Patrick Burns

is an artist and leader bridging musical theatre, advocacy, and education. His one-man musical From Foster Care to Fabulous has been performed nationwide, earning the Planet Activist Award for raising awareness about foster care. The show has also raised funds for foster care organizations across the country. A two-time Syracuse Area Local Theatre (SALT) Award winner for Best Musical Director, Patrick has worked as a music director and conductor for regional theaters, universities, and national tours, including as associate conductor for the Spamalot second national tour. From 2018 to 2023, he served as Production Manager at Broadway Sacramento, overseeing major productions and tours. As a composer and lyricist, Patrick wrote Life Sentence, exploring the prison industrial complex, and scored Madwomen and Ready Player 3, the latter commissioned by Musical Theatre West and now touring schools. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic and received support from the Lincoln City Fellowship and Speranza Foundation. Patrick has worked with the National Foster Youth Institute on foster care reform and taught musical theatre at St. Mary’s College, Adelphi University, and has guest lect