CASSIDY O'CONNELL
Composer Music Director Orchestrator/Arranger/Copyist Vocalist
Kairos
Book & Lyrics by Mel Hornyak, Music by Cassidy O'Connell
Winner of the Parlando New Musical Project
For decades, every graduate of the all-girls Peace Lily Preparatory school has worn a white dress to graduation. But Max, the first out trans boy at Peace Lily, wants to wear a suit. He only has the three days of their senior retreat - their Kairos - to convince the staunchly traditional Dean of Students to let him.
Among rituals, romance, and the endless confusion of growing up, Max and his friends learn the value of personal choice and solidarity across all genders.
"MARY WITH CROOKED TEETH"
from Kairos: A New Musical
Book & Lyrics by Mel Hornyak, Music by Cassidy O'Connell
Carmen, a burnt-out butch lesbian and one of Max's closest friends, is asked to write a letter addressed to the Virgin Mary as a part of a religious retreat activity. Instead, she hijacks the activity to deliver a feminist speech to the rest of her retreat group. Immediately prior to the song, Carmen admits she's a bit insecure about having "crooked" teeth, and notices how Mary always smiles with her lips closed, the same way that Carmen does.
Performed at The Cutting Room | 2025
"A LITTLE FARMHOUSE"
A song inspired by the painting: "Landscape of a Farmhouse" by Salomon van Ruysdael.
Lyrics by Spencer Lawson
Music by Cassidy O'Connell
"So Much Life"
In Collaboration with NYU & Penn State
Lyrics by Spencer Lawson
Music by Cassidy O'Connell
Long after midnight in a beachside apartment, Diego struggles to sleep after sharing an evening with Jacob. He longingly watches Jacob sleep before finally crossing to a window and gazing up at the stars, letting the sounds of the waves crash over him.
Performed at The African Grove Theater | 2025