King of Harlem

David Gomez –  Book, Music & Lyrics

John-Michael Lyles – Book, Music & Lyrics

 

King of Harlem takes place in 1929 and explores the forbidden gay love affair between Mercy Wheatley, an up-and-coming Black prizefighter, and Federico Garcia Lorca, the celebrated Spanish poet who is studying abroad at Columbia University. Mercy has the perfect life at his fingertip and is poised to marry his beautiful fiancee Sarah and finally quit his job as a janitor to become a boxing champion. All of these well laid plans come toppling down after a chance encounter with Federico on Riverside Drive. With the Harlem Renaissance as their backdrop, Federico inspires Mercy with parties, dance, poetry and shows him how it can feel to live life to the fullest. Their budding romance is challenged to overcome cultural barriers, the cutthroat boxing world and Mercy’s impending wedding. By the end of this sweaty, sexy and surreal musical Mercy finally learns firsthand that love and authenticity are always worth fighting for.

David Gomez is a composer , lyricist, and librettist. His musicals include Malinche, The Blue Shoes, Miss Havishham’s Wedding, R and J, Feet Keep Me Flying, Sugarplum, and Adelita. His latest musical, co-written with John-Michael Lyles, The King of Harlem, has received support from the Kurt Weill Foundation Songbook Series, The Musical Theatre Factory MAKERS program, and was a finalist for the Relentless Award through the American Playwriting Foundation. David was one of the 2020-2021 Dramatist Guild Fellows Program and participated in the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Workshop in 2021. David is invested in continuing the Chicano tradition of rancheras y corridos. This musical legacy uses lyrics and popular song forms to question authority, cross borders, and inspire collective liberation.

John–Michael Lyles is an Obie-winning actor with a BFA in Musical Theater from Pace University. He has originated two roles on Broadway: first, with his Broadway debut in the Pulitzer & Tony-winning musical, A Strange Loop; and second, in The Heart of Rock & Roll! His film debut was alongside Alec Baldwin in “Blind,” and he’s guest/co-starred in “The Other Two,” “Chicago PD,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” & “The OA.” At NYC’s Barrow Street, he performed in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Flick, and played Tobias in their critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd. The Times lauded his “hauntingly simple performance” as the Courier in 1776 at NY City Center Encores, where he went on to perform in Love Life & Big River! He’s also been seen in This Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic), Brooklynite (Vineyard) & Jasper In Deadland (Prospect). Regionally, he played Dickon in CTG’s The Secret Garden, originated the role of Toby in Bliss at the 5th Avenue, co-starred in Second City’s production of The Art of Falling and was deemed a “fleet and winning phenom on stage” in the Guthrie’s Choir Boy. As a Vivace Award winning composer/lyricist/librettist, he’s been commissioned by 5th Avenue Theater’s Raise Your Voice program, and he’s currently co-writing a new musical, The King of Harlem, with prestigious support from The Relentless Award (finalist), Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, MTF Makers Cohort 2 and Dramatist Guild Fellows Class of ’21. He also wrote additional music for Second Stage’s We’re Gonna Die! www.john-michaellyles.com