Goodman, Blumenkrantz and More to Take Part in Music Theatre Marathon
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 21, 2006
"The Raw Impressions Music Theatre (RIMT) Marathon consists of ten-minute musicals based on a shared theme that are created from start to finish in ten days by a group of professional writers and composers who have never met before. Each week features 8 new musicals, totaling 24 pieces in all, and each with a new theme, e.g., Guitar Based Music Theatre, Contemporary Music Theatre and Triple Threat Music Theatre," according to press notes.
RIMT 2006 will feature a vast array of musical theater talent. This year's participants include:
Writers - Sammy Buck (Like You Like It), Alison Loeb (recent Jonathan Larson Award winner), Robin Rothstein (On Deaf Ears).
Composers - Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights, Big City), Jeff Blumenkrantz (Urban Cowboy, Tony Nom.), Dan Acquisto (Like You Like It), Dave Ogrin (Wild Women of Planet Wongo), Charles Bloom (Pablo), Adam Overett (Call It Courage).
Performers - Thursday Farrar (Aida, Parade, Once Upon A Mattress), Michael Thomas Holmes (Oklahoma!, Producers Nat'l Tour), Orville Mendoza (Pacific Overtures), Lisa Wilkerson (The Lion King Nat'l Tour), Randy Aaron (Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance), Michael Hunsaker (Listen to Your Heart).
On March 26th and 27th at 7:00pm and 9:00pm, Contemporary Music Theatre will be the theme, while on April 2nd and 3rd at 7:00pm and 9:00pm, Triple Threat Music Theatre will inspire the artists. Those shows will be performed at The Flea Theater (41 White Street). Take the N, R, Q, W, or 6 to Canal Street. Walk south on Broadway to White Street, then west to the theatre.
The 2006 marathon will be produced by Associate Artistic Director Masi Asare and Jane Abramson and Laura Penney of PenneySeal Productions. Raw Impressions was founded in 2001 by David Rodwin and Patrick Mellen. In its first four seasons, over 148 new music theatre pieces have been developed and premiered. "Raw Impressions inspires artists to be prolific with excellence by supporting them through a speedy development process free from commercial pressures, so artists can just be artists. In addition to the Musical Theatre Marathon, Raw Impressions is also host to the annual RIPFest. The upcoming RIPFest #8 will take place on May 22nd and consists of 6 original Movie Musicals created from nothing in 16 days!"
To date, over 1000 artists have participated in Raw Impressions events. Past Raw Impressions participants include: DJ Javerbaum (Emmy-award winning Head Writer for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), Rachel Sheinkin (Tony Award for the book to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Tonya Pinkins (Tony Award for Jelly's Last Jam and star of Caroline or Change), Ted Sperling (Tony Award for The Light in the Piazza) and Scott Schwartz (Director of Golda's Balcony as well as Bat Boy and tick, tick...Boom!).
All tickets are $15.00; visit www.theatermania.com or call 212-352-3101 to purchase them.
Videos