HIGHLIGHTS

There's no such thing as too many musicals!

The BIZ of the Musical Theatre Biz: a conference for writers

40 is the New 15

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER!

Pitch to 70 producers at once:
Musical Theatre Biz Conference

Make your own music this summer

A BIZ conference for actors

Aging Out

Fundraiser for foster care

Concert Series at NoHo

FAMED WRITERS' WORKSHOP - NOW ENROLLING for 2010/2011

JOIN THE PERFORMERS' WORKSHOP

What the critics have said about 40 is the New 15

MUSICAL THEATRE HITS of the 70's, 80's, and 90's

WRITING FUNNY SONGS - with Jeff Marx

Start writing your musical this summer

Actors: Great summer classes

1000 Minutes of Musical Theatre

Golden Ticket!

New Musicals from Scratch - how do we do it?

FAMED WRITERS' WORKSHOP - NOW ENROLLING for 2010/2011

The Academy for New Musical Theatre is now accepting applications for the 2010/2011 season of the Core Curriculum.

If you live in Los Angeles, or can get to LA one weekend a month, and you want to join the ANMT community of bookwriters, lyricists, and composers, then the Core Curriculum is the place to start. The first part of ANMT's famed Writers' Workshop, the Core Curriculum is where experienced writers and novice writers alike begin, concentrating on the unique vocabulary and collaborative process of creating new musical theatre.

ANMT's exciting curriculum takes you from blank page to stage in nine months. Along the way you'll study and write charm songs, ballads, duets, ensemble pieces, musical scenes, plus, you'll have a production of your original 15-minute-musical in a professional theatre in Los Angeles.

You'll write something new - with a different team of collaborators - every month, and you'll get direct, immediate, and honest feedback from the ANMT staff.

The Core Curriculum meets one weekend per month from September through June, and applicants must submit writing/composing samples.

For more information about the Writers' Workshop, and to apply, CLICK HERE, or visit www.anmt.org.

JOIN THE PERFORMERS' WORKSHOP

Auditions will be held on Sunday, August 29th for the upcoming season of the Performers' Workshop at ANMT under Director Joshua Finkel and Music Director Jake Anthony.

For more information on the Performers' Workshop, and to sign up for an audition, CLICK HERE.

What the critics have said about 40 is the New 15

Critics have called 40 is the New 15 "Tuneful." "Entertaining, moving." "Something to sing about!" "A diamond in the rough. Sweetly entertaining."

It was selected by Stephen Schwartz as part of the 2010 ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop.

It's nominated for a 2010 GLAAD Award.

In short, this is a show you want to see. CLICK HERE to reserve tickets.

MUSICAL THEATRE HITS of the 70's, 80's, and 90's

Joshua Finkel and Carolyn Freeman Champ in an excerpt from
SWEENEY TODD

ANMT's theatrichorale Perpetual Surrey closed out their second season with a presentation of Musical Theatre Hits of the 70's, 80's, and 90's - a collection of favorite scenes and tunes from contemporary Broadway. The performance on June 3 at the Whitefire Theatre featured selections from Rent, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Big River, Chicago, Floyd Collins, and an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley.

The concert featured Perpetual Surrey members Alexandra Ackerman, Wilson Bell, Carol Lynn Campbell, Carolyn Freeman Champ, Janet Clark, Rachel Cyprus, Joshua Finkel, Alex Gonzales, Sara Gonzales, Ben Hensley, Emily Kimmel, Mona King, Emily Kosloski, Suzanne Mayes, Lily Martin, Becky Opp, Paul Panico, Richard Plotkin, Alison Robertson, Ben Ryan, Jeremy Sage, Joyleen Spinner, Melissa Strauss, Scott Strauss, Stephen Vendette, John Wallis, and Patricia Zehentmayr.

Stay tuned for another ground-breaking season in 2010-11. For more info - and to sign up to become part of the theatrichorale, CLICK HERE

The ladies perform the Cell Block Tango from CHICAGO

WRITING FUNNY SONGS - with Jeff Marx

On Sunday, May 30, we were treated to an afternoon seminar with Tony-award winning writer Jeff Marx (co-creator, Avenue Q) in which we explored what makes a song funny, and discussed how to incorporate those principals into our writing. Participants were able to submit three songs they find the most funny. Jeff brought in similar lists from various musical theatre and comedy luminaries such as: Bobby Lopez (Jeff's co-creator on Avenue Q), Weird Al Yankovic, Maury Yeston, and Bruce Vilanch. Their favorites are, in order: Springtime for Hitler, Officer Krupke, A Little Priest, and He Had It Coming.

