Goodspeed's 4th FESTIVAL OF NEW ARTISTS Wows Audiences

This January, hundreds of theater enthusiasts from across the region convened at the Goodspeed Opera House to experience the newest works in musical theater. Welcoming many new visitors to Goodspeed Musicals, it was very exciting to see wintertime at Goodspeed Landing bustling with so many eager to be a part of this exciting gathering of creative voices. Audiences in record numbers participated in the 2009 Festival of New Artists throughout the Goodspeed campus highlighted by staged readings of new musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House.

On January 16, 17 and 18, the Goodspeed campus came alive as the collaborative efforts of emerging writers, established creative teams, Goodspeed artistic staff, and senior students from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford culminated in a weekend-long festival of new musicals.

On Friday night the Festival kicked off at the Opera House with a rousing welcome from Education Director Will Rhys, who introduced the first production of the weekend, Life on the Mississippi, adapted from the book by Mark Twain, with book and lyrics by Douglas M. Parker, and music by Denver Casado. Following the performance, many festival-goers packed the Gelston House's main dining room for the entertaining New Artists Cabaret. This event showcased new songs by new artists performed in a casual, interactive environment.

On Saturday, visitors participated in the first ever Goodspeed Festival Noel Coward Foundation Symposium titled Off the iPod and Into the Theatre: Writing Musicals for a New Generation, a free event featuring some of today's most inventive contributors in musical theatre. Moderated by Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller (In the Heights, Avenue Q, Rent) with panelists Hunter Bell (Obie Award, GLAAD Media, and Drama League nominee for Broadway's [title of show], director Gordon Greenberg who has directed such Goodspeed audience favorites as Pirates of Penzance and Happy Days, and bookwriter/lyricist Marcy Heisler (Junie B. Jones).

Following the symposium many enjoyed a wonderful three course meal at the neighboring Gelston House restaurant. After dinner, festival participants joined the performers at the Opera House for Band Geeks!, an uproarious and exuberant celebration of youth, individuality and spirit with book by Tommy Newman and Gordon Greenberg, and music and lyrics by Gaby Alter, Mark Allen, and Tommy Newman.

On Sunday festival goers enjoyed the compelling production of Factory Girls. This musical inspired by the real life story of the factory girls of Lowell Mass. celebrates the revolutionary spirit of the American worker, with music, lyrics, and book by Sean Mahoney, and Creighton Irons.

The finale of the festival weekend was the Meet the Writers Reception where guests had the chance to gain insight into the inspirations and processes of the writers while enjoying a generous sampling of culinary delights from the Gelston House kitchen.

The Festival of New Artists was produced by Goodspeed as part of its Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. Created in 2002, the Showalter Center inspires and nurtures musical theatre artists and students by providing a unique and comprehensive range of training and educational programs to serve both the national and local academic communities.

The 2009 Festival of New Artists is part of the Goodspeed Musical Theatre Institute which is generously sponsored by The Noel Coward Foundation and The Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation.

Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. The only regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater. Goodspeed gratefully acknowledges the support of American Airlines, official airline of Goodspeed Musicals, Hoffman Auto Group, Blum Shapiro and support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

 

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