at

The Colony Theatre

Thursday, June 4, 2015

7:30 PM

an evening showcasing new

musicals in development at NMI

got musical!

presents

got musical! presented by the Academy Repertory Company (ARC)

Members of the Academy Repertory Company

Elise Dewsberry, Scott Guy, David Holmes, Christopher Maikish,

Andrea Press, Tedd Szeto, Christina Valo, Peter Welkin

Guest Artists: Chris Bunyi, Allie Costa, Sara Gonzales, Randy Guiaya, Amanda Kruger,

Paul Marchegiani, Shannon Martinous, Conchita Belisle Newman,

Curtis Rhodes, Rehyan Rivera

At the Piano: Ron Barnett

Tell Me How It Feels Lyrics by David Rackoff, Music by Morgan Hollingsworth

the Ensemble

“As for Bagels” from BAGELS THE MUSCIAL Book and Lyrics by Chana Wise, Music by Carl Johnson

David, Andrea, Peter, and the Ensemble

“One Small Step” from INVISIBLE Book by David Hollingsworth, Lyrics and Music by David Orris

Christopher and Randy

“Goodtime Girl” from THE ANARCHIST GIRL Book and Lyrics by J. Linn Allen, Music by Cris Wo

Christina

“Something Only You Can See” from OFF THE WALL Book and Lyrics by Sarah Rebell, Music by Danny Abosch

Amanda and Randy

“The Tingling” from SPARK

Book & Lyrics by Bill Nelson, Music by Joseph Trefler

Curtis and Christina

“The Girl I Need To Be" from INVINCIBLE Music and Lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick, Book by Charlie Polinger

Conchita

"Better" from LOBSTERS LIVE FOREVER Book and Lyrics by Sam Chanse, Music by Bob Kelly

Andrea

"My True Love" from SPELLBOUND by Ben Boecker

Allie

"Swim Forever" from REPORTING LIVE by Michael Finke

Elise

"I'm Tired Of That" by Andre Catrini

Ron

"The Giant Beside the River" from LEGENDS AND LORE Book by Jacob Combs, Lyrics and Music by Madeline Myers

Randy, Tedd, Peter, and the Ensemble

“Darby” and “Marry Me” from

DARBY O’GILL AND THE LEPRECHAUN QUEEN Book and Lyrics by Scott Guy, Music by Ron Barnett

the Ensemble, and Peter

“Melodrama, Melodrama” from WHEN BUTTER CHURNS TO GOLD Book by Peter Welkin, Music by Ron Barnett, Lyrics by Randi Wolfe

David, Scott, Paul, Shannon, Sara, and Curtis

“Doin’ a Doo-Wop” from OKLAHOMA IN WISCONSIN Book and Lyrics by Richard Castle, Music by Matthew Levine

David, Andrea, Tedd, Christina, and Peter

“Not Soon But Now” from

NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR SUPPRESSION OF VICE Book by Joel Bailey, Music by Jake Anthony,

Lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr

the Ensemble

new musicals

...inspiring

the writers and actors...

Danny Abosch

J. Linn Allen

Jake Anthony

Joel Bailey

Ron Barnett

Ben Boecker

Chris Bunyi

Richard Castle

Andre Catrini

Sam Chanse

Jacob Combs

Allie Costa

Elise Dewsberry

Michael Finke

Sara Gonzales

Randy Guiaya

new musicals

...invigorating

Scott Guy

David

Hollingsworth

Morgan

Hollingsworth

David Holmes

Carl Johnson

Bob Kelly

Amanda Kruger

Matthew Levine

Christopher

Maikish

Paul Marchegiani

Shannon

Martinous

Madeline Myers

Bill Nelson

Conchita Belisle

Newman

David Orris

Andrea Press

new musicals

...ineffable

Hollywood Piano Co.

is the official piano

supplier for NMI

www.hollywoodpiano.com

David Rackoff

Sarah Rebell

Curtis Rhodes

Rehyan Rivera

Mark Sonnenblick

John Sparks

Tedd Szeto

Joseph Trefler

Christina Valo

Peter Welkin

Chana Wise

Cris Wo

Randi Wolfe

Patricia Zehentmayr

*member of Actors’ Equity Association biographies

Danny Abosch (Music, Off the Wall) is a composer/lyricist whose musicals include Fancy