Start writing your musical this summer

Check out the great courses for writers this summer!

For more detailed info, instructor bios, fees, and a link to registration, CLICK HERE

MUSICAL STYLES AND GENRES
Quickly learn how to integrate wide varieties of styles and genres into your music.
July 19/20 & 26/27 7-10pm

PREPARING YOUR SCORE IN FINALE NOTATION
Master your music notation once and for all!
July 10 & 17 1:30-7:30pm

LYRIC MASTERWORK ANALYSIS
In-depth analysis, line-by-line, stanza-by-stanza of Fiddler on the Roof, Passion and Floyd Collins.
July 17, 31, & Aug 14 10am-2pm

CHORAL WRITING FOR MUSICAL THEATRE
A three-session class on writing for SATB.
July 21 & 28 7-10pm
July 31 2-6pm

THE ART OF WRITING DIALOGUE
An in-depth examination of classic and contemporary language written for the musical stage.
July 20 & 21 7pm to 10pm

Q & A WITH ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEYS
An opportunity to ask two of L.A.'s top entertainment lawyers your questions about the law and business of the theatre industry.
Friday, August 13 7pm to 10pm

ADAPTATION: SECRETS OF STORYTELLING
This short course compares source material to the resulting musicals and provides participants with the opportunity to plan an adaptation of a public domain story.
July 27 & 28 7pm to 10pm

OUTLINING LAB
A step-by-step process of developing a musical idea from concept through to a working outline, with detailed constructive feedback along the way.
Thursdays July 8,15,22,29 & Aug 5,12
7pm to 10pm

BOOK LAB
The Book Lab is designed as an introduction to writing the book of a musical while also outlining the collaborative steps involved in creating a new musical with the whole team.
July 10, 17, 31 & August 14 10:00am to 1:00pm (plus online lectures and homework)

HOW DOES A MUSICAL GET FINANCED?
This course will explore sources of funding, typical business structures and the attendant legal requirements and restrictions associated with financing a show.
August 10 & 17 7-10pm

BUILDING STRONG PLOTS & 3-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS
Learn the seven basic plot points found in most tales as told in western culture.
Saturday, August 14 2pm to 5pm

Actors: Great summer classes

Check out the great Boot Camp courses for ACTORS!

For more detailed info, instructor bios, fees, and a link to registration, CLICK HERE

LEARNING A DANCE COMBINATION QUICKLY
A crash course for singers! Learn to carry yourself like a dancer in a singers' dance call! Saturday, July 10 10am to 2pm
COLD READING FOR AUDITIONS
In Los Angeles, nearly EVERY audition demands fantastic cold reading skills. This is the workshop to learn the skills you need to ace those auditions.
Saturday, July 10 3-7pm

BRINGING A SONG TO LIFE
This course will focus on emotionally connecting to your material and finding the 'scene' in your song to help you really make each song incredibly personal, alive and uniquely your own.
Sunday, July 11 2-5pm

MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMERS INTENSIVE
A game-changing weekend of acting, singing, dance, and real industry training from working professionals Take your career as a musical theatre performer to the next level
August 19 through 22

FINDING AND USING YOUR LEGIT AND BELT VOICE
In this exciting team-taught course, Broadway voice teacher Rebecca Somberg and Broadway actor/director Joshua Finkel team together to provide men and women (ages 15 and up) an amazing two weekend experience where each actor will get intensive individual coaching in vocal technique and song performance.
July 17/18 & 24/25 2pm-6pm

1000 Minutes of Musical Theatre

Our annual "1000 Minutes of Musical Theatre" was divided this year between the new Dark Night Series, and the annual Full Length Curriculum shows. In all, seven new full length musicals received writer-produced readings of their first drafts during the 2009-10 season at ANMT.

"Every musical has a beginning," explains Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry, "before costumes, before lights, and more importantly...before rewrites."

The Dark Night Series and the final presentation of the Full Length Curriculum season are both designed as opportunities for writers of new musicals to self-produce readings of their works before producers get a look at them.

