BMI’s Linda Livingston, Brandon Victor, BMI songwriter Brenda Russell (The Color Purple).

Ray Charles Live! contextually weaves hit songs into a compelling portrait of the complex entertainer. The play continues through December 9.

BMI songwriter Suzan-Lori Parks, BMI’s Linda Livingston, BMI songwriter Brenda Russell (The Color Purple).

About the panelists:

KC Porter - This Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger and composer has chart-topping works with such Latin superstars as Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Ana Gabriel, and the late Selena. Porter has also worked his magic with English-language stars, including Lara Fabian, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, 98 Degrees, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men, crossing their hits over to Spanish-speaking and international audiences. One of his latest projects was co-writing and producing Ozomatli’s latest album, Don’t Mess with the Dragon.

Rafa Sardina – Sardina, a Los Angeles based, ten-time Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer has built an eclectic and impressive client list in the recent years: Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Dr Dre, Dru Hill, Jessy Moss, Mariah Carey, Luis Miguel, Sheryl Crow, Soul Coughing, Marc Antoine, Angie Stone and Alejandro Sanz, among others. He has worked with numerous high-profile artists and producers, including Dr Dre, Camara Kambon, Lulu Perez, Babyface, Scott Litt and David Foster. Most recently, Sardina has launched a production company focusing on developing new talent in his state-of-the art studio, open since 2006.

Mark Portman - This Los Angeles-based, Grammy Award-nominated producer/songwriter/musician has worked on over 130 albums, several movies and TV shows. His roster of Latin stars includes Luis Miguel, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Sanz, Jaci Velasquez, Cristian Castro, Luis Fonsi, Olga Tanon, Pedro Fernandez, Reik, Ednita Nazario, and Los Temerarios. He has collaborated and worked with renowned producers including David Foster, Phil Ramone, Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley and Latin producer Rudy Perez. Among his other roster of superstars are Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager, Blackstreet, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz and others.

Sebastian Krys - Based in South Florida, this multiple Grammy Award-winning producer has over 20 top ten Billboard Latin Hits, including 9 No. 1 singles and albums. Krys has worked with artists including Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Sandy & Junior, Shakira, Mana, JD Natasha, Jeremias, Long Beach Dub All Stars w/Black Eyed Peas, Aterciopelados, Ricky Martin, Will Smith, Obie Bermudez, Gian Marco, Luis Fonsi, Gloria Estefan, Soraya, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Lopez, and more.

Homero Patrón – This Grammy Award-winning musician, director and composer has worked with artists such as José José, Emmanuel, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Rocío Durcal, Ray Conniff, Barry White, Tom Jones, Nana Moskoury, Raphael, Nelson Ned, Juan Gabriel, Manoella Torres, Vicky Carr, Gualberto Castro, Angélica María, César Costa, Alberto Vazquez, Charles Aznavour, and Jose Luis Rodríguez “El Puma,” to name just a few. Patrón has also produced albums for such superstars as Juan Gabriel, Lucha Villa, Javier Solís, Angeles Ochoa, Ana Gabriel, Yuri, Pedro Fernandez, Vicky Carr, Olga Tañon, Vicente and Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Lucero, Alicia Villarreal, Pablo Montero, Ana Bárbara, Laura Flores, Nana Mouskouri and Marco Antonio Solís.

Kiko Cibrian - Multi-talented producer, musician and vocal producer who has worked with Luis Miguel, Christian Castro, and up-and-coming artists Innis, Jesse & Joy, Patricia Manterola, Souljahz, and Frankie J, Reik, along with projects such at Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of 1997, Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of Pop 1996, along with the Sinatra Duets.

Marco Flores - Flores has produced and written over 400 songs, four of which placed number one on Billboard's charts in the same year (2000), and has achieved an impressive 14 platinum albums and 22 gold albums. His roster includes works with Richard Marx, Luther Vandross, Selena, Barrio Boyzz, Donna Summer, Toni Braxton, Bonnie Raitt, Thalia, Gloria Estefan, Carlos Ponce, Jordi, Ricky Martin, Jose Feliciano, and many more.

