New Goodspeed Programs Develop Musical Theatre Talent
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 28, 2005
Presented under the banner of Goodspeed's Musical Theatre Institute, the Connecticut theatre's two programs are the New Artists Program and the New Writers' Residency.
The New Artists Program, which will be held in January 2006, is a collaboration with the Hartt School at the University of Hartford; the latter is a conservatory that trains students in theatre, music and dance. The program "offers new and emerging artists the rare opportunity to thoroughly work on their projects with the help of Goodspeed's renowned resources and artistic environment, while affording senior students from The Hartt School real-world experience in new musical development and performing new musicals," according to press notes.
There will be staged readings of the following musicals: Once Upon a Time in Narcissia on January 20th at 8 PM. "A modern take on a Cinderella who doesn't get the Prince," the show features music by Youn-Young Park, and book and lyrics by Susannah Pearse; the two are alumni of the 2005 New Writers' Residency program. On January 21st at 2 PM, Romancing The Throne will be presented. The show is a "musical of secret identities, palace intrigue and a struggling actor who is cast in the role of a lifetime," and is written by Randy Rogel and Kirby Ward, who also directs. Both are also actors with Goodspeed credits. See London I See France (The Underwear Musical) will be performed the same day at 8 PM; the show concerns "love and romance in the pressure-filled, ultra-hyped world of advertising," and is written by New Writers' Residency alumni David Guerrerio and Jeremy Desdon. The latter wrote The Girl in the Frame, which received a Goodspeed workshop production in 2005.
The New Writers' Residency, which will be held from February 13th through 18th, is a collaboration with New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Twenty-two students from the prestigious Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program will take part in the program, where they "will work with each other on their thesis projects with the help of industry leaders including Goodspeed executive director Michael P. Price, music director Michael O'Flaherty and education director Will Rhys" as well as chatting with theatre professionals during "Brown Bag Lunches" on the Goodspeed campus. An invited audience will attend a February 17th cabaret of the students' work at 7 PM. Winnie Holzman (Wicked) and Tony Award-winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) are among those who attended the Musical Theatre Graduate Writing Program, which is the only graduate-level program of its kind in the country.
"It will be another exciting winter on the Goodspeed campus with so many writers, composers, actors and theatre professionals working together to create musicals for current and future generations. The Musical Theatre Institute is a rewarding experience for everyone involved and serves to keep Goodspeed Musicals at the forefront of our industry," stated Michael P. Price, executive director of Goodspeed Musicals. The two programs are presented by the Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater.
Tickets to the Festival of New Artists staged readings are $10 each for one show, $25 for one ticket to all three shows, and $5 each for students. Visit the Goodspeed box office or call (860) 873-8668. For more information, visit www.goodspeed.org.
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