# Rick Crom

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**Rick Crom** (born March 15, 1957) is an American actor, singer, comedian, lyricist, and composer. He has appeared in numerous television shows and specials, [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) and [off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) musicals, as well as written several [off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) revues, and has been nominated 3 times for the [Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics](/source/Drama_Desk_Award_for_Outstanding_Lyrics).[1]

## Performer

In 1993, Crom made his Broadway acting debut in *[The Goodbye Girl](/source/The_Goodbye_Girl_(musical))*. He was an [understudy](/source/Understudy) in *[Footloose](/source/Footloose_(musical))* and appeared in *[Urinetown: The Musical](/source/Urinetown:_The_Musical)* as Tiny Tom/Dr. Billeaux. His off-Broadway acting credits include the 1994 revival of *[Merrily We Roll Along](/source/Merrily_We_Roll_Along_(musical))* and the *[Encores!](/source/Encores!)* productions of *[Fiorello!](/source/Fiorello!)* and *[Li'l Abner](/source/Li'l_Abner_(musical))*.

## Stand-up Comedy

As a comedian, Crom has appeared with the [Chicago City Limits](/source/Chicago_City_Limits), and performed stand-up across the country, most frequently at New York City's [Comedy Cellar](/source/Comedy_Cellar). On television, he has been seen on *[Chappelle's Show](/source/Chappelle's_Show)*, *[Caroline's](/source/Caroline's) Comedy Hour*, and *[Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn](/source/Tough_Crowd_with_Colin_Quinn)*. He also appeared on the [FX](/source/FX_(TV_Network)) sitcom *[Louie](/source/Louie_(U.S._TV_series))*, starring fellow comic [Louis CK](/source/Louis_CK), in which he schools CK on the use of a gay slur.[2][3]

Crom teaches a course in stand-up comedy at the [Comedy Cellar](/source/Comedy_Cellar) in New York.[4]

In 2017, the documentary *Oh, Rick* was released, chronicling his career.[5][6] It was directed by Dustin Sussman and Aaron Rosenbloom.

## Writer

In 2004, Crom wrote the book, music, and lyrics for *[Newsical](/source/Newsical)*, and received his first [Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Lyrics](/source/Drama_Desk_Award_for_Outstanding_Lyrics), with *NEWSical* picking up a nomination for Outstanding Revue.[7] An original cast recording was released on April 5, 2005. Though *NEWSical* closed in 2005 after 215 performances, a new edition (renamed *NEWSICAL the Musical: We Distort, You Decide*, and featuring an original book and music) began previews at the 47th Street Theater on November 24, 2009, and opened December 9 of that year. Once again, Crom was nominated for the [Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics](/source/Drama_Desk_Award_for_Outstanding_Lyrics), and the show was nominated for the Outstanding Musical Revue award. The 2009–2010 production closed March 21, 2010. The latest edition of *NEWSical the Musical: Full Spin Ahead* began previews December 13 of that year and opened on January 9, 2011, at [The Kirk at Theatre Row](/source/Theatre_Row_(New_York_City)).

Crom created the *[Star Trek](/source/Star_Trek)* spoof *Space Trek*[8] with bookwriter Marc Lipitz, and authored the topical musical revues *Oh Fine RSVP!*, *The Subject Was Neurosis*, *Absolutely Rude*,[9] and *Our Life and Times*, which won him a [MAC Award](/source/MAC_Awards) and a *[Backstage](/source/Backstage_(magazine))* Bistro Award for Outstanding Musical Revue.

Crom contributed a majority of the topical material featured at the Crystal Palace Theater in [Aspen, Colorado](/source/Aspen,_Colorado), from the late 1980s to 2008 (when the venue closed).[10] A recording of his songs for the Crystal Palace, *Who Writes This Stuff? The Songs of Rick Crom*, was released in 2008. He currently performs the same function for Laffing Matterz, a dinner theater in [Fort Lauderdale, Florida](/source/Fort_Lauderdale,_Florida).

In 2009, Crom composed the score and co-wrote lyrics with Fred M. Caruso for the film *[The Big Gay Musical](/source/The_Big_Gay_Musical)*.[11] He composed the score and wrote the lyrics for *Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale*, with a book by his *Urinetown* co-star [Hunter Foster](/source/Hunter_Foster).[12] It was presented at the 2009 [New York Musical Theatre Festival](/source/New_York_Musical_Theatre_Festival), where it won awards for Best Music and Most Promising Musical. *Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale* was workshopped in residency at the [Academy for New Musical Theatre](/source/Academy_for_New_Musical_Theatre), through the [ASCAP Foundation](/source/ASCAP_Foundation) Irving Caesar Fund Fellowship, a Producer-Writer Initiative granted through [NAMT](/source/NAMT), the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.[13]

## References

1. Hillyer, Michael (2017-06-30). ["Rick Crom: The First 60 Years In Revue"](https://thefrontrowcenter.com/2017/06/first-60-years-revue/). *The Front Row Center*. Retrieved 2026-03-11.

1. Bettinger, Brendan (2010-06-29). ["A Review of the First Four Episodes of FX's LOUIE"](https://collider.com/louie-review-fx-louis-c-k-nick-dipaolo-rick-crom/). *Collider*. Retrieved 2026-03-11.

1. Zinoman, Jason (2015-08-16). ["Catch Charlie Barnett and Other Rising Stand-Up Stars Who Never Hit the Top"](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/arts/catch-charlie-barnett-and-other-rising-stand-up-stars-who-never-hit-the-top.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2026-03-11.

1. ["Stand-up Comedy Classes"](http://www.comedycellarclasses.com). *The Comedy Cellar*. Retrieved August 22, 2018.

1. Oh, Rick! (June 24, 2021). [*Oh, Rick! - Full Stand-Up Comedy Documentary | Comedy Cellar NYC (2017)*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpbnF8Qr0Nc). Retrieved August 31, 2025. – via YouTube.

1. ["OH, RICK!"](https://www.docnyc.net/film/oh-rick/). *DOC NYC*. Retrieved August 31, 2025.

1. ["Rick Crom"](http://www.ibdb.com/awardperson.asp?id=69572). *Internet Broadway Database*. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. ["*Space Trek*"](http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=471). *Lortel Archives*. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. Holden, Stephen (November 13, 1991). ["Theater in Review"](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/13/theater/theater-in-review-220491.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. ["Crystal Palace: Dinner theatre with a point"](http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20051225/AROUND06/60105008). *Aspen Times*. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. ["The Crew"](http://www.thebiggaymusical.com/?page_id=25). *Thebiggaymusical.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111006230645/http://www.thebiggaymusical.com/?page_id=25) October 6, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. Gans, Andrew (June 16, 2009). ["Foster and Swenson Are Bonnie and Clyde in June 16 Reading of New Musical"](http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130201-Foster-and-Swenson-Are-Bonnie-and-Clyde-in-June-16-Reading-of-New-Musical). *Playbill*. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

1. ["New Musical News"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080410071141/http://www.anmt.org/anmt_public_newsletter.htm). *Academy for New Musical Theatre*. Archived from [the original](http://www.anmt.org/anmt_public_newsletter.htm) on April 10, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

## External links

- [Rick Crom](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1138911/) at IMDb
- [Stage credits at Broadwayworld.com](http://broadwayworld.com/people/Rick_Crom/)
- [Official site](http://www.rickcrom.com/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rick Crom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Crom) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Crom?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.