Max Wagner
An original song recorded entirely on one acoustic guitar. Produced by John Schroeder at Blue Dream Studios.
Max Wagner is a Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based freelance guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Max is in demand as a sideman, studio player, and theater pit musician. His extensive theater credits most recently include After Hours Theatre Company’s multi-sensory production of The Last Five Years on guitar and Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star at Candlelight Pavilion on banjo. He played guitar for the regional premiere of Bright Star at Musical Theatre West, the world premiere of Mutt House The Musical at the CTG Kirk Douglas Theatre, and the Southern California mini-tour of Godspell in 2018, among others. He’s also the guitarist for the award-winning John Burroughs High School show choir pro combo in Burbank, CA.
As a sideman, Max has played venues throughout the LA/Orange County area, including Hotel Café, Bar Lubitsch, and the Troubadour. He’s played the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and NYC venues the Cutting Room, City Winery, and the Duplex. He’s shared the stage with singer-songwriters, cabaret singers, and rock bands, always bringing his trademark attention to detail and infectious smile to the stage. Some of Max’s favorite live collaborators include NYC-based songwriters Selda Sahin and Derek Gregor; singer-songwriters Bianca Gisselle and Michelle Vezilj; and Broadway stars Emma Hunton, Lilli Cooper, and Tony-Award Winner Lindsay Mendez.
In the studio, Max has played on dozens of sessions, working with Grammy-winning, legendary producer Glen Ballard, Alexander Hall/Oliver Heimach Productions (BEATLES EP, “Golden Hour” single), producer/engineer Austin Farmer (Toonhouse Inc.), and producer/arranger Elmo Zapp.
Other selected theater credits:
Big Fish (IVRT)
Carner & Gregor’s TECHIES In Concert (The Duplex NYC)
Modern The Musical (Live Read@SDA)
Dogfight; I Love You Because; tick, tick… BOOM! (After Hours Theatre Company)
Once On This Island, Footloose (LACHSA)
Starry: A New Musical (Rockwell Table and Stage)
The View UpStairs; The Boy From Oz; Priscilla Queen of The Desert (Celebration Theatre)
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble)
Cruel Intentions: The Musical; A Walk To Remember: The Musical (Prospect Theatre)
Green Day’s American Idiot (glory/struck productions)
Assistants the Musical (LA Fringe Festival; ENCORE Producer’s Award Winner)
The Album Project: Jagged Little Pill (Rockwell Table & Stage)
March 8, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
March 6-8, 2020, John Burroughs High School Pop Show 41: Eye to Eye, Burbank, CA
March 1, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
February 14-March 1, 2020, 3-D Theatricals Presents: Kinky Boots (Regional Premiere), Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, Cerritos, CA
February, 28-9, 2020, JBHS VMA at Chaparral Competition, Temecula, CA
February 23, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
February 16, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
February 11, 2020, Los Angeles Philharmonic Presents: Musik! Fantasie! Revolution!
