Lory Lazarus, Author

Lory received his BFA from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where he was an actor in university productions (including a play chosen as one of the ten best college productions in the country, performed in Washington, D.C. as part of the American College Theatre Festival) and where he also had five of his plays and musicals produced.  After a stint as a songwriter and singer for Spike Jones Jr.’s touring band, Lory moved to New York, where he did a number of commercials and voiceovers; performed as a stand-up comic and as a solo acoustic act; in a duo (Buckwheat & Lazoo); a cabaret act (The New Jew Revue) and was the leader of the “mock ‘n roll” comedy band (LaZOO).  While with LaZOO he was an opening act for Henny Youngman, was a featured performer on Nickelodeon’s “Livewire” and was the leader of the house band on LifeTime Network’s “Hot Properties,” of which he also wrote the show’s theme song.  He has also written theme songs for the Family Channel’s “Healthy Kids Show” (hosted by Kim Alexis) and for “Who’s Slamming Who?” – an Internet radio show for professional wrestling enthusiasts.  He wrote the first original song created for Barney the Dinosaur, “Friends Are Forever” (performed by Sandy Duncan) then co-wrote 23 other songs for “Barney and Friends” on PBS with his friend, Stephen Bates.  (Don’t tell Barney, but Lory and Stephen also contributed original music to the Chicago production of “Naked Boys Singing!”).  His comedy songs are regularly played on Dr. Demento’s nationally syndicated radio show, his song “If There’s A God Somewhere” was a finalist in the Billboard Magazine Songwriter’s Contest and a revue of his songs, “It Isn’t Love,” was enthusiastically received at Don’t Tell Mama cabaret in New York.  He’s a former staff writer for Cartoon Network’s “Courage the Cowardly Dog” and contributed stories to an animated show, “Weird Years” (YTV – Canada.  Lory is also the head writer and songwriter for “The Randi Robics Kids Club,” a children’s show in development; on the writing team of “The Factory,” a puppet show for television being developed and is the creator of “Bodyman!” an animated show also in development.   As the in-house songwriter for New York’s Children’s Theatre Company, Lory has turned five stories by Dr. Seuss into mini-musicals, and his song “One World,” available on a CD with the same title through Live Unity, has been performed four times by the CTC kids at the United Nations, including an event honoring Nelson Mandela.  His wildly insane musical, “Attack of the Elvis Impersonators,” for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics opened Off-Broadway in 2017 to great audience response.  He is the author of nine other plays and musicals.  Lory is a member of AFTRA, the Dramatists Guild and a writer and publisher member of ASCAP.