A graduate of Groveton High School (now called West Potomac) in Fairfax County, Virginia, Bowman remained in the Washington DC area to study music at Catholic University. He collaborated with David H. Bell to re-create the musical "Hot Mikado" based on the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. The show debuted at Washington's historic Ford's Theater in 1986, later enjoyed a successful run in London's West End and Chicago, and is licensed for performance through MTI.