Drew Gasparini has written the music and lyrics for Karate Kid The Musical.
The musical just had its UK premiere at New Wimbledon Theatre and is embarking on a UK tour.
Drew is an award-winning songwriter, musical theatre composer, lyricist, playwright, and performer. He has written the scores for Night Shift (commissioned by Warner Bros.); Crazy Just Like Me (NYMF “Best of Fest” winner), and along with good friend/writing partner, Alex Brightman, Drew has written the scores for Make Me Bad (a musical psychological thriller), It’s Kind of a Funny Story (based on the Ned Vizzini novel), and The Whipping Boy (based on the Sid Fleischman novel). On London’s the West End, Drew’s song-cycle I Could Use a Drink(based on his musical theatre concept album) was performed at the Garrick Theater, and in April 2025, his musical We Aren’t Kids Anymore (starring Dylan Mulvaney, Melanie La Barrie, and Aimie Atkinson) played to sold out houses at the Savoy Theater.
In 2019 Drew wrote the score for Super Bowl ad turned major publicity stunt, SKITTLES COMMERCIAL: The Broadway Musical (starring Golden Globe winner Michael C Hall) alongside book writer Will Eno. The project earned virtually every advertising award under the sun and was considered the most successful Super Bowl commercial of the year. In 2023, Drew was tapped to write the song for another major ad campaign for booking.com called Somewhere, Anywhere starring Oscar Nominee Melissa McCarthy. Drew’s songs have been heard in ads for Toyota, Ford, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, and more. He was also a songwriter for the cult-favorite TV series, SMASH season 2.
Drew’s sheet music is some of the most popular amongst theatre students around the globe thanks to the success of his albums I Could Use a Drink (released in 2013 by Broadway Records), which continues to be a mainstay in the musical theatre canon—as well as his album We Aren’t Kids Anymore (released in 2020): the basis of the new musical of the same title which continues it’s development in the UK. Concerts of Drew’s music have been performed in six of the seven continents, translated into countless languages, in venues from The Kennedy Center to the Sydney Opera House. And in 2018 Drew performed a night of this musical with the 80 piece Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Norfolk, VA.
Coming up: Drew is currently working on a meta-concept musical called The Unthought Known, and a new musical called Captain (again, with Alex Brightman), which is the gritty “true” origin story of Captain James Hook. Drew also just completed work on his first novel: a dramedy titled Fathomless Space, and is currently shopping it to publishers.
Karate Kid tours the UK until August and then plays in Toronto from September. Visit www.thekaratekidthemusicaluk.com for info, tour dates and tickets.
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Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk
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