BroadwayWorld.com NYMF Stories

BWW TV: Next Broadway Sensation: Heat 1-Tommy J. Dose

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:25:48 PST

The journey begins with an audition open to anyone 18+ who has not yet performed on Broadway. Over two days, a panel of industry professionals will oversees auditions and will select 20 entrants to take part in NYMF's 8th annual Next Broadway Sensation Series (NNBS).

Those selected will be invited to perform at one of two heats where judges will be asked to select 2 winners from each heat who will move on to the Grand Final. An additional 2 performers (4 total from each heat), will also be selected to move on to the Grand Final. One will be selected by votes from the live audience at each heat and the other will be selected by voting as polled on Broadwayworld.com.

The winner of this years series will be awarded a solo showcase concert at a well known live music venue in New York, which is produced by NYMF and Grammy Award winning producer Sh-K-Boom Records, and promoted by Broadwayworld. The concert will see them paired with a professional Music Director and Director to stage their show. The winner will also receive other performance opportunities throughout the year at various NYMF events as part of the 10th annual Festival in 2013!

Below, check out Tommy J. Dose's performance, and CLICK HERE to vote for your favorites from each heat!

Click Here to Play!

Open Submissions for NYMF's 2013 Next Link Project Begin Today, 9/17

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:30:00 PST

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced that open submissions to the Next Link Project, which guarantees production slots in the 2013 Festival, will begin today, September 17th. Registration runs through November 2 and those who submit materials by Friday, October 5 will receive a $20 discount off the standard $75 application fee. The 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF's tenth season, will run July 8 – July 28, 2013. For more Next Link Project info and submission guidelines, visit www.nymf.org.

Ten of the 2012 Festival's full production slots are reserved for participants in the Next Link Project, NYMF's primary writer service program. The Next Link Project empowers emerging musical theatre writing teams as both artists and entrepreneurs by providing the training and relationships needed to help them move their musicals from mere readings to fully-realized productions and to advance their careers by maximizing the exposure they receive in the Festival.

Authors submitting to The Next Link Project will need to provide a demo recording of their songs, a detailed synopsis of their show, a 15-page script sample (15 consecutive pages representing the heart of the show and including lyrics for at least one of the songs), a complete script, and, if applicable, proof of rights to adapt underlying material.

Next Link Project participants receive the following benefits:

• A subsidized production slot at NYMF 2013 (including savings in production fees,
and discounted technical and marketing support)
• Individualized support from a member of our team of Next Link dramaturges
• Seminars and workshops geared toward helping them successfully prepare, present, and
promote their NYMF production
• Access to exclusive industry networking events

Any show that has not received a professional New York production may be submitted, by authors with or without industry representation. Scripts, however, should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure that NYMF provides. All entries undergo double-blind evaluations by several members of NYMF's reading team, with finalists referred to a Grand Jury of leading theater artists and producers.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) also announced details for its 2012 NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation Competition (NNBS). The singing competition returns for its seventh year and will take place at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street).

Produced by NYMF in association with Broadwayworld.com and New World Stages, with support from the ASCAP Foundation's Irving Caesar Trust, this talent competition seeks to find the newest musical theatre star. The winner of the competition will receive a special solo concert, co-presented by NYMF and Grammy Award-winning producer Sh-K-Boom Records.

In a new addition to the program this year, NYMF will also partner with the ASCAP Foundation to present a Showcase Concert, hosted by multi-award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz and featuring all eight NNBS finalists performing the work of up-and-coming musical theatre composers. Following their selection as finalists, each performer will be paired with a composer or composing team with whom they will collaborate to select and prepare a song for the Showcase the following week.

A panel of industry professionals will preside over two days of auditions and will select 20 entrants to take part in the competition. Ten contestants will perform at each of two competition heats, with four performers selected from each evening to move on to the Grand Final. Two finalists from each night will be selected by a panel of industry judges, with two additional finalists chosen from live audience votes and from online votes at BroadwayWorld.com (where every stage of the competition will also be aired).

This year's judges include Tony-nominated performer Celia Keenan-Bolger, composer Ryan Scott Oliver, casting director Michael Cassara, ASCAP's Director of Musical Theater Michael Kerker, producer Ken Davenport, and others still to be announced. In addition to casting votes, the judging panel will offer live performance advice to the contestants. Alexander Rovang serves as musical director for the competition.

