Grammy® nominated songwriter and producer Tor Hyams is a 30 year entertainment veteran in the music, TV and film industries, from writing and performing his own material to producing world-class recording artists, and composing the musical scores for dozens of movies and television shows.

 

As a music producer, Tor has produced and written for Diane Warren, Joan Osborne, Howie D. (Backstreet Boys), Isaac Hayes, Lisa St. Lou, Michelle Branch, JC Chasez, Vivian Campbell, Edwin McCain, Lisa Loeb, Perry Farrell, Broadway Star Rachel York, Gretchen Parlato, and Lou Rawls.

 

After transitioning from the recording industry to musical theatre, Tor co-wrote and produced Greenwood, an original musical for the stage, which premiered at the 2011 New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF). With writing partner, Lisa St. Lou, Tor has also written original works ,including Stealing Time, a story about a woman struggling to reclaim her power after years in an emotionally abusive marriage (premiered at York Musical Theater Festival 2012 and has been further developed by Emerging Artists Theatre, The Pitch at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival and at Goodspeed Opera House by way of the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony), The Skylight Room, a story about asking for help through the lens of physical illness, with actor/writer, John Cariani, a political satire musical revue called the 1st Annual Trump Family Special, which had an off-Broadway run at the Triad Theater, How We Do: Back in the Day, a family musical about belonging and race, based on the real-life experience of Backstreet Boy, Howie D (work-shopped at the New Victory Theater in New York and world-premiered at the Rose Theater in Omaha in January 2020), Senior Living, a play about people dying to live, which takes place in a retirement community (directed by Judith Ivey, first read at Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC and world-premiered at Portland Stage in Maine), and Collateral Beauty, an adaptation of the film starring Will Smith, Ed Norton and Kate Winslet (in collaboration with screenwriter Allan Loeb).

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The duo has been commissioned by Center Stage Capital to write a musical adaptation of the legendary television show, Green Acres. Additional commissions include Ensemble, a collection of previously unpublished letters by Tennessee Williams, Untitled, commissioned by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) to be performed by middle and high school age students, and aTypical Family, a story about Autism Spectrum Disorder told from the perspective of the couple raising an atypical child.

 

Hyams wrote and produced an award-winning, star-studded children's album called "A World of Happiness," which he released on Disney Records. It featured performances from Samuel L. Jackson, Magic Johnson, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hayes, Debbie Harry, Gary Oldman, Perry Farrell, and many others.

 

With Farrell, Hyams then conceived and developed Kidzapalooza as a family festival nested within the Lollapalooza Festival. He then went on to produce several more family stages, including Austin Kiddie Limits as part of Austin City Limits, and the kids stages at the Hangout Music Festival, Westbeach Music Festival, and the Recess Music Festival. Tor’s live event status culminated with the White House Easter Egg Roll four consecutive years in a row. Tor also co-founded KindieFest, the first ever family music conference.