S O S
Evan Bogart
Edward Cobb
Jonathan "JR" Rotem
Embassy Music Corporation
Here's Lookin' At You Kidd Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Reach Global Songs
Southside Independent Music Publishing LLC
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

SAVIN' ME
Daniel Adair (SOCAN)
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)
Mike Kroeger (SOCAN)
Ryan Peake (SOCAN)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nickelback
Roadrunner/IDJMG Records

SHAKE IT OFF
Mariah Carey
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

SHE SAYS
Howie Day
HKD Music
Howie Day
Epic Records

SO SICK
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Ne-Yo
Def Jam/IDJMG

SOUL SURVIVOR
Young Jeezy
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Young Jeezy Music
Young Jeezy featuring Akon
Corporate Thugs/Def Jam Records

STICKWITU
Franne Golde
Kasia Livingston
Robert Palmer
Franne Gee Music
Myia’s Koala Bear Music Publishing
Notting Hill Music, Inc.
Parchi Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Pussycat Dolls
A & M Records

SUGAR (GIMME SOME)
David Byrne
Trick Daddy
First and Gold Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Trick Daddy featuring Ludacris & Cee-Lo
Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic

SUGAR, WE'RE GOIN' DOWN
Andrew Hurley
Patrick Stump
Joe Trohman
Pete Wentz
Chicago X Softcore Songs
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Fall Out Boy
IDJMG/Fueled By Ramen/Island

TALK
Karl Bartos (GEMA)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Coldplay
Capitol Music Group

UNFAITHFUL
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

UNWRITTEN
Natasha Bedingfield (PRS)
Danielle Brisebois
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Gator Baby
Natasha Bedingfield
Epic Records

WALK AWAY
Kara DioGuardi
K'Stuff Publishing
Kelly Clarkson
RCA/RMG

WHAT HURTS THE MOST
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE
Ryan Adams
Barland Music
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

WHERE'D YOU GO
Mike Shinoda
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Zomba Songs
Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga
Machine Shop/WB

YOU AND ME (2nd Award)
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

YOU 'RE BEAUTIFUL
James Blunt (PRS)
Amanda Ghost (PRS)
Sacha Skarbek
David Platz Music, Inc.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
James Blunt
Atlantic Records

YOUR BODY
Bigg D
Marcus "Pleasure" Cooper
Jim Jonsin
Corey "Slick' Em" Mathis
Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith
Joseph "Blue" Smith
Spectacular Smith
Black Boy Hatchet Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Pretty Ricky
Atlantic Records

The current Broadway season has theatre-goers scrambling for seats to shows from BMI’s ever-growing list of writers from the Tony-honored BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

A CHORUS LINE
A revival of A Chorus Line opened Oct. 5, 2006, at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York. The ground-breaking and record-breaking musical features lyrics by BMI writer Edward Kleban, who won the 1975 Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier Awards and the Pulitzer Prize in Music for the show’s lyrics. Kleban was a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Workshop for over 20 years.

A Chorus Line begins on a bare stage, where casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. The competition has been narrowed down to just 17 dancers. During the show we find out the dancers’ dreams and disappointments. By the show’s finale, the final chorus line of eight is chosen.

In 2001, a musical biography of Kleban, A Class Act, was produced on Broadway. The show features Kleban’s music and lyrics and has scenes set in the BMI Workshop. Mr. Kleban, who died in 1987 at the age of 48, posthumously won an Obie for his score for A Class Act, and was nominated for a Tony and a Drama Desk Award. Linda Kline, Kleban’s literary executor and a BMI Workshop member, is co-writer. The Kleban Foundation, created according to his will, awards grants to aspiring theatre lyricists and bookwriters so that they may carry on the tradition of the American musical theatre, which he loved so dearly.