The contest schedule is as follows (all events are at New World Stages):

AUDITIONS (Open Call): Thursday, September 20th at 10am
Auditions are open to singers aged 18 and over who have Broadway flair but no Broadway credits. Potential "Broadway Sensations" should prepare 16 bars from two contrasting songs that best demonstrate their vocal chops. An accompanist will be provided, but aspiring sensations need to bring sheet music, headshots and resumes.

CALL BACKS: Friday, September 21st

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION HEAT 1: Friday, September 28 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30pm)

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION HEAT 2: Saturday, September 29 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30pm)

NYMF-ASCAP SHOWCASE CONCERT hosted by Stephen Schwartz: Friday, October 5th at 9pm

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION GRAND FINALE: Friday, October 12 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30)

Tickets for all events are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and can be booked online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-0255

Now in its ninth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and their creators to ensure the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.

Open Submissions for NYMF's 2013 Next Link Project Begin 9/17; Next Broadway Sensation Competition Auditions Set for 9/20

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:00:32 PST

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced today that open submissions to the Next Link Project, which guarantees production slots in the 2013 Festival, will begin on September 17th. Registration runs through November 2 and those who submit materials by Friday, October 5 will receive a $20 discount off the standard $75 application fee. The 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF's tenth season, will run July 8 – July 28, 2013. For more Next Link Project info and submission guidelines, visit www.nymf.org.

Next Link Project participants receive the following benefits:

The contest schedule is as follows (all events are at New World Stages):

CALL BACKS: Friday, September 21st

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION HEAT 1: Friday, September 28 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30pm)

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION HEAT 2: Saturday, September 29 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30pm)

NYMF-ASCAP SHOWCASE CONCERT hosted by Stephen Schwartz: Friday, October 5th at 9pm

NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION GRAND FINALE: Friday, October 12 at 11pm (doors open at 10:30)

Tickets for all events are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and can be booked online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-0255

BWW Reviews: Extra! Extra! BABY CASE a hit at NYMF!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:10:37 PST

Baby Case, a full-length production in NYMF's ninth annual festival, is one of the best offerings this go-around, with a complete package of catchy and moving script and score, top performances, and clever design.

Writer-composer-lyricist Michael Ogborn's show is just as fascinating as any gripping news story. It focuses on the 1932 kidnapping case of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the toddler child of an ambassador's daughter and the famous aviator who completed the first trans-Atlantic solo flight. The kidnapping itself is only the beginning with the rest of the show focusing on the case: finding the body, chasing leads, apprehending suspect Bruno Richard Hauptmann, and his trial and execution.

Instead of creating an ordinary docu-musical focusing on the Lindberghs or Hauptmanns, Ogborn's smartly-designed Baby Case focuses on the sensationalism surrounding the case. The audience is introduced to the hoopla by old-fashioned radio personality Walter Winchell (Michael Thomas Holmes) and his back-up trio, the "Studio Sisters" (Hannah Elless, Patricia Noonan, Melissa van Der Schyff). Winchell and the superb Sisters draw the audience into the tabloid world of the Lindbergh case with the help of well over two dozen other characters played by a cast of eleven.

Glimpses at those surrounding the case reveal characters almost too good to be true. Nanny Betty Gow (Noonan) first catches the audience's attention with her anguished song. Later, a vaudeville number by the man (Eu Gene Barry -Hill) who discovers the corpse is pleasingly reminiscent of Kander and Ebb's Scottsboro Boys. Plus, anxious maid Violet Sharpe (van der Schyff) bemoans the secretive Morrow-Lindbergh estate in a country-esque ballad "Dirty Dishes." What did the nanny and maid see? What do they know? Was it Colonel Mustard in the library?!

That manic, frenzied fixation is displayed by the media and general public, who sit driver's seat with all other characters sitting shotgun. Syncopated, catchy ensemble numbers like "Someone's Taken the Lindbergh Baby" show the almost mob-like panic of the American people. That segues to a media frenzy when William Randolph Hearst (Kurt Zischke) charismatically leads the title number, similar to Chicago's Billy Flynn. Corrupt legal tactics and the nation's obsession with the "trial of the century" continue throughout the show, eventually becoming somewhat redundant but nevertheless entertaining with jazzy numbers, jingles, and even a drinking song.

