Memoriam - Marjorie Bicknell
In Memoriam - Marjorie Bicknell
Marjorie Bicknell was one of the founders of MusiCoLab and served as secretary of its board until her death in the fall of 2023. Marj was a playwright, director, actor and singer. She was the Dramatists Guild of America's Regional Rep for Philadelphia, President Emeritus of the Philadelphia Dramatists Center and founder of the Playwrights Alliance of Pennsylvania. She served the artists of MusiCoLab with endless resourcefulness and good cheer and was beloved by many in the Philly theater community!