That time of year is rolling around again. We're talking about the seventh annual ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop, whose mission is to nurture new American musicals. The workshop will take place in January/February 2002 at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Cal. Exact dates will be announced shortly.
Directing the workshop once again will be Oscar-and Grammy-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, whose credits include "Godspell," "Pippin," and the Walt Disney animated films, "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "The Prince of Egypt."
Workshop participants will have the chance to present selections from their original works in progress for professional critique. Past panelists, who have offered critiques, have included lyricist Lynn Ahrens, composer Stephen Flaherty, lyricist David Zippel, actor Jason Alexander, and ASCAP President Marilyn Bergman.
Writers interested in applying for participation in the workshop, should submit a resume and a cassette tape containing four original theatre songs (including a copy of the lyrics) and a brief outline of the musical to Michael A. Kirker, Director of Musical Theatre, ASCAP, 1 Lincoln Plaza, NYC 10023.
Deadline for entries is Dec. 15, 2001. Due to space restrictions, only a limited number of applicants will be selected as participants.
Jerry Herman Gets Into the Act
The Musical Theatre Workshop is part of an ongoing series of workshops sponsored by the ASCAP Foundation. These workshops are free of charge and are open to everyone.
Here's something else ASCAP is doing. Last year ASCAP joined forces with the legendary Jerry Herman—whose musicals include "Hello Dolly!," "La Cage aux Folles," "Milk and Honey," "The Grand Tour," and "Mame"—to forge the ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Series. Its mission is education, specifically to introduce students, nationwide, to America's musical theatre heritage.
The series includes two days of activities consisting of a concert performance, a seminar on the craft of writing/working in musical theatre and master classes in musical theatre performance. Another component of the program enables students to see touring productions of musical theatre classics. Following the performance, the students have the opportunity to participate in a discussion focusing on the creative aspects of the production, with special emphasis on the composer/lyricist contribution to the work.
The ASCAP Jerry Herman Series, which is now in its second year, will be featuring Jerry Herman, Jason Graae, Karen Morrow, Paige O'Hara, and Don Pippin. To date, performances are scheduled in Savannah, Ga. on March 22, 23, and 24. On Feb. 22, students will be taken to a production of "Ragtime" at West Point, where Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens will address the students in an after-show discussion.
For more info, call (212) 621-6219.