Of course, a show about the Lindbergh baby case needs stellar actors for the Lindberghs and Hauptmanns, and this production has a wonder pair of actors to play them. Yes, only one pair: in an interesting choice, only one actor (Will Reynolds) plays both Lindbergh and Bruno Richard Hauptmann and only one actress (Anika Larsen) for the wives, Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Anna Hauptmann. In between suspects, paparazzi, and reporters, they paint the portraits of two couples, each frustrated and grieving in their own way. Reynolds' quiet strength as Lindbergh is best seen in "Over the Sea," where Lindbergh mourns broken dreams of flying with his son and the loss of his son. In a 180-degree turnaround, Reynolds' outraged voice booms for social justice as Hauptmann denies his guilt in "No I Never Did." Larsen has the more difficult set of roles, with Anne Morrow Lindbergh's private sorrows and Anna Hauptmann's grief as an outcast, but her expressive face and voice - at times powerful, other times fragile - are heartbreaking and provide a human side to this tragedy.

Director Jeremy Dobrish masterfully juxtaposes fast-paced public sensationalism with isolated and embraced private family grieving and stages the show beautifully. Warren Adams' choreography shows off the mob of the public and press in ensemble numbers, but he perhaps over-choreographs Winchell and the Studio Sisters' every movement. Conversely, perfectly executed minimal scenic elements (Martin Lopez) feature a simple desk, chairs, and newspaper bundles, keeping the focus on the compelling story and actors, just as it should be in this exhilarating and emotional new show.

Photo credit: Billy Bustamante

NYMF 2012 Awards for Excellence Announced - BABY CASE, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK Among Big Winners

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:15:42 PST

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced the winners of the NYMF 2012 Awards for Excellence. Awards are voted on by the NYMF jury.

The NYMF 2012 Awards for Excellence are as follows:

Excellence in Writing – Music: Michael Ogborn (Baby Case)

Excellence in Writing – Lyrics: Michael Ogborn (Baby Case) and Ellen M. Schwartz (A Letter To Harvey Milk) (tie)

Excellence in Writing – Book: Jerry James (A Letter To Harvey Milk)

Excellence in Direction: Jeremy Dobrish (Baby Case)

Excellence in Choreography: Jenn Rapp (Prison Dancer)

Excellence in Production Design: Kendra Bell, Aaron Sherkow (Le Cabaret Grimm)

Outstanding Orchestration: Stephen Ferri, Andrew Fox, Adam Michael Kaufman (Foreverman)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: The cast of Prison Dancer (Cosmo Clemens, Marc dela Cruz, Andrew Eisenman, Albert Guerzon, Jose Llana, Jeigh Madjus, Nathan Ramos, Catherine Ricafort, En Rico Rodriguez , and Moses Villarama )

Outstanding Individual Performances: Enrique Acevedo (Zapata! The Musical), Jessica Burrows (Himself and Nora), Tom Deckman (Arnie The Doughnut), Michelle Federer (How Deep Is The Ocean?), Jeff Keller (A Letter To Harvey Milk), Ryan Kelly (Living With Henry) Leslie Kritzer (A Letter To Harvey Milk), Jillian Louis (Flambé Dreams), Jeigh Madjus (Prison Dancer), Kevin B. McGlynn (Flambé Dreams), Stacey Sargeant (Central Avenue Breakdown), Haley Selmon (Le Cabaret Grimm), Graham Skipper (Re-Animator The Musical), Morgan Weed (Swing State)

Theater for the American Musical Prize: Stuck (Book, Music, and Lyrics by Riley Thomas)

“Best of Fest” Audience Prize: Baby Case (Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael Ogborn)

Most Promising Musical Award: A Letter To Harvey Milk (Book by Jerry James; Music by Laura l. Kramer Lyrics by Ellen M. Schwartz; Based on the short story “A Letter To Harvey Milk” by Lesléa Newman)

The Daegu International Musical Festival Production Award and The New World Stages Development Prize will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year’s NYMF Jury included: Dan Bacalzo (Managing Editor, Theatermania.com), Dale Berke (NYMF member), Donna Lynne Champlin (actor), Michael Dale (Chief Theater Critic, BroadwayWorld.com), Ken Davenport (producer), Linda D’Onofrio (NYMF Board member), Jason Eagan (Artistic Director, Ars Nova), Frank Evans (writer, producer, BMI), Lily Fan (Producer), Peter Filichia (author, theatre critic: Newark Star-Ledger), Erik Haagensen (Editor, Backstage), Lily Hung (Assistant Director of Career Development at NYU – Tisch School of the Arts), Tim Jerome (actor, founder of National Music Theatre Network), Matthew Murray (theatre critic, TalkinBroadway.com /All That Chat), Tamara Tunie (actor, producer), and Keith Varney (writer, actor).

