Kellen Blair & Joe Kinosian, Jeff Blumenkrantz Set For BMI MT Workshop

The BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop announces its biannual Showcase of new songs from Workshop writers. The event will be held at the Marjorie S . Deane Little Theater, 10 West 64th Street (between Broadway and Central Park West) at 5:30PM and is open to members of the entertainment industry and Workshop members Reservations are a must: Ssantana@bmi.com or 212 220-3177. Running time is 75 minutes.

"Christmas Without You" is written by bookwriter/lyricist Joe Kinosian & composer Kellen Blair. Their Murder for Two currently completes a seven month run at the Chicago Shakespeare Festival. Jeff Blumenkrantz, Tony® nominated for his contributions to Urban Cowboy, is represented with "Just Because," sung by Gillian Goldberg, who performed in the premiere production of Calvin Berger. Michael Ogborn's The Three Maries a new musical comedy about Queen Marie of Romania's visit to Philadelphia in the late 1920's tells how two local residents become part of the historic event. Tracie Higgins performs "The Diction Lesson" with composer-lyricist-bookwriter Ogborn.

Lyricist Raymond Bokhour ("Mr. Cellophane" in Chicago) and writing partner composer Simon Grey, both BMI Foundation Harrington Award Winners are represented with two songs from The Suicide, an original musical comedy set in Stalin's brutal Soviet Union adapted from the play by Nikolai Erdman. Ashley Fox Linton (Wicked, Les Misèrables) sings Matthew Hardy & Emmy Winner Randy Klein's "Everything You Long For" from their original musical Flambé Dreams. Composer/lyricist Adam Overett is represented by "A Singer Prepares" performed by Sara Wordsworth, performer and co-writer of In Transit recently seen at 59E59.

Carey Anderson (Sophie in Mamma Mia) performs "Exciting to Me" from the new musical Touched by Matt Van Brink & Charlie Sohne. Raissa Katona Bennett (Broadway's Christine in Phantom of the Opera) and Jeannine Frumess (The Kid) sing "Prom Night" by Outer Circle Critics Award winning composer Andy Monroe from his new musical Drive. Leo Ash Evens, recently in Wanda's World, reteams with "Wanda" Composer-Lyricist Beth Falcone performing "We Must Save the Planet" from her new musical Love in the age of Therapy." Jeff Ward sings "Step Right Up" by composer David Gaines and Lyricist Michele Foor whose work was performed at Lincoln Center's Bruno Walter Auditorium last December. Ward will also perform his own song "You Brought Me Corn."
Igor Goldin, who directs the event is a Drama Desk nominee (Yank) and Winner of NYMF's 2011 Best Director Award for Pride and Prejudice. Stage Manager is Karen Evanouskas.

Previous Showcase participants include Best Musical Tony® Award winners Robert Lopez (Book of Mormon, Ave Q), Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Pulitzer, Olivier and Tony Award winner Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line, A Class Act), Tony Award winner Maury Yeston (Nine, Titanic, Grand Hotel, Death Takes a Holiday), Pulitzer and Tony Winners Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty (Ragtime) and multiple Golden Globe and Oscar Winner Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast.)

Recent and upcoming productions of musicals developed in the Workshop and by Workshop writers include Wanda's World by Beth Falcone & Eric H Weinberger at AMAS, It Shoulda Been You by Barbara Anselmi and Brian Hargrove, directed by David Hyde Pierce at George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ, Giant, based on the Edna Ferber classic novel, score by Michael John LaChiusa, at The Public Theatre and The Kid, by Jack Lechner, Andy Monroe and Michael Zam, for The New Group.

The event is co-produced by BMI's Director of Musical Theatre and Jazz and Kleban Award Winner Patrick Cook and Frank Evans, Workshop Special Events Coordinator. Cook garnered an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Captains Courageous, produced by Manhattan Theatre Club. Evans is a Jerry Bock Award winning lyricist. His play Puma, written with Julie Gilbert, played New Jersey Repertory last spring.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, recipient of a 2006 Tony honor, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft.

Now marking its 65th year in business, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of more than 6.5 million musical works from around the world, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.