Legendary composer John Kander (Chicago, Cabaret) joined his New York, New York collaborators Susan Stroman, David Thompson, and Sharon Washington to talk about creating musical theatre in the inaugural entry of the new The Artist in the Open Jar series. See an exclusive clip from the talk above.

The series is a collaboration between Open Jar Studios and The Creative Artist Database. Filmed in front of an audience of young theatre makers, the full talk will premiere on YouTube July 17 at 7 PM ET. The series will continue with further talks, aimed at connecting the current generation of theatre makers with the cultivation of the next.

“Some of our generation’s greatest theatre makers are here working at the studios,” says Open Jar CEO Jeff Whiting in a statement, “and we are so thrilled that these artists are willing to take a little extra time to share their unique insight with the next generation of creative artists, developing a pipeline of artists who can learn from each other and who will, most certainly, shape the future of the American Theatre.”

Songs by Kander and longtime collaborator Fred Ebb are featured in Broadway's New York, New York, along with new songs by Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The musical features a book by Thompson and Washington, and is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. The work continues its run at Broadway's St. James Theatre.

Visit OpenJarStudios.com and CreativeArtistDatabase.com.