Photo Coverage: Inside NYMF's Closing Night Party!

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:33:07 PST

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) held its closing night party yesterday, July 29 at Hudson Terrace. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and we bring you full photo coverage below!

Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and their creators to ensure the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group, and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by American Eagle Outfitters, Back Stage, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Disney Store Times Square, Fox 5/ WNYW-TV, King Displays, NASDAQ OMX, New World Stages, Next Magazine, PMD Promotions, The Port Authority of NY & NJ, Queerty.com, Season of Savings, Terra Fossil Wines, Thomson Reuters, TheMenEvent.com, Times Square Squared, and Yelp. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The BWF Foundation, Con Edison, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, The New Musical Development Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

Stacey Sargeant

Kevin B. McGlynn

Morgan Weed

Jeff Keller, Enrique Acevedo, Jessica Burrows

Isaac Robert Hurwitz

Romeo Candido

Andrew Eisenman

Haley Selmon

Brandon Timmons

Ellen M. Schwartz

Laura I. Kramer

Charles Fink

Baby Case cast and creative team

NYMF and Paley Center Present AN AFTERNOON WITH SHELDON HARNICK Today, 7/28

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:30:00 PST

As part of the annual New York Musical Theatre Festival, the Paley Center is pleased to honor the three-time Tony Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick-who collaborated with composer Jerry Bock on landmark musicals including the Pulitzer Prize winner Fiorello!, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Rothschilds.

The Canterville Ghost (1966), a musical that Harnick and Bock wrote specifically for television, will be screened along with the 1978 BBC telecast of She Loves Me. Bill Rudman, host of Sirius XM Satellite Radio's Broadway Channel program "On the Aisle," will be on-hand to interview Mr. Harnick about his work.

The Paley Center has partnered with NYMF each season since the festival began in 2004.

Screenings are free with Paley Center admission ($10, $8 seniors and students, $5 children under 14). The Paley Center is located at 25 West 52 Street. Visit paleycenter.org or call (212) 621-6800 for more information.

Today, July 28 at 2 p.m.

ABC STAGE 67: THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (1966)
ABC; 60 minutes; color

This updated musical version of Oscar Wilde's short story concerns an American ambassador and his family who move into a castle haunted by a ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville (Michael Redgrave). With Douglas Fairbanks , Jr., Natalie Schafer , Tippy Walker, and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits as the "mod" Duke of Cheshire. Bock and Harnick songs include "Undertow," "I Worry," "If You Never Try," "Vengeance," and "You're Super." Directed by Burt Shevelove , who also wrote the book.

Directly following the screening, Sheldon Harnick will be interviewed by Bill Rudman about The Canterville Ghost and She Loves Me.

Today, July 28 at 4 p.m.

SHE LOVES ME (1978)
BBC; 105 minutes; color

This much-lauded television adaptation of the Broadway show (with a book by Joe Masteroff, based on the Miklós László play Parfumerie) includes such classic Bock and Harnick songs as "Ice Cream," "12 Days to Christmas," and the charming title number. With Robin Ellis, Gemma Craven, Peter Sallis, David Kernan, Diane Langton, Derek Smith, and Nigel Rathbone. Directed by Michael Simpson.

After the screening there will be a short Q&A and closing remarks by Sheldon Harnick and Bill Rudman.

BWW Reviews: Less is More for NYMF?s PRISON DANCER

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:34:43 PST

One of New York Musical Theatre Festival's (NYMF) fastest-selling shows, "Prison Dancer," an original screenplay turned into a web series turned into a stage musical by Romeo Candido (music, lyrics, and book) and Carmen de Jesus (book), veers away from the hugeness of its viral hit inspiration - a video uploaded to YouTube in 2007 that boasts around 1,500 male inmates of Cebu, Philippines' Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center dancing in sync with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - by using its two-hour storytelling to explore more about the personal lives of a handful, fictitious prisoners instead, interspersed with a lively dose of Filipino cultural and religious quirks, and with a heavy R&B/club-ish score not often used for a musical.

