Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is pleased to announce that an exciting lineup of prominent Broadway producers and general managers has joined the Dollars and Sense panels to follow readings of the winning selections of the 2008 TRU Voices New Musicals Series. The series is unique because it develops new producers as well as new musicals, and in keeping true to its mission, the TRU talkbacks focus on producer concerns regarding the development of these works beyond the series. The panels will follow readings of the works on Mondays, December 8 and 15, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Players Theatre, located at 115 MacDougal Street, NYC.
The musicals chosen for the series are: Once Upon a Wind, a musical about love, magic and lies by Tom Diggs and Jay D'Amico, produced by Sheila McDevitt; and So Happy I Could Scream!, a musical celebration of motherhood, with book by Judy Freed, music by Sari Miller, lyrics by Randi Wolfe and additional lyrics by Sari Miller, produced by Meredith Lucio/Wild Bird Productions.
The Dollars and Sense panel following the reading of Once Upon a Wind on December 8 will include panelists Stewart Lane (producer, La Cage Aux Folles, Woman of the Year, Legally Blonde, Sunday in the Park with George revival, 39 Steps); Jennifer Manocherian (producer, Spring Awakening, August: Osage County, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change, Sunday in the Park with George revival, 39 Steps); Brian Swasey, development consultant at Queens Theatre on the Park; Cheryl Wiesenfeld (producer, Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Caroline or Change, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty).
The Dollars and Sense panel following the reading of So Happy I Could Scream! on December 15 will include Peter Bogyo, general manager of the Sprecher Organization (A Moon for the Misbegotten revival, Sly Fox, Fortune's Fool, upcoming musicals Prairie and Rebecca); Pat Addiss (producer, Spring Awakening, 39 Step, Passing Strange); Pam Koslow (producer, Jelly's Last Jam, Jane Eyre, Captain Louie, upcoming Yanks!).
Dollars and Sense panels focus on producer concerns such as marketing, budgets, appropriate venues and the general developmental trajectory for the show that is being read. "I always remind our audiences that there are three basic human instincts: food, sex and rewriting other people's work," says TRU president Bob Ost. "Although we provide food at our receptions, the other two instincts do not come into play in our reading series. We do not talk about creative aspects, and discourage audience rewrites. We focus on the business of bringing the show that has been read into a next stage production." Prominent Broadway producers and general managers, as well as artistic directors from the not-for-profit and regional theater worlds, are invited to watch the readings and discuss the play afterwards. The producer for the evening, and sometimes the director, answers questions while the playwright sits anonymously in the audience.
Once Upon a Wind, with book and lyrics by Tom Diggs, music by Jay D'Amico, will be read on December 8, 2008 at 7:30pm, produced by Sheila McDevitt and directed by Jeremy Dobrish,
In war torn England, two teens attempt to make sense of their lives as they come of age through the lens of love, magic ... and lies. Based on the Cottingley Fairy Hoax, Once Upon a Wind is the story of the two teenagers who faked fairy photos during World War One and briefly fooled a grieving nation. As a straight play titled Yorkshire Tales, it won The Aurand Harris Prize, was a Princess Grace finalist, and was the ATHE Playworks selection for 2007 before it received an Off-Off Broadway workshop produced by On the Leesh Productions at The Michael Weller Theatre in October 2007.