Joel Siegel of ABC-TV wrote, “This proves you can be a singular sensation twice. The choreography, the staging, the set and the score are still magic. You’ll dance out humming the score. The music moved me to tears twice. And something I’ve never done, during the finale, I whispered wow under my breath.”

Jon Lahr in The New Yorker described A Chorus Line’s score “full of wit and fun. Edward Kleban’s shrewd lyrics sit easily on Marvin Hamlisch’s inspired score.”

Entertainment Weekly proclaimed, “This sensational revival blows the sequins off most Broadway musicals. It’s thrilling!”

Michael Sommers of the Star-Ledger wrote, “Welcome back, you beautiful thing! The show glows with dynamic and dazzling songs by composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Edward Kleban,” and Joe Dziemianowicz of the Daily News asserted, “There’s nothing better. The score sounds fantastic, too. As long as ‘A Chorus Line’ is kicking on Broadway, audiences have somewhere exciting to go.”

MARY POPPINS
Based on P.L. Travers’ cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins features the Sherman Brothers’ original Academy Award-winning songs, bringing to life the story of the Banks family and their magical nanny.

Mary Poppins marks the first collaboration between Disney, producer of the The Lion King (BMI’s Elton John and Tim Rice) and Beauty and the Beast (BMI’s Alan Menken) with Cameron Mackintosh, legendary producer of the record-breaking Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Miserables. The Cameron MackIntosh Foundation provides underwriting for the annual BMI Workshop Musical Theatre Showcase at Manhattan Theatre Club.

Mary Poppins, with classic songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, opened Nov. 16, 2006, at the historic New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.

The Sherman Brothers are leading composer/lyricists in family entertainment. Among their many hits is the most translated and performed song on earth: “It’s a Small World (After All).” Robert Sherman endows the BMI Foundation’s Robert B. Sherman Scholarship, which is given annually to a college student who is a musical theatre composer/lyricist.

The Shermans’ career spans almost 50 years and includes two Academy Awards for Best Score and Best Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from Mary Poppins. Their other Broadway credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Over Here, which is being prepared for a lavish West End revival.

Additional songs are by composer/lyricists George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, Olivier Award winners for the musical Honk and founders of London’s Mercury Musicals.

Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press wrote, “All the big, classic Sherman Brothers songs are here, and new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe fit seamlessly into the proceedings. In fact, one or two of them, including Mary’s opening number, ‘Practically Perfect,’ possess an instant hypnotic quality.”

Terry Teachout wrote in The Wall Street Journal, “I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t run for at least a century!”

SPRING AWAKENING
Based on the scandalous 1891 play about troubled teens, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway last summer and opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Dec. 10, 2006. This ground-breaking show is by BMI writers Duncan Sheik (music) and Steven Sater (book and lyrics).

Christopher Isherwood of the The New York Times called Sheik and Sater’s score “ravishing” and declared that “Broadway would never be the same. The music, spare in its simple orchestrations, lush in the lapping reach of its seductive choruses, embodies the shadowy air of longing that infuses the show, the excitement shading into fear, the joy that comes with a chaser of despair. The singing throughout is impassioned and affecting, giving powerful voice to the blend of melancholy and hope in the songs.”

Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik’s self-titled debut album, both a popular and critical success, introduced the hit singles “Barely Breathing” and “She Runs Away,” and spent 30 weeks on the Billboard 200. Other albums include Humming, Daylight, Phantom Moon with lyrics by Steven Sater and his latest, White Limousine.

Sheik’s film soundtracks include Great Expectations, The Saint, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Three to Tango, What a Girl Wants, Transamerica and A Body Goes Down. Sheik and Sater recently wrote original songs for the feature film A Home at the End of the World. For the stage, their Nightingale workshopped both at the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and La Jolla Playhouse, and is announced for La Jolla’s 2007 season.

Sater’s plays include the long-running Carbondale Dreams, Perfect for You and Doll (Rosenthal Prize, Cincinnati Playhouse).

