Read on for more theatre headlines you may have missed in today's news.
2021 Relentless Award Will Honor Musical Theatre
The American Playwriting Foundation has merged with Building for the Arts, the non-profit organization that runs Theatre Row and Music and the Brain. The merger will provide a physical space for APF at Theatre Row, as well as enrich the programming of both organizations. The Relentless Award, an annual playwriting award created by APF in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman, will now be presented under the auspices of Building for the Arts. This year's Relentless Award will honor composer Adam Schlesinger, a Tony and Oscar-nominated songwriter who passed away from COVID-19 last spring. The Relentless Award Selection Committee places special emphasis on works that are fearless in their choice of subject matter. The winner of the Musical Relentless Award will be selected by a panel of judges composed of artists who have collaborated with Schlesinger, including Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Sam Hollander, Stephin Merrit, and David Javerbaum.
Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award Winners Named
The Ziegfeld Club, Inc., in partnership with New York Stage and Film, has named November Christine (Mirror, Mirror, Legacy the Musical), Carmel Dean (Renascence), and Madeline Myers (Double Helix, Flatbush Avenue) as the 2021 recipients of the sixth annual Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award. The annual grant is presented to emerging female musical theatre composer, and includes a year of mentorship in addition to the cash prize. “In a break from past practice, we decided this year to recognize the achievements of the three finalists from last year’s award process,” said Ziegfeld Club Executive Director Laurie Sanderson. “Our decision to confer this year’s award on three composers reflects the tremendous depth of talent among the community of female composers and lyricists.” Past recipients of the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award include composer/lyricists Shaina Taub, Masi Asare, and Anna K. Jacobs. For more information, visit TheZiegfeldClubInc.com.
Plus, get a look at Tony nominee Celia Rose Gooding in the "Meet The Cast Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" introduction video above. The Jagged Little Pill star's casting was announced earlier this year, but here we find out that she will be playing Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek prequel from Paramount+. Nichelle Nichols originated the role of Lt. Uhura for the original series and played her in six of the franchise's films. As Gooding says in the intro, "legacy."