For the Dark Night Series, ANMT partnered with the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood. The Full Length Curriculum readings were presented at ANMT's own space.

Shows which received readings as part of this season's "1000 Minutes of Musical Theatre" were:

DARK NIGHT SERIES
Now and Then a Hero, by Larry Todd Johnson and Jake Anthony
Wanting Miss Julie, by John Sparks, Patricia Zehentmayr, and Jake Anthony
Esther, by Marian Partee, Mary Garrison and Ann Moore-Miller
Threads, by John Piraino and Jerry Ranger
No More Mr. Nice Guy, by Harriet & Norman Belkin, and Beverly Crain
Beautiful, by Adrian Bewley, Cindy O'Connor, and Larry Todd Johnson

FULL LENGTH CURRICULUM Monkey Mind, by Terri Weiss, Bill Berry, and Edward Auslender
Marriage Counseling, by Michael Greenspun and Joseph Blodgett
Jack of Spells, by Brian Leader and Alison McGarry

Golden Ticket!

Save even more: buy your Golden Ticket before June 15.

We've come up with a great way for you to see just about everything we're doing this summer for one discounted price!

The Golden Ticket will get you into the BIZ OF THE BIZ Conference for Writers, as well as any and all performances of 40 is the New 15, Aging Out, and every one of our Summer Concert events. (Not valid for Aging Out Fundraiser on August 4)

For shows with multiple performances (40 Is the New 15 and Aging Out) - you would be guaranteed one seat during the run if you reserve in advance - but you can also show up any night you want, show your Golden Ticket, and get in as long as we aren't sold out. So, if you're a big fan of one of the shows, you can come as often as you like! (Please note that the Golden Ticket is not transferrable.)

The discounted price for the Golden Ticket is $500 if you purchase it by June 15. After June 15, the Golden Ticket price will be $600.

For more info on the Golden Ticket, CLICK HERE or visit www.anmt.org and click on GOLDEN TICKET.

New Musicals from Scratch - how do we do it?

On Monday, April 19th at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, the Academy Repertory Company presented the second annual Got Musical!, a sneak preview of brand-new musicals in development for producers across the country, giving an insight into the Academy's process for creating new musicals from scratch specifically for producers and theatre companies.

The repertory company presented excerpts from thirteen new shows currently in development for producers.
ANMT development process is fairly simple: the producer generates or approves an idea; the creative team creates a paragraph-sized version, then a half-dozen-page version, and eventually a 15-minute first pass. At this point, the producer either shuts down the project, or agrees to produce a public reading of the work.

"We've found this to be a win-win situation for the writer and for the producer," says Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry, "and, this particular evening is an annual hit for our audience and producers alive...everyone tells us it's a funny, artful and stimulating evening. Plus, it lets us show off our innovative business model for developing new musicals for independent producers and theatre companies."

The shows represented for this round were:

Windjammers by Robin Share and Clay Zambo -- songs and stories about shipping on the Great Lakes.

A Midsummersausage Night's Dream by Joanne Koch, Bill Johnson and Larry Todd Johnson - a fanciful retelling of Shakespeare in the land of the Cheeseheads.

Got Milk by Hillary Rollins, Bill Johnson and Kellen Blair -- everyone's favorite all-bovine musical revue.

Those Circus Boys by Charmaine Spencer, Beverly Crain and Aaron Coleman -- the early days of the Ringling Brothers.

Aging Out by Tara Redepenning, Hillary Rollins and Darin Goulet -- What happens to foster care kids when they turn 18 and the System stops taking care of them?

Powder Puff Pilots by Marian Partee, Cindy O'Connor and Noelle Donfeld -- 14 brave female pilots in the 1920's, and their historic flying race.

Black & White Christmas by Chana Wise and Carl Johnson - Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and Natalie Wood to the rescue, on Christmas Eve!

Mistletoe, Mistletoe by Eric Dodson and Alan Ross Fleishman -- Poor Aaron, fearing his girlfriend has dumped him, wishes he had the last year to live over. Careful what you wish for!

e-$cape by Scott Guy and Clifford Tasner - a cyberspace thriller.

The Ring by Eric Dodson and Alan Ross Fleishman - Will the high school reunion of some old rivals unearth truth or...cat fights?

A Dog's Tale by Carla Porter, Brian Leader and Brad Beaver -- based on Mark Twain's dark dark short story.

