The BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Hosts its Winter Showcase

The BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop announces its Winter Smoker, a semi-annual showcase for new songs from Workshop writers. The event will be held in the Media Room of BMI's New York office at 320 West 57th Street on Thursday, February 11 at 5:30PM and is open to members of the entertainment industry as well as Workshop members. Reservations: Ssantana@bmi.com or 212 830-8360.

The Smoker, now in its twelfth season, is modeled after informal social gatherings at Cambridge University where the Workshop's two time Tony® Award winning and 2010 Oscar® nominated writer Maury Yeston performed his songs during his undergraduate days. Previous smoker participants include Best Musical Tony® Award winners Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer (I'm Getting My Act Together...), Eric Rockwell and Joann Bogart (The Musical of Musicals, The Musical) Amanda Green and Tom Kitt (High Fidelity). and Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal).

Recent and upcoming productions of musicals developed in the Workshop include Wanda's World by Beth Falcone & Eric H Weinberger at AMAS, preparing for a Broadway run directed by Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Calvin Berger by Barry Wyner, directed by Kathleen Marshall at George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ, Giant by Michael John LaChiusa, Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia, The Story of My Life by Neil Bartram & Brian Hill, directed by Richard Maltby Jr. at Goodspeed's Norma Terris and on Broadway and See Rock City by Brad Alexander & Adam Mathais at Barrington Stage and workshopped in New York by The Transport Group.

Nine new musicals and eighteen BMI Workshop writers are represented:
"It's All Good" and "Miracle" come from The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project, an original musical about a group of modern-day hippies who follow their favorite band around the country. Music is by Daniel Israel and lyrics by Phoebe Kreutz with Adam Mathias (See Rock City) and Kreutz sharing book-writing credit. Cast members Mick Bonde (Showchoir), Aaron Lavigne (RENT, National Co.) and Michael "Tuba" McKinsey (Oliver!, National Co.) reprise their roles fresh from an SRO reading at the Snapple Theater's Musical Mondays series.

Mary Liz McNamara, whose song "Bacon," won the 2004 MAC Award best special material, will perform "Shaweeta" from The Good Girl aided and abetted by bass player Ritt Henn. The new musical, with book by McNamara and Philadelphia playwright Arden Kass follows a 75 year old mother who dies and becomes a jazz singer in heaven as well as her daughter, who's left to take care of the mess. Composer/Lyricist Sean Hartley (Cupid and Psyche) will perform "The Ballad of Kyle O'Brien" from his original musical Snow, set in 1970's folk-hippie New York City.

Lyricist Greg Edwards, who has written several songs with Marvin Hamlisch, is represented with two songs. "Yale Has the Gays" written with composer Zak Sandler from their new revue, Gay Yale which the team will perform themselves. "My Fragile Girl" is from an adaptation of Sheridan's The Rivals with composer Jonathan Breit and will be performed by baritone Doug Williams, who recently sang at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.

Deborah Tranelli, best known for her recurring role of Phyllis on the CBS series "Dallas" and most recently seen at off Broadway in Brother, Can You Spare a Dime will portray Katherine Hepburn singing " 'Til the Next Time" from Howard Hughes, a new musical about the eccentric billionaire by Jim Scully and Frank Evans.

First Year Workshop writing team Mishaela Faucher and Kristin Bair will be perform their song "Antarctica" with a cast of six. Andy Roninson, whose musical For the Birds is currently in production at Purchase College and George Merrick, currently in the Lincoln Center South Pacific, will perform their song "La Vita e Bella" from the musical of the same name.
The Eight Million, a new musical by Matthew Hardy (The Thing About Joe) and Robert Maggio (We Dance), both represented on the upcoming CD "No More Revivals, Volume I," due in April from Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight, will perform two songs "I Don't Need Her" and "You Gotta Use Your Words" Their new musical is a collection of O. Henry stories updated to modern New York.

"Emma the Red" is from Yo, Vikings! based on the book of the same name by Judith Byron Schachner. Book and lyrics are by Marcus Stevens (Richard Rodgers Award for Red) and music is by Sam Willmott (Kennedy Center ACTF Musical Theatre Award for Standardized Testing - The Musical!!!) Performers are Alyse Alan Louis, currently starring as Sophie Sheridan in Manma Mia aided by Erica Jacob (Scarlet Takes a Tumble), 2008 Kurt Weill Award Winner, Emily Cramer, Sam Pinkleton (Goodspeed's ...Forum), Jacob Richard (Dear Edwina) and Sam Tedaldi (Mrs. Sharp).
The event is co-produced by Kleban Award Winner Patrick Cook, Artistic Coordinator of the Workshop and Frank Evans, Special Events Coordinator. Cook garnered an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Captain's Courageous, produced by Manhattan Theatre Club. Evans, whose musicals have been seen from Alaska to London is a Jerry Bock Award winning lyricist. He has been named on Best of The Year Lists in The Palm Beach Post, The Norwich Bulletin and TheatreWeek..
The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, recipient of a 2006 Tony honor, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft.

Now marking its 65th year in business, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of more than 6.5 million musical works from around the world, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.