HIGH FIDELITY
The romantic musical comedy High Fidelity follows the adventures of Rob, a record store owner who knows almost everything about pop music, but almost nothing about how to hang on to a girlfriend. This new musical adaptation of Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel marks the first-time collaboration of fast-rising songwriters Tom Kitt and Amanda Green (daughter of actress Phyllis Newman and legendary Broadway lyricist Adolph Green) and book writer David Lindsay-Abaire (a Tony nominee last season for his play Rabbit Hole).

Kitt and Green first met and collaborated in 2006 in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, and songs from High Fidelity have been featured in BMI Workshop showcases. Tom’s work has been heard in film (The Two Ninas), television (Dawson’s Creek), and original recordings (Julia Murney, The Tom Kitt Band). Amanda’s shows include Hallelujah Baby (Arena Stage 2004; additional lyrics) directed by Arthur Laurents, For The Love of Tiffany (NY Fringe Festival 2003) and Up the Week Without a Paddle (L.A. Drama Critics Circle nomination, Garland Award, Best Score).

Frank Rizzo in Variety wrote, “This is a musical that celebrates the power of pop culture with wit, verve and a killer beat. Nailing the music in all its varied forms is Tom Kitt’s tuneful score and the sharp, funny and telling lyrics of Amanda Green.”

Terry Teachout proclaimed Green “a master of the craft of packing everything you need to know about a character into a neatly wrapped, deftly rhymed package.”

The Philadelphia Enquirer calls the musical numbers the show’s “mother lode. Act II bubbles over with so many show-stealers that you begin to wonder whether it has anything left to plunder. Indeed, it keeps bringing out the treasure.”

And Entertainment Weekly declared that High Fidelity is “the unique show that charms both your college drinking buddy and your mother.”

THE APPLE TREE
A revival of The Apple Tree, which opened Dec. 14, 2006, at the Roundabout’s Studio 54 Theatre, features a score by BMI writers Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics). The original production, which opened at the Shubert Theatre in 1966, was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Bock and Harnick are the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning writing team responsible for Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, The Rothschilds and Fiorello.

The Apple Tree contains three short musicals, all pertaining to the subject of temptation. The first is based on Mark Twain’s interpretation of Adam and Eve, the second, Frank Stockton’s classic fable of The Lady or the Tiger, and the third, Passionella, Jules Pfeiffer’s delicious look at a chimney sweep who is transformed into a glamorous movie star.

Composer Jerry Bock personally selects and endows the BMI Foundation’s Jerry Bock Award, which is given bi-annually to a composer/lyricist team from the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote that The Apple Tree “is somewhere you should definitely spend time if you need reassurance that musicals can still float next door to heaven,” and praised Bock and Harnick’s “remarkably fresh comic and musical stylings, which speak slyly in an assortment of musical tongues.”

Terry Teachout declared, “musical comedy fans, rejoice!” and Broadway.com wrote, “With a lovely score and witty book by the legendary Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, ‘The Apple Tree’ is a must-see revival for lovers of musical theater.”

BMI Broadway blockbusters from earlier seasons include:

Avenue Q
2004 Best Musical and Best Score Tony Award by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who met and first wrote together in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop; plays nightly at New York’s Golden Theatre and in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Beauty and the Beast
Now in its 12th year at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, has music by Alan Menken, who also honed his craft at BMI’s Musical Theatre Workshop; he is currently a member of the Workshop’s Steering Committee. Menken’s Sister Act is currently breaking box office records on its pre-Broadway tour, and his Little Mermaid is in preparation for Broadway next season.

Chicago
1997 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, by John Kander and Fred Ebb, celebrates its tenth year at the Ambassador Theatre. Kander and Ebb’s Curtains opens on Broadway March 22 at the Hirschfeld Theatre.

The Color Purple
2006 Tony nominee featuring a score by BMI writers Brenda Russell and Allee Willis plays at the Broadway Theatre.

