Musicals Selected For BROADWAY SHARK TANK Presented by Open Jar Studios and GIGNITION

Open Jar Studios and GIGNITION - The Creative Artist Database have announced the new musicals selected to pitch their shows in its first ever "Broadway Shark Tank." This event provides a unique opportunity for Broadway musical writing teams to put their original musical to a panel of industry experts. This evening aims to provide an opportunity for exciting new works to be discovered and eventually make an important impact in future Broadway seasons. The "Broadway Shark Tank" presentation will take place at Open Jar Studios, 1601 Broadway, 11th Floor on Friday April 14th at 7pm where selected teams will pitch their shows to the panel and the attending public. Following the presentations, attendees are encouraged to stay for networking and socializing.

Writing teams from over 65 new works were submitted for consideration. After careful consideration, 6 shows were selected. They include WILL WILSON SAVES THE WORLD with music by Michelle Lugo, book & lyrics by Lyndsey Chance, SAVAGE THE MUSICAL with music, lyrics by Nicolette Blount, book by Nicolette Blount and Lindel Hart, LIKE FATHER, with music, lyrics & book by Jacob Ryan Smith (with help from Caroline Pernick), HIDE & SEEK with music, lyrics & book by Danny Feldman, FIGARO with music, lyrics, book by Ashley Jana, co-conceived by Ashley Jana and WILL NUNZIATA, and YASUKE - THE BLACK SAMURAIi with music & book by Bálint Varga, lyrics by Azusa Fujikura and Joe Barros (additional poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar).

The Broadway Shark Tank panel consists of prominent figures in the Broadway industry including Tony Award winning producers and General Managers. Panel members include Tom Smedes, Meredith Lucio, Adam Weinstock and Kumiko Yoshii.

Each writing team will be allowed a total of 8 minutes to speak about the project and present 1-2 songs. At the end of the pitches, the audience will vote on their favorite pitch and that show will win a one year ICON membership to Open Jar Studios, providing free rehearsal space to develop their new musical. In addition, one lucky audience member will also win a one year ICON membership to Open Jar. Both prizes are sponsored by GIGNITION - The Creative Artist Database.

"We are looking for new musicals that are fresh and present unique perspectives." said Jeff Whiting, President and CEO of Open Jar Studios. "I firmly believe that Broadway musicals have the ability to uplift and transform lives, and Open Jar's is proud to provide this special opportunity to support new writing teams"

This event is open to all members of the theater community. To attend Broadway Shark Tank, Please RSVP at www.OpenJarStudios.com/free-events

Bios:

The Creative Artist Database

(powered by GIGnition) is a job-matching platform designed to bring teams together for creative projects by designing an all-inclusive database where creators can find anything they need to create art: actors, dancers, photographers, producers, designers, directors, stage managers - absolutely anything you need. All in one place at all at no cost. https://gignition.com/

OPEN JAR STUDIOS

Located in the heart of the Theater District OPEN JAR STUDIOS features some of the largest studios in New York City for rehearsals, auditions, and support offices for productions of all sizes. Two 4,000 square-foot studios with 22-foot high ceilings make the space ideal for Broadway rehearsals. The large studios accompany a number of different-sized studios also suited perfectly for dance rehearsals, music rehearsals, production offices, and even costume fittings. Open Jar Studios is dedicated to the creation of art and the cultivation of the artist. https://www.openjarstudios.com/

Meredith Lucio

is a commercial and non-profit producer in New York City. Upcoming: In Corpo, a world premiere musical with The Assembly at Theatre Row, Summer 2023. Recently, Meredith general managed SuperYou!, a musical concert at Carnegie Hall and directed the audio drama Bad People by Kati Schwartz now available on iTunes and Audible. Other productions include: The Lightning Thief; the Percy Jackson Musical (Broadway, National Tour), The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Tony Award, Best Revival) Bedlam's productions of Hamlet and Saint Joan (Best Revival, OBA), The 39 Steps (New World Stages) and Rooms: a rock romance. Meredith is the Producing Director of The Assembly, and a Sr. Management Associate with Aaron Grant Theatricals in New York City. FB/Twitter: @TheaterZen. Instagram: @BackyardstoBroadway

Tom Smedes

is a Tony Award-winning producer and general manager with more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of theatre. He was most recently the lead producer of the Tony Award winning Bandstand and A Christmas Carol. Tom has also produced Farinelli and The King, The Prom, Kander and Ebb's The Visit starring Chita Rivera, Terrence McNally's box-office hit It's Only A Play, Mothers and Sons, the Tony Award-winning Peter and the Starcatcher, the Tony Award-winning Pippin, as well as the Tony nominated play Next Fall, and [title of show]. Tom is a US Board Member of Shakespeare's Globe London and served as General Manager for the Off-Broadway premiere of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.

Adam Weinstock

is a Tony Award-winning producer and Executive Director. Adam runs Creative Concept Productions, a unilaterally owned company producing shows in the United States and the UK. Under the auspices of Creative Concept Productions Adam Weinstock has produced well over 100 shows in over 25 years. Dubbed Mr. Entertainment by the NY Times, Mr. Weinstock has produced on both coasts of the USA as well as Dublin and in London on the West End. In 2016 Adam co-founded Red Spear Productions with Roger Cooper. Together Cooper and Weinstock successfully create entertainment all over the globe including film, one person shows, as well as Tony and Olivier award winning plays and musicals. Recent successes include: Tina-The Tina Turner Musical, Back to the Future the Musical in London, Meteor Shower, Be More Chill, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Bandstand, Lifespan of a Fact with Daniel Radcliff, Cherry Jones and Bobby Carnivale, The Great Comet of 1812 starring Josh Groban, Present Laughter with Kevin Kline, Randy Writes a Novel, Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close and 2019's A Christmas Carol which won five Tony Awards. This summer Red Spear is presenting Tony winner John Rubinstein in Eisenhower This Piece of Ground Off Broadway and Superyou at the Skylight Theater in Milwaukee before it moves to London's West End in 2024.

Kumiko Yoshii

is the Executive Vice President/ Head of International Business Development for The John Gore Organization, where she is responsible for initiating its global business strategies, managing international investment deals for productions on Broadway and in the West End, as well as bringing touring Broadway productions to Asia. Her selected producing credits include MJ (Broadway), Be More Chill (Broadway), Prince of Broadway (Broadway), Pacific Overtures (Broadway), Big River (North American Tour), The Producers (Japan) and The Sound of Music (Japan). She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The New Group. She is a recipient of the 10th annual Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award, and she was acknowledged by the Minister of National Policy of Japan for her outstanding contributions and activities representing Japan in 2012. She has a MFA in Performing Arts Management from The City University of New York.

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