your musical at anmt

Four ways to develop a musical at ANMT:

T H E   A N M T  D E V E L O P M E N T   P R O C E S S

workshopping your finished musical

Let's assume you've written the world's next great musical.  How can ANMT help you?

If your musical is already perfect - then the short answer is that we can't help you.  What you need is a producer, and that's not us.

If, however, you think your musical could get better - then there are a couple of ways to work on your musical through the Academy for New Musical Theatre.  Go through our curriculum (by starting with the year-long Core Curriculum) and then hone your piece by taking the year-long Full Length Curriculum.  Click here for info.

If you can't wait that long - check out the Developmental Services we offer to non-members listed below.

We look forward to hearing from you!

P R O D U C E R - D R I V E N   P R O J E C T S

create a new musical from scratch

We can help you develop a show from scratch - aimed directly at your audience - just like producers used to do in the 40's, 50's, and 60's on Broadway. 

Here’s how it works:

You have an idea for a show. We develop two or three different page-long versions of that idea. If one of those approaches interests you, we’ll create 15-minutes’ worth of the show, including some scenes and several songs.

If you like what you see in the fifteen minutes, then and only then will we enter into an agreement. Typically this agreement obligates us to deliver a full draft of the musical, including piano/vocal score, and would obligate you only to an informal unstaged reading. No production contracts, no advance on royalties (we have our own arrangement with the writers); only a small initial developmental fee.

If you don’t like what you see in those first fifteen minutes, we can either look for another project, or part friends.

If a project does move forward, at our workshop in Los Angeles, we have actors, dramaturges, music directors, directors and rehearsal space which we would put behind your project.  Infinitely less expensive than workshops in New York.  Undoubtedly much less expensive than your workshopping at your theatre.  We have the infrastructure, the know-how, the personnel, and the experience - this is what we do four nights a week, year round.

And ... you don't have to be in Los Angeles for the workshops.  We have the technology to upload digitized versions of the workshops and the feedback sessions on our website, or video-stream it live, if you prefer.

If this process sounds intriguing to you - read on to hear about some of the projects we have already developed.

T H E   D E V E L O P E R S'   C O N S O R T I U M

The Pipeline of New Musicals

ANMT is committed to developing a "pipeline" of new musicals, working particularly with members of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, designed to begin with developmental organizations, continue with small black box productions, then mid-sized regional theatres, and conclude with commercial producers.  In 2005-06, ANMT workshopped Fairystories, which went on to readings and the Stages Festival at Theatre Building Chicago, and a developmental production at The Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington in December 2006.

Musicals in the pipeline in the 2006-07 season were The Road to Ruin with 5th Avenue in Seattle and East of Doheny in Los Angeles, Romancing the Throne with Carousel Theatre in Akron, OH, and Bonnie and Clyde with writers Hunter Foster (star of Broadway's Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Producers) and Rick Crom (Urinetown and The Newsical).

Read on for more information about the development of these projects.

THE PIPELINE PROCESS

We have many sources of new musicals which might enter the pipeline ... musical theatre festivals, of course, and producing partners with whom we've worked in the past.  Also, as  members of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, we are committed to identifying works that have some interest from one or more producing members of NAMT, and putting together a guided and nurturing development process involving all those partners.

This pipeline process includes on-going dramaturgical feedback through table readings, workshops, public readings, developmental productions, and full productions.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the pipeline, click on one of the shows named above.

THE PROCESS

September, 2005      Nomination

- the ANMT staff, Theatre Building Chicago staff, and the staff of the Village Theatre in Washington identify NAMT Festival semi-finalist Fairystories as a promising show that needs further development.  In order to create a pipeline of development for the piece over a two-year period, ANMT commits to a series of readings and workshops, TBC commits to a Monday Night Reading and a slot in the STAGES Festival, and the Village Theatre commits to a developmental production.

October, 2005       Selection

- the ANMT staff meets with author Paul Graham Brown in London to discuss the process.  Paul agrees to take part.

