30 Days of NYMF Day 11: Education and Seminars

We all know that in three short years NYMF has taken Midtown by storm and has become THE place to find productions of new musicals. But there has also been a consistent, if quieter effort to develop a system of support for the entire framework upon which these productions are built.   

Our educational programs offer a unique, insider's view of the process of creating new work and real-world training for writers, producers, directors and performers.  Through inspirational, nuts-and-bolts seminars and masterclasses conducted by working professionals, NYMF not only keeps the dream alive, but is actively providing the tools to make it a reality for the next generation of musical theatre artists.   
And all of our Seminars are FREE!!  That's right!  You can take advantage of some of the BEST minds in the Broadway community—members can reserve in advance and the rest of you can just show up (among the many, many advantages of membership is the opportunity to secure a seat at these events and avoid the pushing and shoving at the door!)

FIRST UP…"Crossing Over: Adapting Musicals from Other Media," Thursday, September 21, 6:00-7:30pm, at New World Stages.  (Note: we're using the 49th Street entrance.) Our host is Jack Viertel, Creative Director of Jujamcyn Theaters with a long list of Broadway credits among his many accomplishments. This seminar looks at what it takes to create a hit show from a novel, film or other source material.  Current panelists include Composer Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City); Producer Margo Lion (The Wedding Singer, Caroline or Change, Hairspray, to name just a few); Writer David Henry Hwang (Tarzan, M. Butterfly, Golden Child), Producer Kevin McCollum (The Drowsy Chaperone, Avenue Q, La Bohème, Rent), and Director Susan Schulman (Sweeney Todd, The Secret Garden, The Sound of Music).   

FOLLOWED BY…"The Business of Show," Thursday, September 28, 6:00-7:30pm, Theatre at St. Clements.  Our own Kris Stewart leads this seminar addressing a topic he is passionate about—how can musical theatre composers and writers craft a career and actually earn a living doing what they love?  Helping him answer that question are Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), David Spencer (upcoming: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz), agent Beth Blickers and John Kimbell (North Shore Music Theatre).

And we are really excited to announce our First Masterclass Ever!  Smokin' Word founder and Hip-hop artist extraordinaire Claudia Alick has invited friends Dyalekt and Heru Petah (bookwriter for Hot Feet, author of A Hip-hop Story) to help aspiring writers adventure into the world of Hip-hop music and culture, freestyling, and poetry.  Leave your fears behind and prepare to work on your feet and create magic!  Class convenes on Saturday, September 30th, from 2:00-4:00pm, Gibson Showroom.  It is a very affordable $25 and you can register via PayPal at nymf.org.

Continue to visit the NYMF website to find out more about our incredible guests, and for up-to-date information on last minute additions to the panels.