Lola, an adorable cross-dresser (played by Jeigh Madjus who exudes a gay demeanor that is not wildly exaggerated), clad in a long nightgown adorned with fuschia feathers, which is later disrobed to reveal an orangey coloured short shorts and sports bra getup, opens and narrates the show told almost entirely in flashback. His Greek chorus-duo of sorts, Oo Oo (played by Nathan Ramos) and Nana (played by En Rico Rodriguez ), the only two characters that do not have backstories, are reliable comic sidekicks, back-up singers and dancers.

Inside prison walls, the audience members - a diverse mix - are introduced to the facility's other four inhabitants: Hookaps, the tough boys' anointed leader (played by Marc Delacruz who channels boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao); Tondo, a supposedly isolated death-row inmate who faces execution in two months (played by Albert Guerzon who is given a longer exposure time here compared to his current job at "Ghost" on Broadway), strangely so, freely interacts and dances with his fellow convicts; Shakespeare, Lola's object of affection and dance partner (played by Moses Villarama who turns in a finely nuanced and bold performance; and who also doubles as the production's acoustic guitarist when the spotlight dims on him); and Christian, the anti-social, introverted new kid on the block (played by Broadway veteran Jose Llana whose solo number in Act Two, "Typhoon," brings out the toughest, strongest vocal performance from the actor).

Lending support, a.k.a. non-dancing actors, are Andrew Eisenman who plays the techy warden that elects Lola to teach the inmates some groovy moves as part of their daily exercise routine, whose video footage he would anxiously share with the online world via YouTube; and Marcus Calderon who plays the ineluctable, emotionless cellblock's guard.

"Mamma Mia!" on Broadway's current cast member Catherine Ricafort, who plays Cherish, Christian's girlfriend who believes in evergreen love stories, lights up the stage whenever she is on it; hers is a sweet singing voice that can get thicker, deeper when needed. Ricafort and Llana look smashing together.

The musical's creative and production team's intimate approach works well on that small performance space at the Theatre at St. Clements, which effectively depicts the play's setting of a supposedly crowded prison through the functional use of Josh Zangen's movable jail bars and makeshift brick walls, and Betsy Adams' consistently sparse lighting, which helps evoke a sordid milieu amid the overnight social media fame of its occupants.

I personally find myself wanting for a big signature dance number that is expected from dance-oriented musicals though, i.e. the rip-roaring swing dances in "Memphis" or the endless turns and pirouettes in "Newsies," which, on second thought, could be a bit far-fetched because of the production's intimate nature.

Nonetheless, "Prison Dancer" is brimming with sheer Filipino talent and thick Filipino accent seldom experienced on New York stages.

"Prison Dancer" plays its last weekend tomorrow, Friday, July 27, 5 p.m.; and Saturday, July 28, 5 and 9 p.m. For tickets, visit www.nymf.org/prisondancer.

Photo credit: Billy B.

NYMF's Student Leaders Present 'PART OF IT ALL' Concert Series Tonight, 7/26

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:00:00 PST

The New York Musical Theatre Festival's Student Leadership Program (SLP) presents its first ever concert series, Part of It All: Introducing The New Generation, at the 45th Street Theater's Mainstage tonight, July 26th at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Featuring all-new works and performances by talented students and recent graduates, Part of It All sets out to showcase a new generation of artists who've grown up in the age of the mega-musical, power belting, and three-named composers.

The 7 p.m. concert, directed by Hunter Bird (Wounded Bird on Virgin Land) and hosted by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dogfight, A Christmas Story: The Musical), will showcase songs written by student composers Kate Douglas, John-Michael Lyles & David Gomez, Jahn Sood, Vinny Stodder, andBen Wexler & Mark Sonnenblick. Performers include William Bellamy, Thomas Green, Kate Douglas, Mary Lane Haskell, Kelly Hoppenjans, Emily Kaczmarek, Alex Milak, Hayley Anna Norris, Celeste Rose, Jahn Sood and Noah Zachary.

