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Billy Aberle and Chris Sabol
Hi, we're Billy & Chris

We write musicals about the things people don't say out loud.

Book, music and lyrics by Chris Sabol and Billy Aberle.

Our shows

2 shows
Listen now

Straight
Forward

A new musical · based on a true story

Mike and Garrett are two straight guys in their mid-twenties who move in together and become best friends. Garrett has a long-term girlfriend, Jenna. Then Mike falls seriously ill, Garrett, a physician assistant, becomes the one holding him up, and their friendship turns into something neither of them expected.

It’s based on a true story first told in a viral article that was shared more than 100,000 times in one night. Funny, tender and honest, it’s a two-person musical about love, labels and the courage it takes to tell the truth about yourself.

About the showWatch “Pull”
  • 2Actors
  • 100 minWith intermission
  • 20Songs
  • 5Studio EP tracks
  • 2015Writing began
  • 2023Off-Broadway run

The true story

  • Inspired by real people and a story that spread across social media overnight, viewed by millions.
  • LGBTQ+ characters at the center of the story, not the sidelines.

Where it’s been

  • 2021–2022 · workshop reading, staged reading, New York Theatre Festival
  • 2023 · developmental run at Theatre Row, Off-Broadway
  • 2024 · industry reading and studio EP
  • 2025 · workshop presentations and a London industry presentation

What audiences are saying

“An emotional rollercoaster. A story for anyone who has ever loved or felt out of place.”

“Incredible music, incredible story. I laughed, I cried.”

“A beautifully complex portrayal of friendship and love.”

“New favorite songs to be stuck in your head for weeks.”

Listen

  • Studio EP: Those Times, Replay, Once I Say These Words, Pull, The Sweater, streaming everywhere
  • New music video: Pull

Creative team

  • Book, music & lyrics · Billy Aberle & Chris Sabol
  • Director · Billy Bustamante
  • Music supervisor · Bryan Perri
  • Orchestrator · Michael Starobin
Coming soon

Henry Gamble’s
Birthday Party

A new coming-of-age musical · based on the cult-classic film by Stephen Cone

Henry is turning seventeen. The pool is open, the string lights are up, and his whole church community is coming over. His father is a beloved evangelical pastor. His sister Autumn is home from college. Logan, the quiet boy who ties Henry’s stomach in knots, shows up with a gift. And everyone in the backyard is sitting on something they aren’t saying.

Told in real time, in one backyard, over one afternoon and evening, it’s a story about faith and queerness from the inside. No villains, no cheap shots, just a family whose rule of “don’t let them see the cracks” finally gives way. The contemporary, pop-leaning score holds tenderness and devastation in the same breath.

Get updatesWatch “Pretty Boys”
  • 14Cast
  • ~100 minNo intermission
  • 13Songs
  • 1Location, real time
  • 2015Source film
  • 2026Workshop

The source

  • Adapted from Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, written and directed by Stephen Cone. Premiered at SXSW in 2015.
  • Stream it on Tubi, or in the Criterion Channel’s LGBTQ Coming-of-Age collection.

Where it is now

  • April 2025 · writing begins
  • March 2026 · week-long workshop and presentation
  • Now · rewrites, demo recordings, regional theatre conversations. Theatres: hello@saberleproductions.com

What audiences are saying

“‘Pretty Boys’ is one of the most devastating new theater songs I’ve heard in years.”

“I grew up in this exact world and I’ve never seen it portrayed accurately on a stage until now.”

“‘String Lights’ has been stuck in my head for a week.”

“Funny, devastating, and honest.”

Listen

  • Music videos: Not the Same, Pretty Boys, Air
  • Audience favorites: Pretty Boys and String Lights

Creative team

  • Book, music & lyrics · Billy Aberle & Chris Sabol
  • Director · Billy Bustamante
  • Music supervisor & vocal arrangements · Bryan Perri
  • Orchestrator · Michael Starobin

Listen & watch

Newest first
New release
Straight Forward

Pull

Our newest release, out now on YouTube and everywhere you listen.

Coming next: Straight Forward Sessions, acoustic recordings with surprise voices.
Coming soon

Sheet music

Vocal selections from our shows, delivered as a PDF. Sign up below and we'll tell you when they're ready.

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Performance rights and licensing: hello@sabolandaberle.com
About us

Billy & Chris

Billy Aberle

Billy Aberle

Book, music and lyrics. Also runs a photo and video studio.

Chris Sabol

Chris Sabol

Book, music and lyrics. Music director of more than 60 shows.

Say hello

Get in touch

Questions about our shows, readings, licensing or collaborations. Producers and theatres interested in our work can also reach SABERLE Productions at hello@saberleproductions.com.