A Weimar Cabaret, Black Rabbit Rose, Los Angeles, CA
February 4, 2020, Rockwell Sings: Love Songs (w/Bianca Gisselle and Everjohn Feliciano), Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
February 2, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
January 30, 2020, SHOUT! Record Release Party (w/Ben Carroll), The Loft at Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
January 26, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA January 19, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
January 17, 2020, Shabbat Take Me Higher, Open Temple, Venice, CA
January 12, 2020, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
January 9, 2020, Pixel Playhouse Live Twitch Stream, Los Angeles, CA
December 20, 2019, Shabbat Take Me Higher, Open Temple, Venice, CA
December 17, 19, 2019, The Best Chrismukkah Ever, Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
December 15, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
December 10, 2019, The Harmony Boys Swingin’ Christmas Sing-Along, Three Clubs, Los Angeles, CA
December 8, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
December 6-7, 2019, Jesus Christ Superstar, Caroline’s Loft, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA
December 5-7, 2019, Bright Star, Bronwyn Dodson Theatre, Fullerton College, Fullerton, CA
November 24, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
November 21-23, 2019, Bright Star, Bronwyn Dodson Theatre, Fullerton College, Fullerton, CA
November 15, 2019, Shabbat Take Me Higher, Open Temple, Venice, CA
October 18-November 3, 2019, Musical Theatre West Presents: Something Rotten (Regional Premiere), Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach, CA
October 15, 2019, Pixel Playhouse Live Twitch Stream, Los Angeles, CA
October 11-13, 2019, Burroughs on Broadway, John Burroughs High School, Burbank, CA
October 13, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
October 6, 2019, Rockwell Musical Parodies: Stephen King’s IT, Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
October 5, 2019, w/Jessica Rau and Candy Emberley, Hotel Café Second Stage, Los Angeles, CA
October 4, 2019, For The Record: The Brat Pack: Summer School! – An 80’s Soundtrack Experience, Break Room 86, Los Angeles, CA
September 30, 2019, Rosh Hashanah Day Service, Open Temple, Los Angeles, CA
September 29, 2019, University Christian Church Service, Los Angeles, CA
September 27, 2019, Rockwell Musical Parodies: Stephen King’s IT, Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
September 22, 2019, w/Morgan Reilly (opening for Jessie J), The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
September 22, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
September 20-1, 2019, A Walk To Remember: The Unauthorized Musical, Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
September 17-18, 2019, Inland Valley Repertory Theatre Presents: Fun Home (Regional Premiere), Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont, CA
September 15, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
September 7, 2019, Private Wedding (w/The Half Moons), Kestrel Park, Santa Ynez, CA
September 1, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
August 14, 21, 28, 2019, A Walk To Remember: The Unauthorized Musical, The Three Clubs, Los Angeles, CA
August 9-25, 2019, 3-D Theatricals Presents: Shrek The Musical, Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, Cerritos, CA
August 23, 2019, For The Record: The Brat Pack: Summer School! – An 80’s Soundtrack Experience, Break Room 86, Los Angeles, CA
August 18, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
August 17, 2019, John Burroughs High School Alumni Pop Show, Burbank, CA
August 11, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
June 1-August 4, 2019, After Hours Theatre Company Presents The Last Five Years: A
Multisensory Experience, The Actor’s Company – The Other Space, Los Angeles, CA
August 4, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
August 3, 2019, For The Record: The Brat Pack: Summer School! – An 80’s Soundtrack Experience, Break Room 86, Los Angeles, CA
July 27, 2019, Ken Burns Country Music Series Screening, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA
July 21, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
July 14, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
July 8, 2019, Tricoastal: The Songs of Selda Sahin and Derek Gregor, The Loft at City Winery, New York, NY
June 29, 2019, Norwegian Cruise Lines “Whiskey & Rye” Workshop Performance, Norwegian Creative Studios, Riverview, FL
June 2, 2019, The Loft, Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
April 19-May 25, 2019, Bright Star, Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont, CA
May 23, 2019, Cherry Poppins Presents: A Clash of Queens – A Game Of Thrones Parody Burlesque, Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
May 16, 2019, John Burroughs High School Spring Concert, Burbank, CA
April 24-May 8, 2019, Inland Valley Repertory Theatre Presents: Big Fish, Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont, CA
April 30, 2019, w/Bianca Gisselle, Hotel Café Main Stage, Los Angeles, CA
April 27, 2019, JBHS VMA at Vista Competition, Vista, CA
April 12-13, 2019, JBHS VMA at Burroughs Showcase Competition, Burbank, CA
April 11, 2019, Musical Theatre West Presents: Catch Me If You Can, Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach, CA
April 6, 2019, JBHS VMA at Eastern Show Choir Festival, Waltham, MA
March 29, 2019, JBHS VMA at Oceanside Sound-Off Competition, Oceanside, CA
March 24, 2019, Michelle Young’s “You’ve Got This” Birthday Bash (w/Bianca Gisselle), The Hi Hat, Los Angeles, CA
March 21, 2019, Cherry Poppins Presents: Harry Poppins and the Knock Shop of Secrets, Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
March 14-15, 2019, Carner & Gregor’s TECHIES In Concert, The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, New York, NY
March 9, 2019, JBHS VMA at Hart Competition, Santa Clarita, CA
March 8, 2019, The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Stranger Things, Rockwell Table and Stage, Los Angeles, CA
March 2, 2019, JBHS VMA at Burbank Blast Competition, Burbank, CA
Onstage before opening night of Sucker Love Productions’ Cruel Intentions: The Musical
Tracking acoustic guitar with Elmo Zapp
Rehearsing with Derek Gregor and David Hull
Recording with Alexander Hall of OHEI Productions
Soundchecking at the Starlight Bowl, Burbank, CA
Tracking electric guitar at Theta Sound Studios
Onstage with Alexander Morgan at Hotel Café
American Idiot performance shot with St. Jimmy (Caitlin Ary)
I’m very excited to be working on the regional premiere of Kinky Boots and playing banjo for Musik! Fantasie! Revolution! , presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The year’s been off to a roaring start, with several fun recording projects in the can, and I’m looking forward to continuing the good times in 2020!
