Get to know me, my projects & concert work, and my philosophy.

Bio

One of NYC’s most in-demand multidisciplinary artists and music directors, Drew continues to play and music direct all over the world (including B’way/OffBway/Intnl/Regionally/on Tour/in Backyards/on Zooms), creating at the piano, studio, screen, or stage alongside Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winners. After almost a decade of working in music and theatre departments at universities in Indiana and Oklahoma (and, incidentally, as a worship arts pastor), Drew traded in cornfields for concrete, working as a music director and starting a private premiere coaching studio in NYC for over another decade.  He hails from Girard, Kansas, where his parents were teachers and coaches and his brother and sister-in-law have two amazing kiddos.

Solo Projects & Concerts

Recent solo shows incl Kelli O'Hara, Mason Park ft Stephen Trask, Tituss Burgess, John-Andrew Morrison, Billy Gilman, and MCC's Miscast Gala. You may have seen him on PBS’ SONDHEIM/COMPANY documentary ft on Great Performances!, in the viral webseries TURNING THE TABLES or in an award-winning piano bar livestream. In 2020, he rocked Live from Lincoln Center with Stephanie Blythe/Blythely Oratonio. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Playbill, The New Yorker, NY1, Time Out, UK's Observer, BroadwayWorld and on PBS, just to name a few, and he is the first solo award-winning piano bar entertainer at legendary piano bar singalong venue Marie’s Crisis. He premiered NYC's LITTLE ISLAND Piano Bar Singalongs, and also performed in Times Square on Broadway for Playbill/Prudential's BELT IT OUT ON BROADWAY. He has also been a featured guest entertainer overseas with ATLANTIS cruises. He proudly is the co-producer/arranger/MD/co-creator of Kevin Smith Kirkwood’s CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE! concert series at Joe's Pub at The Public, which started its historic run of shows in 2015.  His Miscast concert series work featured artists Tina Fey, Tituss Burgess, Cynthia Errivo, Jessie Mueller, Aaron Tviet, Gavil Creel, Lea Salonga, and Leslie Odom, Jr., just to name a few.

In the Studio

His songwriting partner is queer activist and artist Madge Deitrich (stream their debut album THERAPY), and they are both members of and artists who are part of the Middle Collegiate Church community in NYC.

Musicals, Development & Other Projects

He has many shows in development, including a musical based on Say Yes to the Dress, a Sophie Tucker bio musical, as well as is the Music Supervisor for the West-End/Bway-aimed FOR TONIGHT (Shenelle Salcido/Spencer Williams).  Other selected: B’way/OffBway: keys/reh: AMAZING GRACE (sub), KINKY BOOTS; Fiasco/McCarter's award-winning INTO THE WOODS (wkshp MD, McCarter reh); Pre-Bway: Bebe Winans' BORN FOR THIS (Boston/DC, conductor/pianist/reh pianist); BAAYORK LEE"s National Asian Artist Project (Music Dir/conductor). In dev: YES! (Say Yes to the Dress the Musical); Danny Bolero’s Desi Arnaz musical I AM CUBAN PETE; Christina Crawford’s MOMMIE DEAREST; BELLE OF TOMBSTONE; Jim Steinman’s THE DREAM ENGINE. He also developed DiAna Pasari’s I GOT NAKED TODAY. You can find he and his world-class bands frequenting any live music venue in NYC or around the world, including Feinstein's 54Below, Birdland, City Winery, Bucks County Playhouse Jazz at Lincoln Center.  He is the other half of Michelle Dowdy's ROWDY DOWDY HOUR, and performs often with Natalie Joy Johnson, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Heather Botts, WICKED's first Asian-American Elphaba on Bway, Alyssa Fox, and is the music director for many things Bravo-centric, including Amy Phillips' CABARAMY as well as touring with Countess Luann.

Studios

As a vocal coach and teaching artist, his clients, students, and colleagues have starred in countless major Broadway musical productions for the last decade. Resident Music Director: JEN WALDMAN STUDIO (jws.community).  He is available by request for masterclasses and other teaching artist seminars and classes.

Philosophy

If we are determined to be people that bring more love, justice, and dignity to everyone in the world, we must become theatre artists that see ourselves and those around us clearly. We can change the world through simplicity, and we must harness our creative energies to start the change from our own little corner— our own singular skill sets, perspectives, and aesthetics. No matter if you're making a solo show, or the world's next Hamilton, & Juliet, Strange Loop, Into the Woods, or Les Miserables, courageously showing up for yourself and others through artistic integrity and excellence and [hopefully] a sense of humor and a whole lot of love for our audiences promises to make the world a better place. Let's do it together, shall we?

More

He graduated with MM in vocal coaching from OKCU/Oklahoma City University, where he studied under Jan McDaniel and was a pianist to legendary voice teacher Florence Birdwell.  Visit @drewwutke on IG for a peek into his life.  Also: Snickerdoodles are his favorite cookie, Light in the Piazza, Gypsy, Passing Strange, and Fun Home are some of his favorite shows, and his life partner is Finley Pup.