Jersey Boys
With music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Musical celebrates its 500th performance at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.

The Lion King
Music by Sir Elton John (PRS) and lyrics by Tim Rice (PRS), winner of the 1998 Best Musical Tony, is in its ninth year at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.

Mama Mia!
With songs by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, Mama Mia! has been playing at the Winter Garden Theatre since 2001.

Monty Python’s Spamalot
2005 Tony Award for Best Musical with book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, directed by BMI writer Mike Nichols, continues its run at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.

The Producers
Won an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score for Mel Brooks‘ music and lyrics, plays at the St. James Theatre.

Tarzan
With music and lyrics by Phil Collins, continues at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Tarzan, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast are all Disney Broadway productions.

With a total of 11 nominations that also includes Best Original Score for BMI songwriters Allee Willis and Brenda Russell, the Pulitzer-winning-novel-turned-Oscar-nominated-film-turned-Tony-nominated musical is produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Runaway hit Jersey Boys, about the lives and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, nabbed eight Tony nominations, including Best Book of a Musical for BMI composer Marshall Brickman. A true crowd-pleaser, the show features the original music of Bob Gaudio, a founder and full-time member of the Four Seasons who wrote the music, and Bob Crewe, who wrote the lyrics and produced many of the group's records.

Also earning Tony nominations were BMI songwriters/actors Michael Cerveris and Harry Connick, Jr., who will compete in the Best Performance by a Leading Actor category for Sweeney Todd and The Pajama Game, respectively.

The 60th Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 11 at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8 p.m.

Celebrating at the party are (l-r) BMI's Linda Livingston, BMI composers Allee Willis and Brenda Russell, "Purple" co-writer Stephen Bray, and BMI's Barbara Cane and Phil Graham. Photo by Randall Michelson

Three-time Grammy nominee Brenda Russell, co-writer of Sting's Grammy-winning song "She Walks This Earth," has been working on The Color Purple for the past five years while also focusing on her own writing and touring. She is currently preparing her next CD release and will embark on a South American tour this summer.

Allee Willis (along with Bruce Roberts) is currently working on the music for VH1's new series, So NoTORIous, starring Tori Spelling, and is also writing six songs for the new Earth, Wind & Fire Broadway musical, Hot Feet, opening April 30. Willis is about to become one of only five writers to have two shows open on Broadway in one season and the only writer to have two African-American related shows on Broadway at the same time.]]> 2006-04-04T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/334709 Artists, Bray, Stephen, Russell, Brenda, Color Purple, The, Willis, Allee, Musicworld, Hitmaker If you take the story of a woman who is a strong believer in hope and love, and through these beliefs receives the strength to overcome her fears and hardships, add just the right amount of music — blending gospel, jazz, ragtime and blues — you come out with a great musical.

And that musical is The Color Purple.

After reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, show producer Scott Sanders felt strongly that The Color Purple should be brought to life on stage. After working effortlessly for eight years and building creative and production teams, Sanders’ dream has become a reality.

Quincy Jones, producer of the film version of The Color Purple 20 years ago, and Oprah Winfrey, who was cast then by Jones to play Sophia, are both excited to add their names as producers. Both Jones and Winfrey share Sanders’ vision of The Color Purple as a musical celebration of life.

The show’s music and lyrics were written by BMI composers Brenda Russell and Allee Willis, along with Stephen Bray, a collaboration that brings together three creative minds to capture the very essence of what The Color Purple is all about — the story of hope and love — alive on Broadway.

Brenda Russell, a singer/songwriter whose lyrics are as smooth as her caramel voice, states that she “never writes songs that are without hope.” Grammy Award-winning songwriter Allee Willis’s talents go way beyond anyone’s imagination. “I’ve probably worked with a thousand people, and this is the best collaboration I’ve ever been involved in,” she says about working with Russell and Bray.

