COMPOSER
William Allen Jones - Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Buffalo, New York, William Allen Jones began writing music at an early age. He composed his first song at nine years old and continued writing songs during his high school years while performing as the lead vocalist in a local rock band. After graduating high school, Jones served in the United States Marine Corps.
After his military service, Jones returned to his home town of Buffalo for a short time before relocating to the Central Pennsylvania city of Altoona. He composed his first theatrical musical, A Christmas Caroled, based on the Dickens classic during this time. The show was performed by a local theatre group to rave reviews. It has since been performed numerous times over the years as well as being broadcast on local cable and produced in concert form. Following the success of A Christmas Caroled, Jones composed Sherwood: The Musical Adventures of Robin Hood. Again, the show was met with success and has been performed regionally several times.
William Allen Jones' next show, Ghosts: The Musical, would become something of a phenomenon. The production would be licensed and performed numerous times in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Indiana. In 2011, Ghosts: The Musical was produced as a full-length indie film and was selected and featured in some of the largest film festivals in the country such as The Manhattan Film Festival, Las Vegas Film Festival, Hoboken International Film Festival, Buffalo-Niagara Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood. Ghosts: The Musical would also be produced and performed as a stage reading at the York Theatre in New York City in 2008. The cast consisted of Broadway performers including Alex Brightman who would go on to portray Boq in Wicked and Dewey Finn in School of Rock.
Jones' next musical production would be Jack, a rock and roll comedy based on the fairy tale, Jack and The Beanstalk. With catchy tunes and an excellent cast recording, Jack premiered at the Penn State University Altoona Campus to excited crowds who loved the funny, feel-good theme of the show. It continues to be a favorite amongst William Allen Jones' fans.
William Allen Jones' The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is his most recent work and the composer himself considers it his best work to date. Based on the classic tale by Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow builds upon Jones' musical legacy while taking that legacy to new heights of music, story telling, and production. It is sure to be a hit and plans are underway for future productions of the show in other locations.
Besides being an accomplished playwright, librettist, and composer, William Allen Jones has also produced and/or directed over forty productions, shows, and events as well as directed, cast, and written numerous local television and radio commercials. He is currently working and collaborating on an upcoming film project and adapting a book as a stage play.