Book & Music by Brett Ryback
Book & Lyrics by Jeff Luppino-Esposito
Love Is Dead is a new musical rom-com about a heartbroken woman and a sexy ghost. Surprising, celebratory, and so ridiculous: it’s an epic night of theatre with only 3 actors, all about love and dating in the modern age.
VIDEOS
SYNOPSIS
It’s Halloween weekend. 31-year-old Jordan arrives in the Hudson Valley for a solo getaway -- sure, she’s recently single, but the REAL reason she needs to get out of the city is to work on an article for her dream job at a magazine run by her idol, Emily Winters. Nothing like a little fresh air and “me time” to ward off an existential crisis.
Instead, she meets Cody: a chronically laid-back, obnoxiously ATTRACTIVE ghost who haunts her rental. Cody staves off the boredom of his interminable existence by torturing the short-term renters who come his way. If Jordan is going to write, she must get rid of him.
However, as Jordan tries to uncover Cody's unfinished business, she comes to find that he died from heartbreak (well, heartbreak and accidental asphyxiation). What begins as a battle of wills blossoms into mutual affection and supernatural sexual experimentation between woman and ghost.
As Cody and Jordan become closer, Jordan gains the confidence to pitch her article directly to Emily Winters at a Halloween party back in New York City. But when she arrives, would you believe it doesn’t all go as planned?? The ensuing chaos pushes both Cody and Jordan on to the other side, setting them each free in different ways. It's a ridiculous comedy about love in the modern age for anyone who has ever found themselves falling in love with a very sexy ghost.
LISTEN TO THE DEMOS
Meet the Creators
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Jeff Luppino-Esposito
BOOK & LYRICS
Jeff Luppino-Esposito is best known for his work as a writer, lyricist, and director on the musical podcast “In Strange Woods,” an iHeartRadio Award nominee for “Best Fiction Podcast.” His other notable writing and directing credits include the stage show Nantucket! The MusACKal, the short film How She Was, and the mockumentary pilot “Hall Stars” for Nickelodeon. You can preview his work at: www.JeffLE.me
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Brett Ryback
BOOK & MUSIC
Brett Ryback is an actor, composer/lyricist, and writer. He is the recipient of the ASCAP Foundation’s Cole Porter Award. His musical podcast “In Strange Woods” hit #1 on Apple’s fiction chart and was an iHeartRadio Award nominee. Works include: Passing Through (Goodspeed), Joe Schmoe Saves the World (NAMT ‘16, ASCAP/Dreamworks Workshop), Nate the Great (TRW), Free Speech Zone (Austin Film Festival Semifinalist). His award-winning plays Weïrd and A Roz By Any Other Name are both published in “The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008.” More at: www.brettryback.com
Development
LOVE IS DEAD is an original musical for only 3 actors: One actor plays Jordan, the other plays the Ghost, and the third plays everyone else. Think Gutenberg! or Murder for Two, just with one additional actor.
It was selected in 2024 as part of Coachella Valley Rep’s ORIGINS program, where it received a 29-hour AEA reading. The Palm Springs audience (average age 78.5) went wild for it, proving you’re never too old to be horny for ghosts.
It was selected as part of the 2025 NAMT Festival of New Musicals.
We are seeking a home for additional development and first production.