Six New Musicals Selected for ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop

The ASCAP Foundation is pleased to announce that six new musical works have been selected for presentation at the annual ASCAP Foundation/ Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles. The winning proposals were selected from more than 160 applicants. The workshop will take place February 2, 3, 16, 17, 18 & 19, 2010, at 7:00 p.M. Sharp, at the Disney Feature Animation Studio Lot in Burbank, CA.

The workshop will be directed by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer/lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, whose credits include the Broadway smash Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, the Walt Disney films Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Dreamworks' film The Prince of Egypt. The selected musical theatre writers will have the opportunity to make short presentations from their original works-in-progress for professional critique by a panel of the most prominent theatre producers, directors and composers.

All aspiring musical theatre writers, and those who submitted musicals for the workshop, are encouraged to attend. The workshop is free of charge and open to everyone, regardless of performing rights affiliation. Admission is on a first come, first served basis.

The ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles is part of an ongoing series of workshops sponsored by The ASCAP Foundation to nurture new American musicals. For more information about the program, please contact Michael Kerker at ASCAP at 323-883-1000 or 212-621-6264.

The selected writers and their musical works are listed below, and will be presented on the following dates:

Tuesday, February 2 and Thursday, February 18
40 IS THE NEW 15
Cindy O' Connor (music); Larry Todd Johnson (book, lyrics)
Forty-somethings look back to when they were fifteen, musing about the journey that is life, and how we can never move forward without knowing where we have been.

Tuesday, February 2 and Friday, February 19
EMPIRE BURLESQUE
Laura Hall (music), Dan Castellaneta (book, lyrics), Deb Lacusta (book, lyrics)
EMPIRE BURLESQUE is a satirical Vaudeville romp, hosted by Mark Twain, chronicling America's bumbling first foray into empire - the Spanish-American War. The revue features the red-hot vocal stylings of Emma Goldman, William McKinley's pact with the Devil, Teddy Roosevelt's tap-dance up San Juan Hill, and a bevy of all-American showgirls!

Wednesday, February 3
DREAMS
Paul Bradley (music & lyrics), Baz Hawkins & Chris Phillips (book)
A theatrical pop/rock adventure of an 18-year old boy as he runs away from home, diving head first into the diverse world of San Francisco. It is a story of risk, friendship, hope, chance, love and above all, following one's dreams.

Wednesday, February 3 and Wednesday, February 17
WITNESS UGANDA
Matt Gould (book, lyrics, music); Griffin Matthews (book)
When Griffin Matthews, a summer volunteer, adopts 10 Ugandan orphans and starts a non-profit organization to fund their education, he is thrust into a world of devastating losses and setbacks that nearly crumbles his organization, his students, and his own life. Based on a true story, a carefully crafted combination of music, dance and journalistic theater propels WITNESS UGANDA and explores the question: is changing the world even possible? Created and conceived by award winning composer Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. Music and lyrics by Matt Gould, Direction by Griffin Matthews.

Tuesday, February 16
THE VENUS HOTTENTOT'S EXTREME MAKEOVER
Karole Foreman (book, lyrics), Ruff Yeager (music)
It's the odyssey of a young black woman and her quest for self-knowledge as she struggles with body image, relationships and societal pressures to be "the perfect woman." The past and present intersect - at LAX of all places - as the wandering ancestral spirit of one Saartjie Baartman (aka The Venus Hottentot) meets a contemporary actress named Sara.

Tuesday, February 16
SCARY MUSICAL
Richard Hochberg (book, lyrics, music), Michael Paternostro (music)
They sing. They dance. They die! ... "High School Musical" meets "Halloween." The Students at Vera Miles High are being killed off one by one by one in this send-up of Teenage Slasher Films.

About The ASCAP Foundation
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org

 

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