The 10 p.m. concert, directed by Max Friedman (6: A New Musical; Crazy, Just Like Me; 35MM) and hosted by Drew Gasparini (Crazy, Just Like Me;Turn Of The Screw), will highlight the songs of Landon Braverman, Alexander Sage Oyen, Partick Sulken, Alex Ratner and Berkley Todd, and feature performances by Cameron Bartell, James Crichton, Gina Cucci, Tricia Giordano, Celeste Rose, Jacob Samuels and Noah Zachary.

Trevor Bachman serves as the evening's musical director.

"SLP is providing a unique, necessary service to the young artists of NYC," said Hunter Bird, director of the 7 p.m. show. "This concert brings together writers, composers, performers, and directors and gives them a chance to showcase their work as well as meet with other 20-something artists. Becoming part of this community of emerging artists has been the best part of this experience."

Tickets for Part of It All: Introducing The New Generation are $15 or $10 with a valid student ID, and can be purchased online at nymf.org/PartOfItAll. The 45th Street Theatre is located at 354 West 45th St. (between 8th and 9th Aves.). Visit the website for more information about the composers and performers participating in Part of It All.

The New York Musical Theater Festival's Student Leadership Program, co-coordinated by Lina Renzina and Rachel Sussman, offers vital, hands-on experience to local undergraduates by providing opportunities for active involvement with the Festival. Being involved with SLP helps students take an important step toward becoming industry professionals by giving them the chance to learn and exercise new skills gained through direct experience. This year's program associates are Danielle Feder, Jessica Kent, and Kathleen McClure. For additional information, follow SLP on Twitter (@nymfslp) or visit nymf.org/PartOfItAll.

Single tickets as well as NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org.

BWW Interviews: Creator of NYMF's SHELTER, Brittany Bullen

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:16:55 PST

Talented actress Brittany Bullen has written the book, co-written the lyrics and music and appears in SHELTER, a new pop/rock musical opening Thursday, July 26th as part of the 2012 New York Musical Theater Festival. SHELTER tells the story of Jeanine, a woman with a troubled past who is faced with the challenge of counseling residents of a Philadelphia women’s shelter. The women she meets and the struggles she faces help her to begin to start over. Filled with romance, laughter and tears, this contemporary story is about what it means to be a woman and to really live.

Bullen's other works for the stage include Hello, Lemon! and Yellow, which was most recently produced at Brigham Young University. Her acting credits include The Spitfire Grill (Percy Talbott), Jane Eyre (Title Role), Seussical, The Musical (Sour Kangaroo), A Christmas Carol (Belle) and Urinetown (Little Becky Two Shoes).

The actress chatted with BWW about why she hopes future productions of SHELTER may serve to benefit communities throughout the country.

What originally made you take on the subject of homelessness for your play?

Well actually, at the time I knew very little about homelessness. All of this started because I was talking with my friend Brighton, who is actually our director, about how she was always looking for shows to direct for a lot of women because as you probably know, there are tons of women who want to do musicals, and not as many men. So I started brainstorming about what a musical like that would look like and that's where the idea came from.

And what made you decide to incorporate a rock score?

Well, it seemed to be kind of a natural connection seeing how we wanted to set the show in present day. And we wanted to capture the feel of the struggles that these people face. It just seemed like the most natural connection.

I understand you worked with your brother-in-law on the score.

Yes. I had about half of the songs kind of written in my head before I sat down with him. I would go to his house three days a week, he would sit down with his software and his keyboard, and I would kind of sing it out for him and give him suggestions as to the general feel for the orchestration I wanted it to have, and then he would help me flush it out.

Had the book been completed at that point?

Yes, at least the first draft had been completed, but then of course there were revisions since then.

What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced when you were writing the book?

Probably the number one thing was at the time, when we first undertook the subject matter, I wasn't familiar with anything about homelessness, so we really had to learn about what that experience was like, what kind of people you might find in homeless shelters as well as the details of ins and outs of what it means to be in a shelter. We wanted to portray them accurately and with sensitivity. So finding that balance - the accuracy was probably the biggest thing.

So you actually visited homeless shelters?

Oh yes, several times.

Is the story based on the lives of the residents you met at the shelters?

