BANDIT QUEEN
Music by Amanda D’Archangelis, Lyrics by Sami Horneff,
Book by Amanda D’Archangelis and Sami Horneff
It’s 1902, and a traveling troupe of actors presents “The Arizona Female Bandit,” a play centering on Pearl Hart, the Wild West’s most notorious woman outlaw…and the older sister of playwright and star Katy Davy. But tonight, the real Pearl, freshly released from prison, bursts in on the final rehearsal, insisting the show’s ‘facts’ are fiction. The sisters step into their own roles, reliving their past shaped by abuse, crime, and addiction – and forcing them to finally mend old scars live, in real time. BANDIT QUEEN features a small cast of versatile performers and an Americana-inspired score that blends the rich storytelling of the Old West with a contemporary pop theatre sound.
Development History: Bandit Queen has been developed through artist residencies at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat in Rhinebeck, NY; The Legacy Theatre in Branford, CT; and Drama Club Camp in Mount Vernon, ME. Bandit Queen was also a finalist for the 2025 Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat. Also in 2025, the song “I Will Go” won the Write Out Loud Songwriting Contest and was recorded as part of their album by Jenn Colella (Tony Nominee, Come From Away) and Elizabeth Teeter (Heathers, Beetlejuice). It was performed in their annual concert by Julia Knitel (Tony Nominee, Dead Outlaw) and Kate Loussaint (A Wonderful World). The concert was hosted by Taylor Louderman (Tony Nominee, Mean Girls).
In 2026, Bandit Queen was selected as one of the recipients of The Lucille Lortel 121 Project and will be developed in collaboration with the Lucille Lortel Theatre and its Artistic Director, Michael Heitzman. Learn more about the 121 Project here!
“I WILL GO” For WRITE OUT LOUD
OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Featuring Tony Nominee Jenn Colella (Come From Away, Suffs) and Elizabeth Teeter (Heathers, Beetlejuice). Videography by Ellie Gravitte. Music directed by Benjamin Rauhala with additional orchestrations by Nicholas Connors.
Musicians: Alan Stevens Hewitt (bass), Jesse-Ray Leich (drums), Matt Brown (guitar) and Justin Smith (fiddle).
WRITE OUT LOUD CONCERT
Performed by Tony Nominee Julia Knitel (Dead Outlaw) and Kate Louissaint (A Wonderful World) at the Write Out Loud Concert on September 15th, 2025 at 54 Below. Videography by Kayleen Bertrand.
Musicians: Adam Laird (piano), Matt Brown (guitar), Magda Kress (bass), and Ryan McCausland (percussion). Produced by Sarah Glugatch, Josh Collopy, and Hannah Kloepfer with music supervision by Benjamin Rauhala and additional orchestrations by Nicholas Connors.
DEMO RECORDINGS
Featuring Amanda D’Archangelis, Katie Horneff, and Sean Doherty
OTHER MEDIA
“THE BALLAD OF THE DAVY CLAN”
Performed by Amanda D’Archangelis at “In the Works” at 54 Below (2022)
“I WILL GO” WITH CNU
Performed by Kimberlie Pagan and Katie O’Shields at 54 Below with the Christopher Newport University New Musicals Lab (2024)
“NO ADVENTURE” WITH CNU
Performed by John Byrd at 54 Below with the Christopher Newport University New Musicals Lab (2024)
ABOUT THE WRITERS
Amanda D'Archangelis (Music & Book) and Sami Horneff (Lyrics & Book) met in the world-renowned BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Recent work includes THE RADIUM GIRLS, co-written with Lisa Mongillo and directed by Tony Award Winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, which was a 2019 Eugene O’Neill NMTC semi-finalist, a 2022 NAMT finalist, a five-time winner at The 2021 National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and will make its world premiere at London’s Southwark Playhouse in Spring 2027; SINGLE RIDER (Off-Broadway, 2018); THE BREAK (Omaha Creative Institute & Lied Center for Performing Arts, 2018); and COMING ATTRACTION, a musical about Hollywood icon Greta Garbo (Wilbury Theatre Group, 2019). They also wrote two songs for the film, A RING FOR CHRISTMAS (UPtv, 2020).
Amanda and Sami are currently writing PANDORA IN BLUE JEANS with librettist Adam Morrison, which explores the life of controversial “Peyton Place” author Grace Metalious; PSYCH!, a 90’s spin on the myth of Cupid & Psyche commissioned by Wichita State University; and BANDIT QUEEN, which has been developed through artist residences at The Legacy Theatre, Drama Club Camp, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and The Lucille Lortel 121 Project - and will be featured in this year’s NAMT Festival Songwriters Showcase.
Sami and Amanda’s work has also been performed at concert venues and educational institutions across the country. They have been Artists in Residence at The Legacy Theatre in Branford, Connecticut and Drama Club Camp in Mount Vernon, Maine. In 2019, they were named York Theatre Company’s New/Emerging/Outstanding (NEO) Writers, and in 2024 their work was featured on Playbill’s Songwriter’s Series. In 2025, they won the Write Out Loud songwriting contest with the song “I Will Go” from Bandit Queen.
To learn more, follow them on instagram at @darchangelisandhorneff or visit www.darchangelisandhorneff.com