Discovering Broadway Inc. Programs New Musical by Zack Zadek, Directed By Sammi Cannold

The first Writers Retreat of 2022 will take place from May 12th to the 23rd. The untitled new musical has book, lyrics, and music by Zack Zadek. He will be joined by Forbes 30 Under 30 theatrical director Sammi Cannold. A special concert premiering the music will be presented at The Cabaret in Indianapolis on May 21st, featuring two New York City based actors, and three Greater Indianapolis area based actors. Audition information and casting will be shared at a later date.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Discovering Broadway Inc. Joel Kirk stated, "This is the first Writer's Retreat where a full draft of the new musical does not yet exist. It's exhilarating to think Zack will compose and workshop the entire piece at Discovering Broadway. I wanted to program this musical, which explores addiction and recovery, during May which is Mental Health Awareness Month."

Zack Zadek said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to be joining Discovering Broadway to workshop this new piece. We're grateful to Joel and his team for throwing their full support behind this piece from the ground floor and are looking forward to giving the very first glimpse to audiences in the area."

"This opportunity to ideate, experiment, shape, and iterate will be simply invaluable in the development of our new musical and we're looking forward to sharing what we're working on with the Discovering Broadway community--and dialoguing with them about the work--more than I can express. I've had several colleagues from the Broadway community rave about their experiences working with Joel and the Discovering Broadway community and I'm quite thrilled to have this opportunity," added Cannold.

Last month, the first master classes of the season were taught by the star of Mean Girls and co-star of the Peacock series Girls5eva, Erika Henningsen. Discovering Broadway believes that theatre is for all. The nonprofit hosted two classes for thirty students and sponsored ten at-risk youth.

"Working with Discovering Broadway exceeded my expectations. I can't wait for fellow Broadway artists to experience this organization. The people, the accommodations, and the mission are as good as it gets. DB is a fully realized artistic and educational endeavor in the heart of Indiana which provides space and support for the next generation of creators. I do not know of a single organization like it. Teaching kids is one of my great passions and doing it with Discovering Broadway was a dream!" stated Henningsen.

Zack Zadek is a composer/lyricist, playwright, and songwriter with Warner/Chappell. He won the 2017 Weston New Musical Award for his book, music, and lyrics to DEATHLESS (dir. Tina Landau) which received its world premiere at Goodspeed Musicals after being developed at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. He is a two time MacDowell Fellow, VCCA Fellow, and Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow. He has co-written and released records with artists on every major label group, most recently Tate McRae's SLOWER. He holds commissions from MTC, Arena Stage, and Ars Nova/Jill Furman and is a writer-in-residence at SPACE on Ryder Farm, The Orchard Project Greenhouse, The Civilians, and Ars Nova.

Sammi Cannold is a director who is one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, class of 2019 and has worked on and off Broadway as well as for CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, Cirque du Soleil, and TikTok. Recent theater credits include Evita (New York City Center), Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop, A.R.T.), Ragtime on Ellis Island, and Violet on a moving bus (A.R.T.). This past summer, Sammi's first documentary feature film premiered at Broadway's Majestic Theatre and will be released worldwide. Sammi also serves as Senior Case Manager for Human First Coalition, an organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.

To learn more about Discovering Broadway, visit discoveringbroadway.org.

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