Nancy The Musical (Off-Broadway 2012-2014, National Tour 2013-2015, Cast Recording

available on Ghostlight Records), Placebo (winner of the 2012 PMTP Development Award,

workshop at the Pasadena Playhouse directed by Ryan Scott Oliver), Off The Wall (First Prize

winner of NMI’s 2014 Search for New Musicals), and Miles & Me (2014 workshop at the

Musical Theatre Factory in NYC). Originally from Deerfield, IL, Danny is a graduate of the

University of Michigan (B.M. in Music Education), and of NYU’s M.F.A. Graduate Musical

Theatre Writing Program. Three of Danny’s songs have been chosen by William Finn for his

concert series “Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t

Know, But Should”. Danny lives in New York City and is currently working on two new

musicals.

J. Linn Allen (Book and Lyrics, The Anarchist Girl) has been a journalist, theater critic, teacher,

playwright and writer of short stories, plays and musicals. He has won two Samuel Shubert

Fellowships, a Shubert national playwriting award and a Washington University traveling

fellowship. His musical, The Anarchist Girl, was a winner in the 2014 Academy of New Musical

Theatre/New Musicals Inc. international Search for New Musicals. His musical, Getting

Everything, was performed in showcase at Chicago’s Commons Theatre, and his songs were

featured in the 2013 First Act Feedback Festival in New York and the 2013 Dramatists Guild

convention cabaret in Chicago.

Jake Anthony (Music, New York Society for the Suppression of Vice) works as a composer,

vocal coach, and Music Director in the LA area. Jake’s LA theater work includes Snoopy!

(McCadden Place Theater), as well as the West Coast premieres of Splendora and Songs from an

Unmade Bed at Celebration Theatre. He serves as Music Director of ANMT’s Performers'

Workshop, and conducts the "theatrichorale” Perpetual Surrey. As a composer, Jake co-wrote

the 15-minute musical Oh God, We're Gonna Die! with Jeff Marx (co-author of Avenue Q), and

three full-length shows, Now and Then a Hero (book and lyrics by Larry Todd Johnson),

Wanting Miss Julie (book by John Sparks and lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr), and New York

Society for the Suppression of Vice (book by Joel Bailey and lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr).

Joel Bailey (Book, New York Society for the Suppression of Vice) works as a producer and

writer in the entertainment industry. After joining ANMT in 2010, his short musical, Photo

Finish, written with Jan Roper (music) and Eve Weston (lyrics) in ANMT’s Core Curriculum

was produced during the fall of 2014 in Hollywood at Studio C. John Sparks and the 4X10

Ensemble recently staged a developmental production at ANMT of New York Society for the

Suppression of Vice, written by Bailey (book), Jake Anthony (music), and Patricia Zehentmayr

(lyrics). Joel is currently working with composer Ron Barnett on a new musical, Katrina &

Other Things That Blow, set in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Ron Barnett (Music, When Butter Churns to Gold and Darby O’Gill, ARC Music Director) is a

composer living in Los Angeles, where he is Director of Music and Sacred Arts at Saint Mark’s

Episcopal Church in Glendale. Prior to this appointment, he was for ten years Resident Musical

Director and Composer at the Fulton Theatre, a LORT D house in Lancaster, PA. His musical

Around the World in 80 Days, with book and lyrics by Julianne Homokay, premiered at the

Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) in March 2007. He wrote music and lyrics for A Christmas

Carol, with book by Fulton playwright-in-residence Barry Kornhauser, which received a 2001

Red Rose Award and was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2013.

Ben Boecker (New Voices Merit Finalist) is a singer/songwriter, musical director, and teaching

artist working in New York City and on Long Island. His one-act musical, Spellbound! (NMI

Merit Award 2015, UNC Sam Selden Award 2012) recently received its second NYC staged

reading. His ten-minute musical, with collaborator Jessica Fleitman, God of Love, was accepted

to the West Village Musical Theater Festival in 2014. Ben is a proud member of the BMI

Advanced Musical Theater Writing Workshop and the Dramatists Guild. He also recently

appeared Off-Broadway in The Devil of Delancey Street. www.benboecker.com

Chris Bunyi (Guest Artist) is a graduate of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine.

After receiving his B.A. in 2012, he decided to start focusing his efforts on comedy which is

why he immediately started working for his uncle in dentistry. It all makes perfect sense. Don't

think too much about it. In addition to working with ANMT in the recent production of New

York Society, Christopher is currently a student of the Upright Citizen's Brigade where he just

finished performing a well received comedy sketch show called Danny Cohen's Genius Genius.