Ghost(s) by Kincaid Jones, Brian Woodbury and Noelle Donfeld -- a mistaken communication forces a community theatre troupe to put on a terrrrrible musical adaptation of Ibsen's play, rather than a musical based on the Patrick Swayze movie they thought they were getting.

Stigma Pi by Chris Smith, Jake Anthony and Mitch Glaser -- a musical soap opera filled with horny college girls and the horny college guys who love to love them.

If you'd like to make sure you get an invitation for next year, send an email request to academy@anmt.org.

HONORARY BOARD
Paul Lazarus
Jeff Marx
Marty Panzer
Hal Prince
Stephen Schwartz
Charles Strouse

ADVISORY BOARD
Thomas E.Backer, PhD.
Susie Chodakiewitz
Susan Dietz
Jeannine Frank
Mark Halloran
David Hirshland
Herb Isaacs
Amy Levinson (Millan)
Simon Levy
Ron Parker
Elsa Ramo
Bill Royce
Michael Silversher
Thomas White

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Janet Barnet
Michael Blaha (Vice President)
Steve Cuden
Noelle Donfeld (Secretary)
Gordon Firemark (President)
Bill Frischman
Debra Gussin (Member Representative)
Neville Johnson
Kevin Meyer (Treasurer)
Lynn Miller
Howard Pearl
Frank Sheftel
John Sparks
Sue Warford (Emeritus Board)

There's no such thing as too many musicals!

Please celebrate with us in advance all the events, concerts and performances we're presenting in the next eight weeks, including 38 Days of New Musicals at the NoHo Arts Center. This newsletter is so packed-full of information, we thought we should start with an overview of everything that's coming up (click an event to make a reservation, or visit the 38 DAYS INFO PAGE):

15 Minute Musicals - June 28 & 29
BIZ Conference for Writers - July 23-25
BIZ Conference for ACTORS - August 6-8

The 38 Days of New Musicals includes:
40 is the New 15 - July 16 through August 22
Aging Out - begins July 21
Aging Out Fundraiser for foster care - August 4
Concert Series - Sundays & Mondays in July & August
Musical Theatre Boot Camp - begins July 8

Early registration discount ends June 15.
You can purchase a GOLDEN TICKET which entitles you to admissions to practically everything, all summer long!

Happy reading. Happy summer. Happy musicals!

The BIZ of the Musical Theatre Biz: a conference for writers

Are you sitting at home with the Perfect Musical, wondering how on earth to get producers to notice it? There might be some answers for you at this summer's conference for musical theatre writers in Los Angeles. It's called The Biz of the Musical Theatre Biz: a Conference for Writers and it just might be the key to figuring out how to get your musical produced.

This summer, a three-day conference for musical theatre writers brings together producers, agents, managers, writers, union reps, artistic directors and other theatre artists to address the complex issues of marketing new musicals. The third bi-annual conference will take place on July 23-25, hosted by the Academy for New Musical Theatre at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood.

"Getting musicals in the hands of producers is such a tricky, complex business," says Scott Guy, the Academy's Executive Director, "It gets more difficult every year. We've hosted two national conferences, in 2006 and again in 2008, but in this one in 2010, we're going to explore the nuts and bolts of marketing musicals from the writers' standpoint, as well as how to get producers' attention. There are good ways to do it, and there are really bad ways which can hurt a writer's career. This conference should give a writer some really practical guidance about what to do with a new musical."

The Conference is a combination of panels, schmoozes, and networking events, and is designed to bring writers together with producers, and vice versa. One of the panels is called "Pitch Me: Producers and Executives Who Actually Want You to Email Them."

As a bonus for everyone who's registered for the conference, ANMT has compiled a long list of producers and agents who've agreed to receive an email pitch from you: you send us two paragraphs -- one about you and one about your project -- and we'll send it directly to them. For a complete list of the over 70 artistic directors, commercial producers, and agents who will receive your pitch, visit ANMT's website - and look for a sneak peak in an article later in this newsletter.

The conference will take place the weekend of July 23-25. For an up-to-date schedule, current list of this year's panelists, fees, and info on registering, visit www.anmt.org or link directly by CLICKING HERE.

Susan Dietz and Cathy Rigby at the 2008 Conference

40 is the New 15

Award-winning musical. Live band. Scenery by Disney producer Kevin Traxler.

