Lauren Kahane is a lyricist-librettist who lives in Chicago and New York.

Writing credits include: Regretting Almost Everything (Barrington Stage and Feinstein’s/54 Below), You Gave Me a Sheep (National Asian Artists Project), A Statue of Stature (Prospect Theatre Company), Join the Club (The Evanston Arts Center, and The Skokie Theatre), and In My Book (Coastal Carolina University). Other musicals include: The Girl Who Cried Different, Mimosa, For the Birds, Bak Chang (Commission, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle), After They’ve Gone, and The Quantification of Relative Human Insignificance (Finalist, Sigworks 2016). Lauren is a 2020 MacDowell Fellow.

Lauren has been in residence at MacDowell, Drama Club Camp, The Johnny Mercer Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, The Catwalk Institute, Barrington Stage Company, The 5th Ave Theatre in Seattle, and Coastal Carolina University. Her work has been performed at Joe’s Pub, Lincoln Center, NYTB and various other venues in New York and Chicago. She has an MFA from NYU Tisch, a JD from Harvard Law School, a BA from Princeton University, and a certificate of completion from The Second City Writing Program. 

She is a founding member of The HomeBrewed Collective, a member of Maestra, The Dramatists Guild, and ASCAP, and a voting member of The Recording Academy.

Download Lauren’s Resume (PDF).

Once Every Hundred Years: A Song Cycle by William Finn & Danny Ursetti

Produced by Lauren Kahane

NOVEMBER 16 & 17, 2025 • STUDIO 54, NYC

This new song cycle about life, love, aging, and art set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic is furious and funny, outrageous and intimate, always surprising, and surprisingly moving. Join us for this unique opportunity to be among the first to hear this final work by the beloved and truly singular William Finn.

The Girl Who Cried Different

TABLE READ • JANUARY 2026 • NYC

Music by Tommy Barbarella
Lyrics by Mariella Elm

The Girl Who Cried Different

Former-Prince keyboardist Tommy gives up his rock star life-style to be around for his family. He takes a position at a Minneapolis music house writing jingles for big-time clients. But the ad industry changes, and suddenly Tommy’s a stay-at-home Dad, working his music gigs around his family’s schedule. He writes, arranges, produces, does session work, plays with the orchestra and at his church. The only thing he won’t do – CAN’T do if he’s to maintain his street cred – is have anything to do with musicals. But when his 13 year old daughter Mariella, who lives with a rare disability, begs him to write a musical with her, Tommy agrees, under the condition that it remain private.

Based on the true story of Tommy Barbarella and his daughter, Mariella Elm, The Girl Who Cried Different is the story of man forced to face his greatest fear to help heal his daughter, and in the process, heals himself.

After They’ve Gone

When Andy and Deena’s youngest son, Ryan, leaves for college, Deena collapses into a pile of dirty laundry. But when Andy’s business fails, Deena pulls herself together and together Andy and Deena open Frenchify, a place where women go to learn to pretend to be French. The business takes off, but, distracted by worry over Ryan, who has a long history of depression, Deena fails to pull her weight. It is only when Deena is compelled to run Frenchify on her own, and Andy is consequently forced to respond to the emotional demands of their children, that they come to appreciate the burden the other has carried, allowing both the business and their marriage to blossom.

Mimosa: The Disobedient Plant

Mimosa is a plant with a special gift: she can dance! Mom begs her to stop. What if she’s seen by a human? Then along comes Molly, a lonely teenager. She catches sight of Mimosa dancing is so delighted by her that despite her Dad’s “no plant” rule, whisks her home. As their friendship buds, Mimosa learns something that could save both their imperiled communities — if only she and Molly could only learn to communicate.

Regretting Almost Everything

An intimate, two-person musical comedy about Love, Sex and Kids. It’s the story of Anne, a middle-aged woman who loves her husband and likes her job but wants — no, needs — more: more passion in her marriage and excitement in her life, and sets out on a quest to get it.

Featured
Attention Must be Paid

I’ve been working on The Girl Who Cried Different for nearly three years. There have been many significant changes in the libretto along the way, but one thing has stayed the same: The show has always been about Mariella and her dad, Tommy. In fact, when the show first came my way, I remember thinking that it was not quite what I’d have hoped for because it was about a father and child, instead of a mother and child.

