Richard Winzeler
Richard Winzeler’s lifelong love affair with musical theater began at the age of five, when he appeared in a summer stock production of The King and I in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois (yes, it played in Peoria!). That early experience sparked a passion for music, theater, and storytelling that has shaped his creative life ever since.
After studying music at the University of Miami and the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, Richard began his professional career as a rehearsal pianist and arranger for television specials featuring Barry Manilow, Rich Little, John Davidson, and Bea Arthur, as well as the People’s Choice Awards. He subsequently worked as an arranger and conductor in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Washington, D.C., London, and on USO productions, collaborating with performers including Suzanne Somers and Cathy Rigby.
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As a musical theater composer, Richard created the score for Great Expectations, an original adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Following a critically acclaimed Los Angeles production, the musical received its official world premiere at the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival in 2010. greatexpectationsthemusical.com
His musical Perfect World, for which he served as composer and co-lyricist, was produced at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood in 2025. perfectworldthemusical.com
Richard’s songwriting credits include a Billboard Top 10 R&B single, with songs recorded by Gladys Knight, Lou Rawls, Diane Schuur, Michael Johnson, Terry Steele, Barry White and Phil Perry. He has also performed in Los Angeles-area jazz venues and released Soul Expressing, a collection of mostly his original jazz/pop songs.
A pensioned member of SAG-AFTRA, Richard is also the screenwriter of Almost All American, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film which has received recognition in several screenwriting competitions.
Now based in New York City, Richard brings his experience as a composer, lyricist, and storyteller to Sanctuary, a new musical exploring the lives of people experiencing homelessness and their search for dignity, connection, and a place to call home.
For Richard, Sanctuary is more than a musical. It reflects his deeply held belief that art has the power to awaken empathy, challenge perceptions, and remind us of the humanity we share.