Today we’d like to introduce you to Jan Roper.
Hi Jan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a composer and theatrical music director. I started out as a performing and recording singer and keyboard player for many years, playing all kinds of gigs and concerts, and recording whatever I was hired for. Having a strong classical piano background and perfect pitch meant I was also a strong sight singer, so I stayed pretty busy in the recording studios as well. But I have always loved the theater. Back in 2006 I wrote an immersive musical called Jerusalem A.D. about the last week of Christ’s life (the album is available on Spotify) and after writing, recording and then music directing the production, I was hooked! Since then I have written several more full length original musicals, and have pivoted to music directing shows all over the greater Los Angeles area.
One of my original musicals, “The Path to Catherine”, recently had an album of selected songs released on Center Stage Records, (available on all the streaming platforms , like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.), and I’m very proud of the production of this record. This 3-woman show is about the true back-story of the teenage Catherine the Great. Another original musical, América Tropical, has won many awards and we have many irons in the fire of interested theaters, as it deals with a repatriation story (a form of deportation) of a Mexican-American family in 1932 Los Angeles, back when Olvera Street had just been built.
In addition, I find myself music directing all kinds of shows, almost always as a piano-playing conductor, which is my preferred way to music direct. I love interacting with actors, helping them find their character and sound, while teaching them their harmonies, and then also playing the shows with a live band. Every musical has its quirks and challenges, but in the end, it is always so satisfying to learn the score, moving from one synth sound to the next (the last show I did had 340 different synth sounds!) and all the while conducting through the tempo changes and cueing musicians and actors. It’s an intense 2-½ hours but always a lot of fun.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting an original musical written, developed, revised, recorded and finally produced is a multi-year process, usually taking 5-10 years. My first musical, Jerusalem A.D., moved forward pretty easily because it was financed by a large church. But I soon learned that writing a show with no commission or upfront investors is a very risky and arduous process. The amount of toil and sweat can hardly be quantified, it can seem endless! Building relationships within the theater community, staying diligent with social media and self-promotion, along with the never-ending process of rewrites and recording, takes a lot of perseverance.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
A few other highlights worth mentioning;
Winner of the L.A. Scenie Award for Best Musical Director for the 2019-2020 season and 2022-2023 season.
Nominated for Best Musical Direction by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle in 2024.
América Tropical Musical (composer) –
Winner of the Eastside Initiative Grant – 2025
Selected for a live-streamed reading in NYC, produced by TRU and Jamrock Productions – 2025
Featured musical for the Latiné Musical Lab in 2023, funded by the Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Foundation
Winner of the Raise Your Voice competition, 2020
www.americatropicalmusical.com
The Path to Catherine (composer) –
6-week production at the Brick House Theater in 2022
Nominated for 3 Broadway World’s Regional Awards, including Best Musical
Cast album released on Center Stage Records in September, 2025
www.thepathtocatherine.com
Jerusalem A.D. (composer & lyricist)
Licensed by CMI Shows
Cast album available on Spotify
City of Light (composer)
Winner of Best Score in the sheNYC Theater Festival, 2017
Music directed sold out concert reading at NYC’s 54 Below in 2018
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am currently raising funds for a production at the Sierra Madre Playhouse for América Tropical. Please reach out to me at [email protected] and I would love to set up a meeting to tell you more about the show!
Please visit the websites of my 2 active musicals in development: The Path to Catherine and América Tropical. And look up the cast albums of Jerusalem A.D. and Path to Catherine on Spotify and let me know what you think. I love to get feedback from friends and acquaintances!
I am currently beginning a musical project around the story of The Prodigal Son.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.janroper.com and www.americatropicalmusical.com
- Instagram: @janropermusic
- Facebook: @Jan-Roper
