Shown (l-r): Matthew Hardy, Sean Hartley, Randy Klein, Ron Barnett, Greg Edwards, Eric March, jeff Ward, Matt Schatz, Phillip Chernyak, Patrick Cook, , Mary Liz McNamara, Richard Engquist, Frank Evans, Alison Hubbard, Kim oler, Ray Bokhour, Phoebe Kreutz, BMI’s Jean Banks, and Daniel Israel. Not pictured: Simon Gray

The new musicals showcased included The Suicide by Raymond Bokhour and Simon Gray; The Thing About Joe by Randy Klein and Matthew Hardy; Saloon Songs by Richard Engquist; and The Dirty Hippie Jam Band by Dan Israel and Phoebe Kreutz. Other writers included Mary Liz McNamara, Sean Hartley, Greg Edwards, Eric March, Jeff Ward, Matt Schatz, Phillip Chernyak, Alison Hubbard and Kim Oler. 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); and Amanda Green and Tom Kitt (High Fidelity). The event was produced by the Workshop’s Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook and Special Events Coordinator Frank Evans. The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a 2006 Tony Honor recipient, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award winner 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.

A recipient of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Award, the Lehman Engel Musical Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and book writers who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumnus Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous). Alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

Sponsorship for the Workshop is fully covered by BMI, at no cost to participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in American musical theatre. A springboard for new works, the Workshop creates a learning environment for members to experiment, take risks and learn from moderators and other participants.

Applications for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop can be downloaded here, or requested by emailing theatre@bmi.com. Applications should include:

Composer: Three (3) contrasting compositions on CD –up-tempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting lyrics –up-tempo, comedy song, ballad.

Composer/Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting songs on CD -up-tempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Please send completed applications to:

Jean Banks BMI 320 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019

A recipient of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Award, the Lehman Engel Musical Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and book writers who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumni Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous). Alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

Sponsorship for the Workshop is fully covered by BMI, leaving no cost for participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in American musical theatre. A springboard for new works, the Workshop creates a learning environment for members to experiment, take risks and learn from moderators and other participants.

Applications for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop can be downloaded here, or requested by emailing theatre@bmi.com. Applications should include:

Composer: Three (3) contrasting compositions on cassette – ballad, up-tempo, comedy song. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting lyrics – ballad, up-tempo, comedy song.

Composer/Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting songs on cassette - ballad, up-tempo, comedy song. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Please send completed applications to:

Jean Banks BMI 320 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019

Produced by Workshop committee members Frank Evans, who serves as Public Relations Coordinator, and Patrick Cook, who is Artistic Coordinator, the event is an informal social gathering modeled after entertainments from BMI composer and former Workshop moderator Maury Yeston's undergraduate days at Cambridge.

Pictured after the ceremony at Tavern on the Green are (front row): Tony Honors recipient Gerard Alessandrini, BMI Workshop moderator Maury Yeston, American Theatre Wing President Douglas Leeds, Shubert Organization Chairman Gerald Schoenfeld, actress Angela Lansbury, American Theatre Wing Chairman Sondra Gilman, Tony Honors host Cynthia Nixon, BMI Workshop moderator Richard Engquist, Tony Honors recipient Biff Liff; (middle row): Workshop alumni and Tony Honors presenters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Workshop Steering Committee members Nancy Golladay, Jane Smulyan and David Spencer; (back row): Workshop moderator Rick Freyer, Workshop alumnus Judd Woldin (composer of Raisin, the Workshop's first Tony-winning musical), BMI Workshop Director Jean Banks, Workshop Steering Committee members Patrick Cook and Frank Evans, and Workshop alumna Linda Kline.

In accepting the crystal trophy, Yeston, the Tony Award-winning BMI composer (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine) who has led the Workshop for more than 25 years, said, "Lehman wanted to pass on his expertise in writing musicals and he got together with an extraordinary corporation, BMI, and they did something unprecedented that I don't think has ever been done before or since: They made a workshop. BMI put up the money, they provided the infrastructure and the room and the piano, and they've been doing this for more than 40 years, free of charge, no strings attached. It is a real privilege to sit there and to see these shows come into existence week by week and song by song."

American Theatre Wing President Douglas Leeds, American Theatre Wing Chairman Sondra Gilman, BMI Workshop moderator Maury Yeston, who accepted the Tony Honor on the Workshop's behalf, and Workshop alumna Lynn Ahrens, who presented the award

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop 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. With more than 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre, noted alumni include Yeston, as well as Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

(Back row): Workshop committee members Patrick Cook, Jean Banks and Frank Evans; and (front row): Lynn Ahrens and Maury Yeston

The BMI Workshop's 2006 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre adds to an impressive trophy shelf that already boasts a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater," and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.

