Jersey City composer unleashes 'monster' songs, writes tunes for Broadway show February 15, 2012, 5:00 PM By Summer Dawn Hortillosa / The Jersey Journal Jersey City composer and lyricist Ernie Lijoi said he's always been musical. "I came out of the womb singing!" he said. "I learned classical guitar and I started writing folk songs when I was younger. In college, I fell in love with theater -- it's the pinnacle, the perfect combination of lyrical and musical form." Lijoi's most recent projects include writing lyrics for two songs for the upcoming Broadway show "It Shoulda Been You" directed by David Hyde Pierce with Tyne Daly and Harriet Harris as well as collaborating with his friend, playwright Gail Phaneuf, on a musical called "Monsters." "Monsters" focuses on Samantha, a woman turning 40, who decides to make several changes in her life as she hits the big milestone. Her inner demons, however, try to stop her. "The monsters are Apathy and Fear embodied," Lijoi explained. "They represent insecurities and things that get in her way." Other characters include Samantha's mother and a surprise guest who arrives to sing her "Happy Birthday." The musical style of each character's songs is influenced by what they symbolize, Lijoi said. "Apathy's music is done in waltzes, which has a lazy feel to them. Fear's stuff has more dissonance and erratic time signature changes to keep you on your toes. The (surprise) character is brassy, loud and in-your-face," he said. In the end, Samantha learns that she must get out of her own way to move forward. The former Edgewater resident said he was hesitant at first when Thaneus asked him to put the play to music. "I thought it was a funny play and didn't want to touch it," he said. "But she insisted and it evolved and changed. In the end, she ended up writing a song and contributing lyrics and I contributed factors to the book." Lijoi said he was pleased with the result. "The most satisfying thing for me is sitting in the audience and having someone sing my songs," he said. "I love hearing people do my material. It never stops being rewarding to me." "Monsters" will premiere Saturday, Feb. 25 at The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, and run through March 10. Reserved seats range from $20 to $30. For more information and tickets, visit RegentTheatre.com or MonstersTheMusical.com or call (781) 646-4849. http://www.monstersthemusical.com/the-writers.html