Read More →
Once Every Hundred Years

That’s the name of the song cycle Bill wrote with Danny in what turned out to be the last few years of Bill’s life. I am producing the NY premiere at 54 Below on Nov. 16 and 17. I am also executive producing the live cast recording of the concert.

I’m pretty sure there are things I should be doing that I’m not doing because I don’t know how. I trust that will all work out.

Read More →
Drama Club Camp

I’m writing from a comfortable couch in a sun-drenched room in Mt. Vernon, ME. Danny is a little ways down the path working in the brand new, fully equipped recording studio. We are at the right time - our first residency ever - working on Mimosa: The Disobedient Plant thanks to the generosity of Shannon Morrison and Scott Ihrig. We are surrounded by other artists. As I write, I can hear some of them working in the next room. With one exception, it’s all people I hadn’t met before. As usual, so many immensely talented musicians and performers, if I thought too hard about it, I’d be back to wondering if I belong in the room with them. But since I’m here, I guess I do.

Read More →
Returning to Ithaca

In five days, I head to Ithaca to begin rehearsal for a staged reading of The Girl Who Cried Different.

The last time I was in Ithaca was in 1983. I had just graduated from law school. My sister was graduating from Cornell. We both needed to get back to Chicago. The plan? I was to pack up my stuff, collect her and her stuff, and then we were to drive home together.

Read More →
William Finn

My dear friend and mentor, William Finn, died last month.

Bill’s belief in me changed my life.

Bill invited me into his life, and his home. He made introductions. He created opportunities for my work to be heard. He told me who I should write with — and told them to write with me.

I firmly believe that it’s because Bill thought I was good, that my classmates decided I was good and wanted to write with me.

Read More →
You Get Another Call

Four or five years ago, a producer sponsored a contest. He asked for two-person scenes/songs between famous couples, real or imaginary, and promised that those selected would be published. Danny and I thought it would be nice to be published, so we entered.

Read More →
A Play by Lauren Kahane

Clearly, it’s better to be a finalist than not be a finalist. And Danny and I have been a finalist twice recently. Regretting Almost Everything was a finalist for NAMT. And Mimosa: The Disobedient Plant was a finalist for Circle in the Square Theatre School’s Emerging Writer Residency.

Read More →
Common and Extraordinary

It’s been about a year and a half since we released the Regretting Almost Everything concept album featuring the glorious Beth Leavel and inimitable Jeff Blumenkrantz. Because of Beth, Jeff, and our producers Kathy Sommer and Matt Anthony, the album is wonderful. And I’m proud of the songs Danny and I wrote. And the show, too.

Read More →
The Girl Who Cried Different Workshop

Under the direction of Executive Artistic Director, Austene Van, The Girl Who Cried Different had a two-week workshop at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, Minnesota which culminated in an invite-only reading on October 6. The cast included Harley Wood, Jennifer Grimm, Mariella Elm, Erika Soukup, DeZhane Antionette, Hannah Laursen, Egypt Bennett, Grace Kelly, Jane Frolland, Joey Lavine, Trejur Jones, Angie Haigh, Julie Madden, Jamecia Bennett, and Joel Liestman with Stage Management by Brandon Raghu. 

Read More →

Too Pitchy to Pitch

UPCOMING

  • Producer of “Once Every Hundred Years: Song Cycle by William Finn & Danny Ursetti” which will premiere on November 16 & 17 at Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, NYC

  • Table read of The Girl Who Cried Different in NYC in January 2026

  • Executive Producer of the Cast Album of the William Finn-Danny Ursetti song cycle, Once Every Hundred Years. Release date TBD.

RECENTLY

  • A workshop of The Girl Who Cried Different was presented as part of the first annual Fingerlakes New Works Festival in Ithaca, New York, on June 14, 2025.

  • Taslitz-Ursetti released Leighanna, featuring vocals by Rebecca Hart.

  • Summer 2025 residency at Drama Club Camp with Danny Ursetti, where we spent a week focusing on Mimosa: The Disobedient Plant.