In addition to the BMI Workshop, Forbidden Broadway and its creator Gerard Alessandrini- a BMI composer and Workshop alumnus-were also honored with a Tony Honor, given to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievements in the field of theatre, but that are not eligible in any of the established Tony categories. Winners are chosen by the Tony Administration Committee.]]> 2006-10-27T05:00:00+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334884 Jean, Warner, Justin, Cook, Patrick, Engel, Lehman, Falcone, Beth, Fernando, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Son, Joy, Foundation, Jerry Harrington Musical Theater Award BMI Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the winners of the 7th Annual Jerry Harrington Musical Theatre Awards in recognition of outstanding creative achievement in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. BMI's Jean Banks, Director of the Workshop, and Patrick Cook, Artistic Coordinator of the Workshop, presented certificates and cash prizes during a cocktail reception held last month at BMI's New York office.

Workshop Artistic Coordinator Pat Cook (left) and BMI's Jean Banks flank 2006 BMI Foundation/Jerry Harrington Award winners Jim Colleran, Beth Falcone and Justin Warner.

Winners included first year student Carl Danielsen, second year student Jim Colleran, advanced class student Beth Falcone and librettist student Justin Warner. The Foundation also presented its first Shelley Pinz Prize to Joy Son, a member of the Workshop's advanced class.

Shelley Pinz Prize winner Joy Son (center) is congratulated by BMI's Jean Banks and Pat Cook.

Established by Harrington's longtime friend and colleague, BMI executive Evelyn Buckstein, the awards are given each year in Harrington's honor to celebrate the late attorney's lifelong love of musical theater. Over the past seven years, these awards have given early recognition to some of the most talented and promising young musical theatre composers and librettists working in the field today, including the Tony Award-winning writers of Avenue Q, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who received the first Harrington Awards in 2000.

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop 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. Included among the prestigious honors the Workshop has received are a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater" and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.  

photos by Fernando Leon

The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumni Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous), both Drama Desk nominees. The class explores the basics of writing for the musical theatre through a series of assignments and culminates in the creation of a 10-minute musical presented at the end of the year. Qualified first year writers are invited into the second year.

The Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of whom are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. Other noted alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

BMI fully sponsors the Workshop so there is no cost to participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in the American musical theatre. The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop provides a learning environment where members are encouraged to experiment and take risks. Participants have opportunities to learn about musical theatre style from both the moderators and other members. The Workshop has become a springboard for new works, a resource for new collaborations, and one of the most respected workshops in the theatre industry.

Applicants for the first year composer/lyricist class are asked to submit three contrasting samples of their work along with a completed application form, which can also be obtained by email at MusicalTheatre@bmi.com or by writing to:

Jean Banks
Senior Director, Musical Theatre
BMI
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop 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. Included among the prestigious honors the Workshop has received are a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater" and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.]]> 2006-07-05T18:00:01+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334828 Artists, Abramovitz, Jill, Accurso, Aron, Blumenkrantz, Jeff, Coleran, Jim, Cook, Patrick, Cunningham, Ryan, Davis, Sam, Eisenstein, Mat, Engel, Lehman, Ethier, Scott, Evans, Frank, Falcone, Beth, Fell, Blair, Hartley, Sean, Hughes, Jeff, Kreutz, Phoebe, McDowell, Bob, Monroe, Andy, Morris, Peter, Routman, Steve, Salzman, Joshua, Schubring, Marc, Sislan, Stephen, Son, Joy, Wyner, Barry Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will present a showcase of new musical works on Monday, June 5 at the Manhattan Theatre Club (131 W. 55th Street). The show will start at 6 p.m. and run until approximately 7:45 p.m. Limited tickets are available free of cost to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to request tickets. Members of the entertainment industry can reserve seats by calling 212-830-8360. This showcase is made possible by a grant from the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, the second awarded to the BMI Workshop.

The event will be directed by the Manhattan Theatre Club's Michael Bush; producers are Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook and Workshop Special Events Coordinator Frank Evans. BMI will host a reception immediately following the performance.

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop was founded in 1961 by BMI and the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. It is the birthplace of such classic musicals as A Chorus Line, Nine, Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, and current Broadway favorite Avenue Q. The Workshop was recently honored with a special 2006 Drama Desk Award for "nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater," and also received the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.

The showcase will feature new works and writers including Calvin Berger, a hip update of Cyrano by Barry Wyner, winner of the BMI Foundation's 2005 Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. The story is about 12th grader Calvin Berger, who grapples with his insecurity about the size of his nose. Lacking the courage to ask out the girl of his dreams, he instead communicates his feelings to her through the handsome new kid in school, which only makes him want her more. The new musical will have a full production at Gloucester (Maine) Stage this summer.

