TRU Voices Musical Reading Series Accepting Submissions

The TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series is currently accepting submissions from theatrical producers.

"TRU is currently encouraging submissions from emerging and established producers who are interested in testing the waters with a new musical work, and offering an opportunity for them to forge relationships with writers. TRU also accepts submissions from writers and tries to match them with a sponsoring producer for the series," according to press notes. "We're like a dating service for producers," says TRU President Bob Ost.  TRU sponsors a full staged reading of 2 to 3 of the best works submitted, followed by the well-respected Dollars and Sense industry panels following each of the presentations. 

This year, TRU will present the first Howard L. Blau to the Most Promising New Musical. The award is named for attorney Howard L. Blau of Blau, Kayman and Barrows, and will be presented at a luncheon ceremony in November. For many years, Blau has done pro bono work for not-for-profits arts organizations.  His company has a not-for-profit division, Legal Counsel to the Performing Arts, dedicated to helping artists. "We are blessed that Howard is supporting our efforts in this way," says Ost. "As a theatre lover, he understands the importance of nurturing producing talent as well as writing talent.  He is an amazingly generous man who wants to help us find amazing new musicals." 

Among the shows that started in the series are The Great American Trailer Park Musical by Betsy Kelso and David Nehls, which went on to a popular off-Broadway run last season and is currently touring; and Normal by Yvonne Adrian, Cheryl Stern and Tom Kochan, which played a limited run last fall at the Connelly Theater in the East Village starring Barbara Walsh. For the 2001 Series, TRU President Bob Ost made a phone call and cast the perfect actress for the one-woman musical The Ambition Bird by Matthew Sheridan: Victoria Clark, who went on to win a Tony for Light in the Piazza. And in the 2005 series, TRU found a producer for Saint Heaven, a writer submission from Martin Casella and Keith Gordon; TRU put the show in the hands of Van Dean and Hillary Cutter of Van Hill Entertainment, and also matched Van and Hillary with mentor Broadway producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld (Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, In the Continuum). As a result of this successful partnership, Saint Heaven moved from a reading last December into a full production in June at the Stamford Center for the Performing Arts starring Deborah Gibson and Tony winner Chuck Cooper. 

"Unlike other talkbacks, TRU's Dollars and Sense panels focus on the producing needs of the show, welcoming suggestions re venues and further development for the work, with discussions about marketing and budgets and other business concerns." The top professionals who have graced the panels have included producers Michael Alden (Bridge & Tunnel, Bat Boy), Victoria Lang (Matt and Ben, SHOUT! The MOD Musical), Jennifer Manocherian (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Crucible, Caroline or Change), Dan Markley (Shockheaded Peter, Damn Yankees revival, Stomp), Pam Koslow (Jelly's Last Jam) and Anita Waxman (Bombay Dreams, Topdog/Underdog); artistic directors Robert LuPone (MCC), Sue Frost (formerly of Goodspeed), Mark Hoebee (Papermill Playhouse) and James Morgan (York Theatre Company); and general managers Peter Bogyo, Laura Heller, Jamie Cesa and countless others.