With the ingredients of a great story, compelling music by three amazing composers, and an incredible cast and production team, The Color Purple is destined to be one of the hottest tickets on Broadway.]]> 2006-03-09T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334652 Artists, Bray, Stephen, Russell, Brenda, Color Purple, The, Willis, Allee The Color Purple. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the Oscar-nominated film by Steven Spielberg, the show's music and lyrics are provided by Grammy Award-winning BMI composers Brenda Russell and Allee Willis (along with Stephen Bray), who bring a mix of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues to the stage.

BMI's Linda Livingston (center) congratulates The Color Purple composers Allee Willis and Brenda Russell backstage.

The Color Purple is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discovers her unique voice in the world. It's a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life.]]> 2005-12-20T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234287 Artists, Organic, Russell, Brenda, Willis, Allee, Musical Styles, Pop, Musicworld, Feature Allee Willis is a bona fide renaissance woman: not only a Grammy Award-winning songwriter who can boast more than 50,000,000 records sold — her catalogue includes “I’ll Be There For You” (the “Friends” theme), The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and “Boogie Wonderland,” and The Pet Shop Boys/Dusty Springfield’s “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” — but also a painter, animation auteur, creator of daring digital destinations, impresario of events, and, now, a Broadway composer and lyricist.

“Broadway is the last place I ever thought I’d find myself. It seemed like such an archaic form. I’m shocked to discover it’s the most spontaneous medium I’ve ever worked in; it’s live all the time so you could always be on the brink of disaster,” she says gleefully.

Willis is riffing on the musical incarnation of The Color Purple , based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Alice Walker (1983) and Oscar-nominated film by Steven Spielberg (1985), which she’s co-authoring with songwriters Brenda Russell and Stephen Bray, and Pulitzer Prize/Tony Award-winning book writer Marsha Norman.

Willis declares: “I’ve probably worked with 1,000 people, and this is the best collaboration I’ve ever been involved in.” She was initially the art director on the production but soon chose to join forces with Russell and Bray — with whom she was scoring two animated series she’d co-created, “Fat Girl” (Oxygen Network) and “Driving While Black” (urbanentertainment.com) — to write spec songs that would compete with the work of seven other creative teams.

The first was “Shug Avery Coming To Town,” which became the cornerstone of The Color Purple. “With the animation, we made sure each character had a particular rhythm and pace and style,” Willis explains. “For the show, we chose to musicalize a multi-character scene because we knew we could apply this and it would capture a variety of sounds and moods. It has Celie and Mr. in it, but also the townspeople, the church ladies — everyone has an opinion about Shug Avery coming to town.

“Once we nailed that song, the entire show started developing that way,” she continues. “Since we became involved so early, the show really formed around the music. I think that’s why, bar for bar, it’s one of the most hook-filled musicals ever written.”

She says of her collaborative method: “It’s been like family therapy! It’s a complete democracy. If two of us are passionate about a part, it stays. And we don’t do anything until we turn on the machines; we’re in recording mode from the second we start writing. That way we capture the lightning bolts, rather than refining the song so completely that we squeeze all the juice out of it. Then, as soon as something sounds good — whether it’s a beginning, ending, lyric, melody, string part — we start developing it. When we run out of ideas, we jump to another section, and eventually, it all comes together in a very organic way.”

Willis had not written a song since 1994 (the “Friends” theme). Her thrill in rediscovering the craft is palpable. “Someone recently put my album, Childstar , which was released in 1974, on CD for me,” she says. “It’s the first 10 songs I ever wrote and I hadn’t heard it since it came out. Unbelievably, what I’m writing today bears a striking resemblance to my earliest work. It’s because I’ve been left alone — with Brenda and Stephen — to do whatever I want. Working this way, you can indulge your every fantasy. No place is too extreme. If you feel it, you go there.”

The Color Purple premieres at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre in September. It will make its Broadway debut in 2005.

Shown after the performance are BMI's Linda Livingston and Frances Preston, composers Allee Willis and Brenda Russell, and BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross.