The winning proposals were selected from 211 applicants. The workshop kicked off April 30 at The Rock Theatre at Roy Arias Studios and Theatres on West 43rd Street and will continue on May 1, 22, 23 and 24.
The workshop is directed by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin and more).
The selected musical theatre writers will have the opportunity to make short presentations from their original works-in-progress for professional critique by a panel of the most prominent theatre producers, directors and composers, including Craig Carnelia, Thomas Cott, Mark Hollmann, Andrew Lippa, Dick Scanlan, Scott Schwartz and David Zippel.
All aspiring musical theatre writers, and those who submitted musicals for the workshop, are encouraged to attend. The workshop is free of charge and open to everyone, regardless of performing rights affiliation. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in New York is part of an ongoing series of workshops sponsored by The ASCAP Foundation to nurture new American musicals. The selected writers and their musical works are:
Laura Harrington (book and lyrics) and Jenny Giering (music): Out of the Blue. "A modern love story set in New York City. Des and AJ are young, married and in love. They are both dedicated public school teachers full of hopes and dreams. Everything looks rosy until Des begins to collapse under the weight of her fears. Splitting apart under the strain, Des and AJ struggle to find their way back to each other. The lessons they learn, through the children they meet, will change them forever."Kait Kerrigan (book, lyrics) and Brian Lowdermilk (music): The Unauthorized Autobiography Samantha Brown. "After the death of her best friend, all Samantha Brown wants to do is move on. She is determined to forget the past and focus on her senior year of high school, which is fraught with questions: Should she have sex with her boyfriend? What college is she going to go to? And, will she ever pass her driver's test? Along the way, Sam begins to realize that maybe forgetting isn't the same thing as moving on after all."Kirsten A. Guenther (book) and Ryan Scott Oliver (music and lyrics): Alive at Ten. A dark musical comedy based on the Pamela Smart teacher-student sex scandal of 1991. "Since she can remember, Kimberly 'Kimmie' Sharp has dreamed that she would become America's next beloved media personality. One problem: she's stuck in a dead-end job teaching at the local high school, and her discouraging, undermining husband would prefer she stay that way. But Kimmie's not fazed; once she sets her mind to something, you can bet her husband's life it will happen. It's the story of a woman and her dream, and her sheer determination to make it come true at all costs."Sean Hartley (book, music, lyrics): Snow is set in the late 1960s Greenwich Village. "A young woman, Jenny, searches for her boyfriend, who has mysteriously disappeared after meeting a famous folk singer. In her search, Jenny encounters many of the archetypes of the rebellious sixties. She is aided in her search by Raven, her boyfriend's best friend, who is coming to terms with his homosexuality. Through the search, both Jenny and Raven develop a stronger sense of themselves and a new insight into the meaning of love." Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists.
The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. Visit www.ascapfoundation.org.