We're producing two fabulous new musicals this summer: one in workshop production, and one in full production. The full production is 40 is the New 15.

This show was selected by Stephen Schwartz to be part of his ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in February 2010, and our workshop presentation of it last summer at the Secret Rose Theatre was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. It tells the story of five 40-year-olds looking back to when they were 15...looking forward to being 40.

"It's touching and funny," says ANMT's Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry, "and speaks powerfully about those critical moments in our lives when either we change...or we stay as we were, for better or for worse. I leave the theatre after a performance of 40 is the New 15 feeling very empowered."

Michele Spears directs this brand-new world premiere production, with scenery and lights by Kevin Traxler (former producer for Disney).

"We got a little ahead of ourselves last summer when we called our workshop production 'a full production'" confesses the show's producer Scott Guy, "Now that we're adding live band, scenic design by a guy from Disney, and a thousand light cues, we see that last year was really a workshop production. This is a whole new creation with five new songs, a new opening and closing number."

We also learned a lot from the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop of this show in February, and have done a lot of re-examining how the songs function, particularly how they END, both in content and in style.

We're still putting the final touches on the scene design, but we're hoping to include a number of moving elements, a multi-level set, as well as projections and integrated photographic elements. It's a big step for 40 is the New 15. "If you saw the workshop production last summer," says Dewsberry, "you've seen only a tiny fraction of the impact this show can have. We urge you to come back and see what we've done with the show; it's an amazing new vision."

In our March newsletter, you might recall our lead story was about our pre-sales "risk-free" approach to producing 40 is the New 15 this summer. We are delighted and proud to announce that a combination of pre-sales and benefactor-guarantors have allowed us to go forward. Please join us for this winning, heartfelt, funny new musical.

Performances begin July 16 at the NoHo Arts Center. Thursday through Saturday evenings, with Saturday and Sunday matinees. $30. CLICK HERE to reserve tickets.

Cindy O'Connor (music) and Larry Todd Johnson (book & lyrics) with Stephen Schwartz at last month's ASCAP/Disney workshop of 40 is the New 15

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER!

Four brand-new fifteen-minute musicals will have their world premiere on June 28 and 29 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. These musicals are a decades-long tradition at the Academy for New Musical Theatre, and one of the hottest tickets in town.

The 15 Minute Musical Project concludes each season of the Academy's world-famous core curriculum of the writers' workshop, which has been in existence for over 40 years.

For the final project of the curriculum, composers and lyricists and bookwriters are put together on writing teams and are given eight short weeks to write, revise and polish a brand-new musical written for five actors whom they've never met before.

"It's like a rite of passage," says Elise Dewsberry, the Academy's Artistic Director and producer of the 15 Minute Musicals. "We design the process to imitate a full-length show in a professional theatre: draft, rehearsal, rewrites, rehearsal, opening. It's really a wonderful experience, but it's often stressful, just like a million dollar opening night. Our writers' names are in the program, and it's important to them they write the best show they possibly can, in the short amount of time we've given them."

This season there will be four 15-minute musicals, featuring the same cast of five actors. The writers have been given a theme of For Richer, For Poorer, and have cooked up four wildly different approaches to this theme: an outrageous family squabble over a cookie dough recipe; a porn movie with a G-rated director at the helm; a funny and psychological twist on a classic fairy tale; and three exotic plants singing for their lives.

These evenings are an annual highlight of the Academy's year-long season of developing new musicals and feature many new voices in musical theatre. Every seat in the house usually sells out.

The four shows presented each evening (June 28 and 29) are: Dough!, with book by Sarah Hernandez, music by Clifford J. Tasner, and lyrics by Ron Ovadia; Shoot Ma!, with book by Joe Moe, music by Ryan Luevano, and lyrics by Richard Hefner; Witch Is It?, with book by Maureen Borillo, music by Matthew Levine, and lyrics by Richard Castle; and Green Thumb, with book by Joan Enguita, music by Nancy Gitlin, and lyrics by Joan Enguita and Karrie Vach.

The cast for all four musicals is: Sonia Alcazar, Patrick Foley, Barry O'Neil, Emily Kimmel Plotkin, and Gabrielle Wagner. The four musicals are directed by John Sparks, with music direction by Jake Anthony.

