Joe Slabe

Joe Slabe is a Calgary-based writer and composer with a Masters Degree in musical theatre from Goldsmiths College of the University of London.

He has written and composed seven book musicals, most notably Crossing Swords, which won five awards at the 2013 New York Musical Festival, including Best Book and the Theatre for the American Musical Prize, and The Urban Jungle Book, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Tom Hendry Awards and won the Calgary Critics’ Award for most promising collaboration, which he shared with director, JP Thibodeau. Joe also loves working with other writers and has created and contributed songs to nine original musical theatre revues, most notably Touch Me: Songs for a (dis)Connected Age, which won the 2014 Calgary Critics’ Award for Best Production of a Musical and was recently presented by Theatre Calgary as part of their tc UP CLOSE series, and the Naughty… but Nice! revues, which won the 2016 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical and are entering their ninth year of production. Joe mostly makes his living as a musical director, having MD'd over fifty shows, and has several Betty Mitchell Awards to his credit. He is the founding artistic director of Forte Musical Theatre Guild and received the 2004 Greg Bond Award for outstanding contributions to musical theatre in Calgary. His last name rhymes with “The Bay”.

Book Musicals by Joe Slabe: Crossing Swords, The Urban Jungle Book, Maria Rasputin Presents, The Paper Bag Princess, Austentatious, If I Weren’t With You, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Musical Theatre Revues Created with Other Artists: Alberta Kitchen Party, Touch Me: Songs for a (dis)Connected Age, Lest We Forget, Naughty… but Nice: Vaccin8!, Naughty... but Nice: Seven's on Screen!, Naughty… but Nice: Six in the City!, Naughty… but Nice: The Big V!, Naughty… but Nice: 4PLAY!, Naughty… but Nice: Third Time’s the Charm!, Naughty… but Nice: The Second Coming!, Naughty… but Nice!

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