Janet Torreano Pound (Creator, Book & Lyrics) grew up in Flint, Michigan, never imagining that putting on shows in her garage with her best friend and next-door neighbor—or performing a Calypso dance in flip-flops on a gravel driveway—would one day lead her to create an original musical celebrating the people who put America on wheels.

Janet didn't discover she could write until she was nearly forty, around the same time she was hired as an auto show narrator. While she spent decades working in the automotive industry, the truth is, she cares more about people than she does cars.

Her career has taken many turns, including actress, talent agent, casting director, filmmaker, playwright, author, and, most recently, stand-up comedian. As a casting director with Pound & Mooney Casting, she worked on Michigan principal casting for more than thirty films including projects for George Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Ryan Gosling, Clint Eastwood, and Spike Lee.

Her plays have been performed in Detroit, Chicago, Palm Springs, and New York, while her film and television projects have received awards and official selections at festivals in Toronto, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Australia, and Cannes (the indie version, not the one with the yachts).

During COVID, Janet wrote two children’s books; Grammy’s Jammies and Roth and Pearl at Mirror Lake for her grandchildren, as well as a book about the business; Advice from a Casting Director.

Although Janet prefers straight plays to musicals and still couldn’t tell you how many notes there are in a scale, a friend had a premonition and insisted she write her comedy Car Stars as a musical. Soon afterward, she began waking up with songs in her head, and Car Stars the Musical was born.

One of the show’s songs asks, “When are you too old to believe in a dream?” Janet’s answer: “Apparently older than 74, because here I am.”

Enjoy the ride.