Wayne Barker

Composer

Wayne Barker is composer of the Tony Award-winning play PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, which earned him a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination for best original score. 

He performed for six years with Dame Edna Everage, appearing on stage as Master Of The Dame’s Music, including her Broadway triumph DAME EDNA: BACK WITH A VENGEANCE, collaborating with Barry Humphries on Edna's lyrics. Also for Edna, Wayne contributed music and lyrics to ALL ABOUT ME (which co-starred Michael Feinstein) as well as the 2006 Commonwealth Games (Melbourne) and the 75th Royal Command Variety Performance (Edinburgh), and Edna’s Australian, UK, and US Farewell Tours.

He composed and performed the extensive piano scores for the world premiere of Beth Henley’s LAUGH at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., Joe DiPietro’s HOLLYWOOD at La Jolla Playhouse, and THE PRIMROSE PATH (dir. Roger Rees) at the Guthrie Theater, where earlier he scored THE GREAT GATSBY, the inaugural production of the new Guthrie in 2006.

Wayne composed and arranged the score of SISTERS’ FOLLIES at Abrons Arts Center for acclaimed director (and 2015 MacArthur Fellow) Basil Twist.

His music can also be heard throughout A LITTLE CURIOUS on HBO Family. 

With Mark Lamos and Deb Winer, Wayne created SING FOR YOUR SHAKESPEARE at Westport Country Playhouse; other music direction and arranging credits include Mark Lamos’ stagings of INTO THE WOODS and SHE LOVES ME, and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at Baltimore's Center Stage and American Conservatory Theater. Also at Center Stage, Mr. Barker conducted the CAROLINE, OR CHANGE and THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE in productions directed by David Schweizer.

He has contributed dozens of original arrangements to symphony pops programs, including those presented by the New York Pops, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra and the Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis symphonies, among many others. He created many of the arrangements for The Raymond Scott Orchestrette, and plays on their album PUSHBUTTON PARFAIT.

As actor, he co-starred with Karen Murphy in SOUVENIR and most recently appeared in the record-breaking world premiere of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES (dir. David Esbjorson) at Huntington Theatre Company.