Rick Cummins studied piano from the age of 4 and took tap dancing lessons from Gene Kelly's sister, Louise Kelly. In high school he developed an interest in musical theater and choral singing, had lead roles in plays and musicals, and attended District and Regional Choral festivals. In college, he sang with the Penn Glee Club, touring the U.S. and South America, and became student conductor/ arranger for the club. He received both his B.A. and M.D. degrees at the University of Pennsylvania. On completion of his medical internship in Philadelphia, Cummins auditioned for and was accepted to the BMI Musical Theater Workshop and moved to New York in 1974. After 38 years of medical practice, he recently retired, but continues as a composer and writer for theatre. Some of his theatre work includes , , and . He currently lives in New York.