Tickets are $25; the performances begin at 7:30pm. For tickets, reservations and more info, CLICK HERE or visit www.anmt.org

The Red Team cast from last year's 15 Minute Musicals: Kevin Noonchester,
Carolyn Freeman Champ, Megan Crockett, Tara Hunnewell, and Sylvin Janson,
in THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

Pitch to 70 producers at once:
Musical Theatre Biz Conference

How do you get someone, anyone, to take your pitch? As part of our upcoming summer writers' conference, we've compiled a long list of producers and agents who've agreed to receive an email pitch from you (if you're registered for at least the final Sunday of the conference).

Here's how it will work: you send us two paragraphs -- one about you and one about your project -- and we'll send it directly to them. Folks who'll receive your email pitch include:

321 Theatrical Management
42nd Street Moon
5th Avenue Theatre
Alley Theatre
Amas Musical Theatre
Arizona Theatre Company
Broadway Rose Theatre
Broadway/L.A.
Cabrillo Music Theatre
California Conservatory of the Arts
California Musical Theatre (Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento)
California State University, Fullerton
CAP21 - Collaborative Arts Project 21
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre
Cumberland County Playhouse
Dallas Theater Center
Danish Academy of Musical Theatre
Demos Bizar Entertainment
Denver Center Theatre Company
Florida State University College of Music
Ford's Theatre
Junkyard Dog Productions
Las Positas College
Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Inc
Millikin University, Department of Theatre and Dance
Music Theatre of Wichita
Musical Mondays Theatre Lab, Inc.
Musical Theatre West
New York Theatre Barn
North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Northwestern University, Music Theatre Program and AMTP
Pace New Musicals
Pennsylvania Centre Stage
Playing Pretend
Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
Red Mountain Theatre Company
ReVision Theatre (The Genesius Guild, Inc.)
SenovvA, Inc.
Spirit of Broadway Theater
Stacey Mindich Productions, LLC.
Stage Aurora Theatrical Company, Inc.
Tacoma Musical Playhouse
Theater Latté Da
Theater of the Stars
Theatre Building Chicago
Theatre Under The Stars
The Public Theatre
University of Michigan Department of Musical Theatre
Uptown Players
Utah Festival Opera Company
Village Theatre
Walnut Street Theatre
Western Stage
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company
Woodminster Summer Musicals
ZACH Theatre
and more!

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to get your pitch to producers and theatres across the country!

Sign up by June 15 and get the Early Bird discount.

CLICK HERE for more info, and to register.

Make your own music this summer

This summer, we're proud to present our fifth annual Musical Theatre Boot Camp: a summer series of workshops, lectures, and practicums designed to give participants a chance to work quickly over a concentrated six week period.

The 2010 Boot Camp will take place between July 11 and August 22, and will include many exciting courses for writers and performers including:

OUTLINING LAB
LEARNING A DANCE COMBINATION QUICKLY
COLD READING for AUDITIONS
PREPARING YOUR SCORE in FINALE NOTATION
SUMMER BOOK LAB
BRINGING A SONG TO LIFE
FINDING and USING YOUR LEGIT and BELT VOICE
MUSICAL STYLES AND GENRES
THE ART OF WRITING DIALOGUE
CHORAL WRITING FOR MUSICALTHEATRE
LYRIC MASTERWORK ANALYSIS
ADAPTATION: the Secrets of Storytelling
HOW DOES A MUSICAL GET FINANCED?
Q & A with ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEYS
MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMERS INTENSIVE
BUILDING STRONG PLOTS & 3-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS
(Check out the course descriptions running down the left-hand side of this page.)

For more info, and a chance to register for the special Early Bird discount, CLICK HERE

Joshua coaching performer Megan Lynam on belt placement

A BIZ conference for actors

All too often the Great Talented Actor doesn't get hired because he just hasn't had time to figure out the BIZ. Don't let that happen to you! This summer join us for an ANMT-sponsored conference on the BIZ for ACTORS!

This exciting 3-day weekend will focus on important tips and business advice for the musical theatre performer, directly from directors, casting directors, actors, and agents.

Hosted by Broadway's Dan Callaway and producer Heather Provost, panels will feature such topics as The Actor as Entrepreneur, or Firing Your Day Job; Shooting Yourself in the Foot: The things actors unwittingly do that lose them work; Effective Networking for Actors; and Behind the Audition Table (What it's really like on the other side of the table).

