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Craig Carnelia is a composer, lyricist, author, and acting teacher. He has had four shows produced on Broadway. Working with composer Marvin Hamlisch, Craig wrote lyrics for SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, with book by John Guare, and IMAGINARY FRIENDS, with Nora Ephron. Hamlisch & Carnelia received Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations for their score for SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, and Carnelia received a Drama Desk nomination for his lyrics in IMAGINARY FRIENDS. As both composer and lyricist, Craig wrote the score for IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, and contributed four songs to Studs Terkel’s WORKING, for whichhe received his first Tony Nomination. Off-Broadway, he wrote the music and lyrics for THREE POSTCARDS at Playwrights Horizons, with book by Craig Lucas, earning a Best Plays Citation, and contributed to the revue DIAMONDS, directed by Hal Prince. Regional premieres include POSTER BOY at Williamstown Theatre Festival, with book by Joe Tracz, THE GOOD WAR at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre and ACTOR, LAWYER, INDIAN CHIEF at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theater, the last two written with playwright-director David H Bell. Craig
has won a number of major songwriting awards, including the Johnny Mercer Award, the first annual Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theatre Award, and the prestigious Kleban Award. As an acting teacher, Craig taught renowned acting classes in New York for over 25 years, and counts among his former students Sutton Foster, Annaleigh Ashford, Aaron Tveit, Ato Blankson-Wood, Brandon Uranowitz, Elizabeth Stanley, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Laura Dreyfuss and Erika Henningsen. Since the 1990’s, he has taught masterclasses at major universities and conservatories around the country such as CCM, Elon, Northwestern, Penn State and The University of Michigan, and continues to be available for such bookings.
His book, The Reason to Sing: A Guide To Acting While Singing was just released in an expanded Second Edition in January '26,
published by Routledge. The Reason To Sing is in use at numerous universities, including Texas State, University of Southern California, Baldwin Wallace, Belmont University and Missouri State.
As a mentor to young songwriters, Craig has served as head-teacher at The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project for the past 21 years, as well as having served as a frequent mentor through The Dramatists Guild Fellows Program, The ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop and the Eugene O’Neil Theatre Center’s Musical Theater Conference.
His songs are published by Hal Leonard Corporation, including the Craig Carnelia Songbook, and the Vocal Selections from SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and WORKING. Best known songs include “Flight”, “What You’d Call a Dream”, “Just a Housewife” and “The Kid Inside”.
He has been on the Council of the Dramatists Guild since 1995 and is married to Broadway actor/educator Lisa Brescia. Craig currently teaches Acting Through Song at the Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where Lisa serves as chair of the Performance Faculty.
