HAROLD TAW is a multi-form writer. His debut novel was Adventures of the Karaoke King. His writing has been featured on NPR, in a New York Times bestselling anthology, and in The Seattle Times. Harold co-wrote a musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s final novel Persuasion, which became the highest-grossing show in the 40-plus-year history of Seattle’s Taproot Theatre. Persuasion had its California premiere in fall 2018 at San Diego’s Lamb’s Players Theatre. He was an inaugural member of The 5th Avenue Theatre Seattle Writers Group, a two-year incubator for new musicals. The original one-act musical he cowrote, The Missed Connections Club, won Third Place in the 2015 Frostburg State University One-Act Competition, was a finalist in the Arts Club of Washington’s 2014 One-Act Play Competition, and was longlisted for the 2015 British Theatre Challenge.

MARK BOMBARA is the composer and band leader for the surf/lounge band Johnny Astro (1997-present) and the chamber pop band Poland (2005-2015). Johnny Astro records and performs instrumental surf, lounge, '60s spy and movie soundtrack music and originals in venues throughout Seattle. Poland released five albums, the latest being Poland “Welcome to the Golden Age of Everything” on Folkwit Records, Nottingham, England, 2014. Mark began writing songs at age 8, was playing parties by age 12, and was traveling and recording by age 20 in rock bands that were signed to management companies in New York City, Minneapolis, Nashville. He has performed at colleges/clubs/theaters/festivals throughout the US, including CBGB in New York City, The Stone Pony in Asbury Park NJ, Bumbershoot in Seattle. Mark has recorded at studios throughout the US, including Prince’s Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.