CONFESSIONS
A New Musical
Book and Lyrics by Jonathan Keebler
Music by Bob Kelly
Based on the memoir Confessions of a Gay Priest, by Tom Rastrelli
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A story of religion, sexuality, power, and self-determination, Confessions follows Tom, a young gay man lured into the Catholic priesthood by the dangerously charismatic Father Scott. Desperate for purpose and an escape from his sexuality, he instead finds a secretive world of gay clergy that tests both his resolve and his faith. Through Tom's heartbreaking, empowering, and often darkly funny journey, Confessions asks where our beliefs come from — and who gets to dictate virtue and sin.
Listen to a Song
Closer to Heaven
from Confessions
Performed by Jax Terry & Benedikt de la Bédoyère
The Latest:
Confessions Presents Concert Reading
Confessions will be presented in a concert reading by Theatre Now on October 20. It will be directed by Joe Barros, music directed by Ian Miller, and feature Conor Crowley (Bat Out of Hell), Dan Hoy (Pirates!, Harmony), Jonny Cortes (Gollum Owned a Tropical Smoothie), Jesse Swimm (School of Rock, Mary Poppins), Noah Cornwell (Drunk Shakespeare), John F. Higgins (Succession), Nicholas Kraft (Drag: The Musical), Jillian Louis (It Shoulda Been You), and Jax Terry (Beatsville).
Meet the Writers
Jonathan Keebler
Book & Lyrics
Jonathan Keebler is a lyricist and bookwriter based in New York City. Select musicals include Gay Card (music by Ryan Korell), Meet and Run (music by Ryan Korell), Truth or Lie (music by Bob Kelly), and the short film and stage musical, A Most Average Musical (screenplay by Talia Berger, music by Bob Kelly).
He has work licensed by MTI and Uproar Theatrics, is a continuing member of the Theatre Now Writers lab, is a proud member of the dramatist guild, was a finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grants, has had his work developed at the Johnny Mercer Writer’s Colony, and received his MFA in musical theatre writing from NYU Tisch.
His work has been seen at Teatro Cesgranrio in Brazil, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Soundbites 4.0, UC Irvine’s 4@15, the North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre, the College of Charleston, and Rollins College, as well as performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below and Joe’s Pub. Recordings of Gay Card and Meet and Run are available wherever you get your music.
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Current works in development include Confessions, Big Wig (music by Ryan Korell, conceived by Bryan McCaffrey, based on a book by Jonathan Hillman), and Psychics (music and lyrics by Stephanie Salzman & Joseph Trefler).
Bob Kelly
Music
Bob Kelly is a Twin Cities-based composer, pianist, and music director. His second solo EP It Begins, It Begins was released on streaming services in October 2024. Works of musical theatre include gilgamesh & the mosquito (with Sam Chanse); Waiting... a song cycle (with Kelly Pomeroy); and the short musical film A Most Average Musical (with Talia Berger and Jonathan Keebler), which was published as part of the anthology The 10-Minute Musical and is available to license through MTI.
Bob is a member of the Theatre Now Musical Writers Lab, and his work has been supported by NAMT, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, The Gallery Players, Prospect Theater Company, Leviathan Lab, NY Theatre Barn, NYU CDP Series, New Musicals Inc., and the Festival of New American Musicals in Los Angeles.
Bob was the 2013 recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship for musical theatre composition, and in 2020 he was a finalist for the Johnny Mercer Foundation’s Songwriters Project. His work as a music director encompasses musical theatre productions and educational programs throughout New York City and across the country. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