The Actor Conference will take place the weekend of August 6th through 8th.

Registration is now open - for more info, and to register, CLICK HERE. Register by June 15 for the special Early Bird discounts!

Aging Out

Sometimes musicals are light and frothy, but sometimes they tear at your heart. Aging Out is one of the second kind of musicals. Aging Out is a new rock musical that tells the stories of "the ones nobody wanted" - 18 year olds who are aging out of the foster care system into independent, adult life in one giant, scary leap - unlike regular teenagers who get to enter adulthood with family supporting them on the way. Aging Out will have its premiere in concert form for five performances only at the NoHo Arts Center, on July 21-August 4.

With music by Darin Goulet and book and lyrics by Tara Redepenning and Hillary Rollins, the writing team is hoping to open some eyes and minds about the realities for foster care kids.

"The characters in the show and their stories are inspired by things that really happened," says Rollins, "We're hoping to inspire some people with the plight and courage of these kids. By bringing some of their stories to life, maybe we can help a little bit."

Aging Out is not all doom-and-gloom, because it is, after all, a musical. The writers have found joy and humor in their characters. Some of the songs include "The Ones Nobody Wanted," "Laundry," "My Life is a Soap Opera," and "15 Transition Tips."

"The show is so funny it's almost a problem," confesses composer Goulet, "we've found so many laughs in our first drafts that we think we might be undercutting some of the serious moments of the show. We're definitely exploring some very serious and dangerous issues, so we want to treat them with respect and give them the drama that they deserve."

The musical grew out of a partnership between ANMT and the Department of Drama at University of California/Irvine. Aging Out has been workshopped several times at the Academy and UC/Irvine both, and was a highlight of the 2009 Festival of New Musicals at Irvine.
The two organizations have quietly been nurturing four musicals for a pair of seasons, and are now ready to present the first of them in public.

"It's one thing to put on a tried-and-true Rodgers & Hammerstein classic like Oklahoma or South Pacific," says Dr. Daniel Gary Busby, professor of UCI's celebrated drama department, "It's quite another to develop new musicals - originals, from the first word all the way through to full production - and that's the journey the drama department of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts has embarked on."

The performances this summer will feature UC/Irvine students in the cast. "It's very exciting to see 18 year olds playing 18 year olds," says the Academy's Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry. "In our professional workshops, we often use working Hollywood actors, which means they might be 20 or even 30. Working with the UC/Irvine students is amazing; they're all ready to move straight to Broadway. We're so lucky to be able to work with them."

The August 4 performance will be a benefit for the Serpentine Project, CBS' Survivor host Jeff Probst's charity for foster children, along with the Academy for New Musical Theatre and UC/Irvine.

Performances are July 21, 27, 28 and August 3 at the NoHo Arts Center at 11136 Magnolia in Burbank. Tickets are $20. A special fundraiser for The Serpentine Project/UC Irvine will be on August 4th. CLICK HERE for reservations, or visit the Academy's website at www.anmt.org.

The UC/Irvine student cast of last September's workshop of AGING OUT

Fundraiser for foster care

August 4 will be a benefit for the Serpentine Project, CBS' Survivor host Jeff Probst's charity for foster children, along with the Academy for New Musical Theatre and UC/Irvine's Department of Drama and ANMT.

The Serpentine Project was founded in 2008 by Jeff Probst, host and producer of Survivor. The organization works directly with youth who have aged-out of LA County's foster care system, providing mentorship, guidance, financial support and life skills classes.

"We are thrilled to participate in the Academy's production of Aging Out!" says The Serpentine Project's Executive Director, Elizabeth Lott. "This is a great opportunity for us to show people how challenging it really is for former foster care youth to turn 18 years old and face adulthood alone. While the stories can be sad, frustrating and maddening, ultimately the musical is about the resiliency that aged-out youth can find within themselves."

UC/Irvine's Drama Department is one of the top ten theatre schools in the country. Aging Out was developed by ANMT specifically for UC/Irvine, who plans to produce the show next year. Money raised from this event will benefit all three causes.

For more information about The Serpentine Project, visit their website: www.theserpentineproject.org

To reserve tickets for the August 4th benefit performance, CLICK HERE.

Concert Series at NoHo

For tickets to the Concert Series at NoHo Arts Center, CLICK HERE