Musical Theatre

Songs in concert

Ayumi's melodies captivate audiences with their beauty, honesty, and simplicity. Her songs from various shows and projects have been featured in concerts across the US and Japan. Explore some of the performances below (sheet music available upon request.) 

 

My Head Turns Round and Round at Christmas           

Music and Lyrics by Ayumi Okada & Yu Okuda
English Lyric Translation by Christian Duhamel

For Solo (of any voice type)

Originally written for MWJ's inaugural concert held in Tokyo in 2021, "My Head Turns Round and Round at Christmas" is a family-friendly stand-alone song centering around a passionate child's Christmas wishes to Santa. 

Performed by Arri Lawton Simon (vocals) and Yu Okuda (piano)

9th Annual Mcguire & Simon Holiday Salon 
Dec. 13. 2023 @ Maravel Arts Center


あたまぐるぐるクリスマス           

MY HEAD TURNS ROUND AND ROUND AT CHRISTMAS (original Japanese lyrics version)
作詞・作曲:岡田あゆみ、奥田祐

For Solo (of any voice type)

演奏:水野貴以 (vocals)、奥田祐 (piano)

ミュージカルライターズジャパン レパートリーコンサート Vol.1 
Dec. 21. 2021 @ Kiwa Tennoz


Mary Ran                                         

From The Uncivil Ones
Lyrics by Christian Duhamel

For Trio (Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto)

Featuring both real and historically-inspired characters, The Uncivil Ones unearths the unheard voices (female, black, trans, non-binary) of the American Civil War.

In this song, The Civil War begins, and each of the three main characters (all named Mary) sees a unique opportunity to put their skills to use. The ensemble sings as each character makes their transformation as they journey to the battlefield.


Every Day                                         

From The Uncivil Ones
Lyrics by Christian Duhamel

For Solo (Alto)

In Act I, when we first meet the Irish-American character who sings this song, his gender is identified as female and his name is Jennie Hooke. During the show, Jennie disguises himself as a man and fights in the war while searching for his brother. When the war is finished, he continues to live his life as a man, going by the name Levi. When one of Levi's wartime
allies confronts him about living his life honestly, as a woman, Levi responds with this:

*This song is to be performed by a trans man or queer non-binary performer, or someone who relates to the subject strongly.

Sheet Music available at Songs for the Rest of Us


Isn't It Nice                                         

From BMI Workshop 2nd Year Project
Lyrics by Christian Duhamel

For Quartet (Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Baritone)

Two couples (young and old,) both forbidden their romance because of situations beyond their control, are now each alone together for the first time - one is in the garden, and the other is at the beach.


Down The Track                                         

From BMI Workshop 2nd Year Project
Lyrics by Christian Duhamel

For Duet (Soprano, Tenor)

A young man tells his younger sister about his ambition to get out of his hometown in a playful yet truthful way. 


I'll Be There                                         

From six words or less
Lyrics by Patrick Spencer

For Duet (Soprano, Tenor)

Through this 10-minute musical, Ernest Hemingway attempts to make sense of what went wrong in the life of his father, Clarence, by going through the memory backward.

This is the last song of the show - Ernest concludes Clarence's happiest moment in his life was when he learned about his wife being pregnant with Ernest, not knowing that trying to be a good father would eventually destroy him.


A Friend Like Francine                                         

From CLYBOURNE PARK 
Lyrics by Aaron Ricciardi

For Duet (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano)

A BMI Workshop First-Year Assignment based on a scene from Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris. Upon hearing that Bev and Russ plan to sell their home to a black family, their neighbor Karl comes over to convince them to stop the sale. Jim, a priest, is also at Bev's and Russ's house, and he supports Karl's cause.


MWJ Repertoire Concert Vol.1 (Trailer)                       

 

An inaugural concert of Musical Theatre Writers Japan (MWJ) held in Tokyo in December 2021. 

The program includes Mary Ran (Music by Ayumi Okada, Lyrics by Christian Duhamel), My Head Turns Round and Round at Christmas (Music and Lyrics by Ayumi Okada and Yu Okuda), alongside She (Music and Lyrics by Georgia Stitt), Entrusting My Hope/ Forest of Venus (Music by Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics by Ako Takahashi), among others.

「ミュージカルライターズジャパン・レパートリーコンサート Vol.1」が2021年12月に東京で開催され、岡田の曲も2曲取り上げられました。ダイジェスト映像をお楽しみ下さい。