I’m heading back to Zebulon, North Carolina this month, playing banjo for my third production of Bright Star. It’s great to be one of only three people (to my knowledge) in Los Angeles to have played this uniquely challenging banjo part. Earlier this month I also finished an amazing run of Something Rotten at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, CA and I’ve got one last musical on the calendar for the year, playing guitar for Jesus Christ Superstar at LACHSA next month.
My summer ended with a bang, and the fall is off to a great start! I played a set with Morgan Reilly opening for Jessie J to a sold out audience at the Troubadour this past Sunday. Prior to that saw brief runs of Fun Home and A Walk To Remember The Unauthorized Musical, and coming up next month I’ll be playing Guitar 1 for the Regional Premiere of Something Rotten at Musical Theatre West!
This is going to be a very busy month! As August begins, the 10-week run of After Hours Theatre Company’s multisensory production of The Last Five Years is coming to a close, right before 3-D Theatricals’ production of Shrek The Musical opens August 9th. I’m very excited to be making my debut with For The Record for their Brat Pack show at Break Room 86 this month as well as returning to Player Hater Productions’ A Walk To Remember the Musical at the Three Clubs. AND John Burroughs High School’s biannual Alumni Pop Show is happening again!
When last we left, Big Fish, Bright Star, and Catch Me If You Can were all in my future. Well, all three of those shows are now in my past, with Bright Star closing just this past weekend. I’m currently in rehearsals for After Hours Theatre Company’s immersive production of The Last Five Years, starring Janel Parish and Scott Porter, and have a full summer calendar ahead!
…it pours. On April 24th, I’ll be playing guitar for opening night of the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre’s production of Big Fish. Between now and then, in addition to a trip to Boston with the John Burroughs High School Show Choirs, I’ve got two additional musicals to get under my fingers, AKA 105(!) songs to learn. Whew!
A very busy stretch of shows, rehearsals, and travel starts tonight, when I'll be playing with Cherry Poppins, a Los Angeles burlesque/musical theatre company. Playing another short duo set with Bianca Gisselle Sunday afternoon at the Hi Hat in Highland Park, followed by a whole bunch more with the John Burroughs high school show choirs, including a trip to Boston for a competition.
Excited to play the first two concert performances of Sam Carner and Derek Gregor’s new musical Techies at the Duplex Cabaret and Piano Bar in New York city next week. Entering the busy part of the show choir season as well, following a fantastic quartet of performances of John Burroughs High School’s Pop Show 40.
I’ve been beyond busy so far this year, with a ton of awesome gigs and opportunities. This week is Pop Show 40 at John Burroughs high school, their annual 3-hour musical extravaganza. So far this year, I’ve also played bass for Lizzie, a rock musical about Lizzie Borden, and filled in on Scissorhands at the Rockwell, as well as playing Hotel Cafe with Bianca Gisselle and Michelle Vezilj.
Rounding out a fantastic year with a couple of recording sessions and performances these next two weeks! Doing an all-acoustic session with Anthony Lucca for Into Light, a musical short film, then pre-production recording for John Burroughs High School’s Pop Show 40. Oliver Heimach’s “Golden Hour” is out, featuring my playing and I’ve got a new acoustic cover video out with Everjohn Feliciano and Kyra Selman. I’m also playing Disney Night at the Rockwell with Trent Mills and a little Christmas performance at Jen Oundjian’s house.
Follow me at @maxwagnermusic
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