Composer-lyricist Jesse J. Sanchez is the latest artist to join the Playbill Songwriter Series, and his offerings are the perfect way to ring in the New Year. Filled with artistic dreams and motivation, you're sure to leave his episode inspired.

Sanchez brought material from two of his musicals: Zapata: A Folklorico Superhero Musical, and Sueños: Our American Musical

Zapata centers on a young girl who dreams of following in her abuela's footsteps, touring the world as a Folklorico dancer. The first song, "I Wanna Be Like You," is performed by Gina Naomi Baez, with Nevada Lozano on the Sing For Hope piano and Katty Moraga on acoustic guitar.

The rest of Sanchez's program is dedicated to Sueños, with three songs: "Big Brown Eyes," "I'm Your Guy," and "They Will See." Performed by Baez, Aly Beltran, Kris Carrasco, and Ryan Alavarado, Sueños tells the story of three generations of a Mexican-American family and their pursuit of the American Dream, both personally and professionally. 

Jesse J. Sanchez is a composer-lyricist, writer, and music director. A two-time recipient of the National Alliance For Musical Theatre Frank Young Grant and a recipient of the Milagro Latino Artist Fund Grant, he has received commissions from Zach Theatre, Boston Lyric Opera, Oregon Cabaret, Portland Opera, TYA/USA, The 24 Hour Plays, Camelot Theatre, and more. 

Sanchez is an alumnus of Musical Theatre West New Works Festival, NAMT, The Orchard Project, The Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed, Austin Latinx New Play Festival, Prospect Theatre’s Musical Theatre Lab, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Black Swan Lab, and New York Theatre Barn Core Programs, including the Barn On Fire Festival of New Musicals, where he was mentored by Jerry Mitchell. His music is available for streaming on all major platforms and is featured regularly on Sirius XM Broadway and Musical Theatre Radio.

The piano utilized in the filming of this episode was provided to Playbill by Sing For Hope. Sing For Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. Learn more at SingForHope.org.

To learn more about Sanchez's work, visit JesseJSanchez.com.