November, 2005      Table Reading

- the ANMT staff takes part in an informal table reading of the current draft

- the session is videotaped so Paul can see it in Germany

- Paul receives additional written notes by email

December, 2005      Feedback

- Paul and the ANMT staff exchange emails as Paul works on revisions

January, 2006       The Academy Repertory Company

- members of ARC sight-read/sing portions of Paul's revised material

- the ANMT staff responds to the revisions

April through August, 2006       Theatre Building Chicago

Theatre Building Chicago presents a Monday Night Reading at Theatre Building Chicago in April.  In August, the creative team (including Paul, director Vanessa Smith, Village Theatre's Robb Hunt, and ANMT dramaturge Elise Dewsberry) travel to Chicago to attend the skeletal production produced by Theatre Building Chicago as a part of the 2006 STAGES Festival.

December, 2006    The Village Theatre

The Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington mounted a full production at their theatre.

THE PARTICIPANTS

Paul Graham Brown (Berlin)

Book, lyrics, and music

ANMT (Los Angeles)

John Sparks (Artistic Director)

Elise Dewsberry (Associate Artistic Director)

Scott Guy (Executive Director/Lyric Lab Instructor)

Ross Källing (Director of Music Curriculum)

The members of the Academy Repertory Company

THEATRE BUILDING CHICAGO (Chicago)

John Sparks (Artistic Director)

Allan Chambers (Associate Artistic Director)

THE VILLAGE THEATRE (Issaquah, Washington)

Robb Hunt (Executive Producer)

Brian R. Yorkey (Associate Artistic Director)

Vanessa Miller (Director)

THE PROCESS

September, 2006      Nomination

- the ANMT staff identifies NAMT Festival semi-finalist The Road to Ruin as a promising show that needs further development.

October, 2006       Selection

- the ANMT staff talks with author William Zeffiro in New York to discuss the process.  William agrees to take part.  After more discussions, Bill Berry of 5th Avenue (Seattle) and David Hamlin of East of Doheny (Los Angeles) express interest in being involved in the process.

November, 2006      Table Reading

- the ANMT staff presents an informal table reading of the current draft, along with members of the Academy Repertory Company.  William flies in to Los Angeles to observe and receive notes.  The session is taped for Bill Berry and David Hamlin.

March, 2007      Staged Reading

- the Academy Repertory Company presents a staged reading at East of Doheny's Pico Playhouse in Los Angeles, directed by New York's David Glenn Armstrong.   William flies in to Los Angeles to observe and receive notes.

THE PARTICIPANTS

William Zeffiro (New York)

Book, lyrics, and music

ANMT (Los Angeles)

John Sparks (Artistic Director)

Elise Dewsberry (Associate Artistic Director)

Scott Guy (Executive Director/Lyric Lab Instructor)

The members of the Academy Repertory Company

5TH AVENUE (Seattle)

Bill Berry (Associate Artistic Director)

EAST OF DOHENY (Los Angeles)

David Hamlin (Executive Producer)

THE PROCESS

September, 2006      Nomination

- the ANMT staff and Sean Cercone from Carousel Dinner Theatre agree that NAMT Festival semi-finalist Romancing the Throne is a promising show that needs further development.  In order to create a pipeline of development for the piece, ANMT commits to a series of readings and workshops, and Carousel Dinner Theatre commits to a developmental workshop.

October, 2006       Selection

- Carousel Dinner Theatre decides to workshop the show in January of 2007, and ANMT offers to precede the workshop with a table reading and feedback session in Los Angeles.

November, 2006      Table Reading

- the ANMT staff presents an informal table reading of the current draft, along with members of the Academy Repertory Company.  Randy Rogel is in attendance to observe and receive notes; Kirby Ward listens in by live video-feed from the west coast.  The session is taped for Carousel Dinner Theatre.

January, 2007      Workshop

- Carousel Dinner Theatre hosts a week-long workshop.

February, 2007     

- Carousel Dinner Theatre sponsors the re-submission of the revised script to the NAMT 2007 Festival of New Musicals.

June, 2007

Romancing the Throne is chosen as a finalist for NAMT's 2007 Festival of New Musicals.

THE PARTICIPANTS

Randy Rogel

Lyrics and music

Kirby Ward

Book

ANMT (Los Angeles)

John Sparks (Artistic Director)

Elise Dewsberry (Associate Artistic Director)

Scott Guy (Executive Director/Lyric Lab Instructor)

The members of the Academy Repertory Company

CAROUSEL DINNER THEATRE (Akron, Ohio)

Sean Cercone (Artistic Director)

ANMT * 5628 VINELAND AVE * NORTH HOLLYWOOD * 91601 * 818.506.8500 * academy@anmt.org