Absolutely. Some of our story lines come from people that we actually talked to who were homeless at the time, some came from people that we knew who had experienced or who had had brushes with people who were homeless. We had one character for instance, who is not homeless herself but has a sister who has mental cognitive, physical difficulties and for that reason, can't live a normal life. So she keeps going to the shelter to try to get her to come home but her sister keeps running away and ending up back in the shelter where she came from. So that was a real story of someone we knew who had been in that situation with their sibling.

You act in the play as well. What has that experience been like?

It's been really fun. As a performer myself, and that's really where most of my experience is, I think I would be sad to not be in the show. But I didn't want to be the kind of person who writes a show for myself, so it's more of a cameo. My role is non-speaking for most of the show.

Is it hard for you to watch someone else direct your play or is that something you enjoy?

I do enjoy it. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have that role as well. But it's nice because Brighton is a friend of mine and the process has been very collaborative from the beginning. She has always been very open to my input and we really developed the show together from the beginning.

Do you find she takes the show places that you never thought about before or maybe sees certain things differently?

Absolutely. I think she has a really good eye and she always brings my attention to things that I might not have thought of. She's been absolutely instrumental in the process of making this what it is.

The play opens on July 26th. What are your expectations? What are you most looking forward to?

We've been so busy putting this show together, I really haven't had time to have any expectations! (laughing) I'm just thrilled that it's happening at all - as long as our set doesn't explode and our cast members make it through their lines, I'll consider it a success.

I wanted to ask about the journey of the play. Once the book was completed and the music and lyrics written, what was your next step?

The first thing we did was we sat down and had a reading, which was an adventure. We learned a lot from that experience. We went into a pretty significant revision process right away after that. But since Newell, my brother-in-law, was going away to graduate school in the fall, we had a very limited window of time when he was still around. He wanted to music direct our first production of it, so we did a workshop production in spring of last year, that he musical directed and that was almost right away after the first reading. So it was very fast, very fast workshopping process. And the show changed a lot then and after it was over it continued to change.

When you said it underwent revisions, was that because hearing the words read aloud was so different than reading them on paper?

Absolutey. And even when you read it out loud, there's no substituting for what you learn from an actual production. That's why I'm so glad we actually produced the show and put it on stage because some things you just really don't know if they're going to work or not until you put it in front of an audience.

Did you make revisions based on audience reaction as well?

Absolutely. We've gotten some really great feedback and we have a really great community here of artists and professionals who I really respect. so we have gotten some really helpful criticism along the way.

I understand a portion of the ticket sales will go toward local homeless shelters?

Yes. For every ticket we sell, our Production Company is donating $3 to a local shelter...With our last production we raised $10,000 for ten different shelters, so each shelter got $1,000. But it's more of a general mission, it's not always a specific 'every ticket we sell we will donate $3', it's more that with every show, whatever we are able to do we will. We want to use the show to help people in that situation.

That's wonderful. Can you give me a brief synopsis of the story?

The show tells the story of a woman named Jeanine, who has been homeless herself, and she comes to work at a homeless shelter as a counselor. It's about how her experiences there and the challenges that she faces help her to move on from the difficulties of her own past and learn that through serving others, she heals her other wounds from the past.

Where do you hope to see the production go in the future?

In my dream scenario, I would love to see the show produced all over the country. I wrote it in such a way that it would be really easy to put into an educational setting. I'd love to see it done in colleges, by community theaters, places like that where it gives emerging artists a lot of opportunity for some really great roles to play. The show has just tons of colorful characters to explore and it's really easy to put on. Obviously, costumes and set can be done very economically. So it's a great show to be done on a budget, which means that if you have any extra that you bring in, it gives you a really great opportunity to get involved in your community and to give back. So my dream for the show is that it will be used to benefit communities all over the country.

SHELTER is playing at PTC Performance Space (555 West 42nd Street) as follows:

Thursday, Jul 26th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Friday, Jul 27th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Friday, Jul 27th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Saturday, Jul 28th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Saturday, Jul 28th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Sunday, Jul 29th, 2012 at 5:00 pm

SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE: SHELTER is now offering 40% off tickets with the promotion code SHELTER15. As Bullen explained, "we want to make sure that people have access to the show even if they're on a budget, particularly students. We would love to have students in our audience." To purchase tickets, please click here.