"I suppose the greatest thing I can offer the Milwaukee community is to tell my stories about them and attempt to get the world at large to see them," says Milwaukee-area native Brett Ryback, whose musical, "The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter," was recently staged at the Skylight Music Theatre.

Brett Ryback is reluctant to admit that he gives back to the Milwaukee theater community. "That makes me sound like I’ve achieved something greater than I feel I have," the 27-yearold actor says. Yet this busy actor composer/playwright, who lives in Los Angeles, comes back to his roots literally and figuratively for creative inspiration and projects.

Ryback recently worked as musical director on the First Stage production of "Seussical," a full-circle moment for this former First Stage kid who, at age 5, played Fudge in "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing." He also wrote a musical, "The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter," based on his grandparents’ romance, which was performed at the Skylight Music Theatre in February. "The story follows two Polish kids from Milwaukee in the 1940s who run off to New York City and meet and fall in love," he says.

Ryback’s grandmother, Wanda, was the inspiration for the play’s heroine. The organic local tie in came to Ryback during the writing process. "As I was working on it, it occurred to me that it might be something that Milwaukee theaters might be interested in because of the subject matter. I sent it to Ray Jivoff at the Skylight." Ryback credits Jivoff for his success. "He gave me my first job when I was still in high school. I was the resident composer for the Next Act Theater." In addition to "The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter," Jivoff features Ryback’s music at the Skylight’s cabaret show.

After graduating from Catholic Memorial High School, Ryback left Milwaukee to attend UCLA where he received a bachelor’s degree in music composition. Ryback has been able to use his degree to stay gainfully employed in theater and avoid taking a day job. "I work very hard to not have to do that," he says. "I do a lot of music directing with cabaret shows or musicals that are happening in L.A."

While composing and writing keeps him busy, he does plan his schedule around auditions. "I think of myself as an actor first and a composer second. My week consists of two to five auditions or callbacks, typically taking up my morning or afternoon. The other part of my day is spent writing. Every once in a while I’m actually employed, and that throws everything off," he jokes.

"Last summer was fantastic. I was doing a play ‘The Lieutenant of Inishmore,’ produced by Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. I was only in the second scene. I was making great money and every night I would do this incredible scene, then go to my dressing room and work on finishing my musical till I had to take my bow."

Paying the bills without working at Starbucks is great, but Ryback has bigger goals. "I would love to see my work being done in New York. Ultimately I’d love to have something done on Broadway. I’d like to just be consistently produced across the country."

As far as his acting career, he’d like to make the jump from TV to movies. Ryback has had small but meaningful roles on television. He was in a recent Chevy Cruze commercial that featured the song "Skinnamarink-a-dinky-dink," and was Guy No. 1 on a 2009 episode of "How I Met Your Mother" and a salesman in a 2008 episode of "House." "Television is a big part of the game in L.A., but I’ve discovered it’s not what I care the most about," he says. "I’m trying to break into more independent films."