The Third Miracle by Jeff Hughes and Scott Ethier, is based on the film of the same name and examines the spiritual awakening of a priest who is beginning to doubt his faith when he is sent to investigate a "miracle" in the borough of Queens. The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, by Andy Monroe and Blair Fell, is a paean to Jeanine Deckers, the Belgian nun known as Soeur Sourire, who became a chart-topping one-hit wonder with the song "Dominique" in 1963, and how her singing career - and her life - devolved into a nightmare of addiction, depression, betrayal by the church, and a tragic end in 1985.

Rhonda, Queen of the Amazon, by Peter Morris and Mat Eisenstein, is a musical comedy about a New York City "princess" who finds herself selling cosmetics door-to-door in the jungles of South America. Wanda's World, by Beth Falcone, the BMI Foundation's 2006 Harrington Award winner, and Eric Weinberger (Class Mothers) is a "tween" musical set in a contemporary high school setting. 2005 Harrington Award winners Jill Abramovitz and Aron Accurso are writers of The Dogs of Pripyat, based on the play by Leah Napolin. The musical is set in a town less than two miles from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Tony-nominated actor/composer/lyricist Jeff Blumenkrantz (Urban Cowboy) will perform "Toll" from his recently published "Jeff Blumenkrantz Song Book."

The showcase will also feature two songs from Iznogoud - The Musical, based on the French comic books by Goscinny and Tabary, written by Marc Schubring and Phoebe Kreutz. Carried Away, based on the play The Curious Savage, is a new musical comedy with book, music and lyrics by Jim Coleran. The Fisher King, by Steve Routman and Joy Son, is based on the film of the same name.

Dysfunctional Fables has lyrics by Sean Hartley (2004 Drama Desk nominee for Cupid and Psyche) and Sam Davis. Queen Esther is from 2006 Drama Desk nominees Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham, the writing team of I Love You Because.... How to Murder Your Wife is an adaptation of the film by Alisa Klein and Stephen Sislan, composer of Slut! The Musical, which played earlier this season Off-Broadway. Children's Hospital is by Larson Award-winning lyricist Alison Loeb and composer Bob McDowell.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will receive a special Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater." This prestigious award will be presented to the Workshop during the 2006 Drama Desk Awards ceremony, set for May 21 at LaGuardia Concert Hall at New York's Lincoln Center.

Upon hearing the news, BMI President and CEO Del Bryant said, "We are thrilled to have been selected for this unique honor. It is a recognition that the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop has truly become part of the fabric of Broadway over the past 45 years. The real credit goes to Lehman for his inspiration and vision, and to the many talented composers, lyricists and librettists who have so generously given of their time and passion to nurture generations of emerging talent."

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the Workshop was founded in 1961 by BMI, the performing right organization, and the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. It is the birthplace of such classic musicals as A Chorus Line, Nine, Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast and current Broadway favorite Avenue Q. The Workshop was also honored with the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre and received the 2004 Broadway Theatre Institute Award for excellence in theatre education.

Tony Award-winning BMI composer Maury Yeston (Nine, Titantic), a longtime moderator of the Workshop who also cut his teeth with Engel, commented, "If you think about it, it may be the greatest impact that any corporation has had on American culture, certainly on the sector of that culture we call musical theater. In addition to its mission of training the next generation of Broadway creators in the art and craft of the musical, it has created a community among these creators. Because of the Workshop, these people know each other, work together and collaborate. The list is truly impressive: Jeff Marx met Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q), Howard Ashman met Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast), Lynn Ahrens met Steve Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island), and so many other teams. It's a nebula - a place where stars are born - where talent coalesces into new stars, and it's happening today, right now, making future stars."

The Workshop is supervised by BMI's Jean Banks, Senior Director of Musical Theatre, along with Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook, who heads the Workshop Steering Committee. Other faculty members include Richard Engquist, Frank Evans, Frederick Freyer, Nancy Golladay, Alan Menken, Jane Smulyan, David Spencer and Yeston.

In addition to the special award presented to the Workshop, past and present members were also nominated for Drama Desk Awards, including alumni Michael John LaChiusa (Best Music and Best Lyrics for See What I Wanna See) and Michael Korie (Best Lyrics for Grey Gardens), and current Workshop member Ryan Cunningham for his I Love You Because lyrics.

Hosted by actor Harvey Fierstein for the third consecutive year, the annual Drama Desk Awards honor excellence in theater for Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway during the season. The ceremony will be taped and subsequently broadcast nationwide on PBS stations; in New York, the program will be shown on Thirteen/WNET and on NYC-25 TV. For the fourth year in a row, the awards ceremony will be webcast by TheaterMania.com.]]> 2006-04-30T18:00:00+00:00