John McMahon Musical Director, Composer, Accompanist    Composer, pianist and musical director John McMahon was born in Wildwood, New Jersey and attended a huge public high school where they did three plays and two musicals a year. He went to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. to study opera but ended up musical directing three USO tours, entertaining troops in Germany and Iceland. He was a member of the Sigma Pi Delta Fraternity. Since moving to New York, he has been in constant demand as a pianist, vocal coach, composer and conductor, working with many performers such as Lois Sage, Heather MacRae, Helen Schneider, Phyllis Pastore, Charles Cermele, Liliane Montevecchi, Mr. Ruby Rims, Florence Henderson, Andre De Shields, the late Tony Randall, Jo Anne Worley, Sylvia Miles, Baby Jane Dexter, Laura Bell Bundy, Mara Getz, Elaine Brier, Priscilla Lopez, Lea DeLaria and the late great Bruce Hopkins. He musical directed the improv group Chicago City Limits, where he got to play for Bill Irwin and Robin Williams as guests and then toured the college circuit with them. Theater credits include the Broadway production of "Prince of Central Park", and the revival of the Gershwin musical "Oh! Kay!". Off-Broadway, he was seen playing for the hit musical "Ruthless!" and the revue Whoop Dee Doo! He was the musical conductor and co-creator of the musical revue "Bottoms Up!" He directed the original revue of the music of "Rick Crom's Absolutely Rude!", and musical directed his Star Trek parody musical "Space Trek". He composed original music for the Valley of the Dolls spoof "Below the Valley of the Dolls" and has collaborated with Broadway lyricist Ira Gasman ("The Life") on several cabaret songs. A Bistro Award Winner, he is a frequent cabaret and piano bar performer, and can be heard on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed Japanese made-for-television movie "A Table for Two". He is especially proud of his 15 year association with legendary New York performer Ruby Rims and his yearly Christmas benefit for hospitalized children, "TeddyCares", which received the 2005 Nightlife award. He has written the music for the musical "Satan's School for Girls" with lyricist Harry Ewan, which was nominated for a Jeffrey award for its Chicago run at the Circle Theater, after a successful run at the Dudley Riggs Theater in Minneapolis. Two shows he musically directed, "Lovely" and "Rick Crom's What in the World?" won the 2002 Nightlife award. John also was named "Best of 2002" by Cabaret Hotline for his ongoing reveling at Sunday Brunches with Kelly Briggs.. His jazz arrangement of Sondheim's "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" can be heard on Lea Delaria's CD "Play it Cool" (http://www.wbjazz.com/catalogrelease.asp?id=256), which was voted the number one jazz album by The London Times, on Warner Brother's Jazz Label. His original revue, written with lyricist Jay Jeffries, "That's My New York!" opened at Judy's Chelsea in March of 2001, which won a 2002 Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) award for the song "Where's Shirley?" and Cabaret Hotline Online's Best of 2001. While continuing to work with the Farley Brothers and cruise the seven seas playing for Elaine Brier on Rosie O'Donnell's r family cruises, he is currently doing readings for his new show with Jeffries, entitled "Friends Like These" telling the tales of the lives and loves of four best friends living in New York. On June 21st, we did our second reading of "Friends Like These" as part of The York Theatre Reading Series Email: jmcmnyc@earthlink.net AIM: jmcmpiano "Friends Like These" won the First Howard Blau Award for Most Promising Musical, for their participation in a reading series at the Players Theater in NYC in December 2007.