He hopes you enjoy tonight's showcase and that his bio isn't so long that it get cut sho-

Richard Castle (Book & Lyrics, Oklahoma in Wisconsin) is thrilled to have his latest show

represented in got musical 2015. Along with composer Matthew Levine, he was honored to have

his musical The Angel of Painted Post presented at the 2014 Stephen Schwartz ASCAP/

DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop. Other projects include book and lyrics for the vampire

musical Bloodline (music by Clifford J. Tasner), the L.A. Latino Theater Company’s production

of L.A. Carmen (lyrics), and the grown-up Hansel & Gretel musical, Witch Is It? Four of his

shows have been featured in the LA STAGES New Musical Festival. Richard’s songs have been

performed in cabarets in both New York and Los Angeles. He holds a BA degree from the USC

School of Theatre, and is a proud member of ANMT and the Dramatists Guild.

www.RichardCastle.com

Andre Catrini (New Voices Merit Finalist) Recipient of the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Cole

Porter Award, Andre is a proud member of ASCAP and the BMI Lehman Engel Advanced

Musical Theatre Workshop as well as the founder and a current member of the writing forum

The Circle Songbook (visit www.circlesongbook.com for more information). Most recently,

Andre was represented as the composer for an original dance/theatre piece, The Wolf, which

premiered in February 2015. Presently, he is at work developing two new musicals for which he

is writing the music and lyrics. For music inquiries and to hear more of Andre's work, visit his

website at: www.andrecatrini.com

Sam Chanse (New Voices Merit Finalist) is a writer based in New York. A Sundance Ucross

Playwright Fellow, MacDowell Fellow, and member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, her work has

also been supported by the Lark, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, Labyrinth Theater,

Leviathan Lab, the Actor’s Studio PDU, Second Generation, Ars Nova, and Tofte Lake Center.

Her plays and musicals include gilgamesh & the mosquito, lobsters live forever (both with Bob

Kelly), Fruiting Bodies (nominated to The Kilroys List), and About That Whole Dying Thing.

Her solo play, Lydia’s Funeral Video, was published by Kaya Press in Spring 2015. Sam

received her MFA in playwriting from Columbia University, and in musical theater writing from

NYU. www.samchanse.com

Jacob Combs (New Voices Winner) is a writer and composer based in Los Angeles. In the fall

of 2011, he worked on the Off-Broadway premiere of the original musical The Blue Flower at

Second Stage Theatre, and he spent two years in the story department at Blue Sky Studios,

where he worked on the development of several feature films, including “Epic” and “Rio 2.” He

is also a freelance writer and editor, and has contributed to Indiewire, EqualityOnTrial and the

Huffington Post on matters ranging from the arts to law to politics. Jacob’s current show,

Legends & Lore (music and lyrics by Madeline Myers), will be read in concert at the New York

Theatre Barn in October 2014 and workshopped at the Musical Theatre Factory in November

2014. Jacob attended Brown University, where he studied literature and music and spent most of

his waking hours working on student theater productions as a composer/lyricist, director,

producer, music director and member of the Brownbrokers board. At Brown, he wrote music and

lyrics for Falling Apart, Coming Together and Palin! The Musical. He has also studied at New

York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Musical Theatre Writing.

Allie Costa (Guest Artist) will next be seen in Alien vs. Musical, opening June 6th at the

Hollywood Fringe Festival. Previous shows with NMI include the world premiere productions

of New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and Man vs. Machine and staged readings of

Invisible and Mad Bomber. Additional theatre credits include Spring Awakening (Martha/Ilse),

Anything Goes (Bonnie), Little Miss Scrooge (Tiny Tammy), and You're a Good Man, Charlie

Brown (Lucy). Film/TV credits include 90210, Unusual Suspects, and You Me & Her. Allie is

also a published playwright and screenwriter whose works have been produced internationally.

Her original plays include Femme Noir, Who She Could Have Been, and Can You Keep a

Secret? She's currently writing a television pilot, watching Orphan Black, and wondering how

people to find time to sleep. http://www.alliecosta.com

Elise Dewsberry* (NMI Artistic Director; ARC Member) is currently the Artistic Director of

NMI, and has been involved in the development of new works as an actor, director, and

dramaturge for over 25 years. Most recent performances: City of Light, Aline Barnsdall in

Frogs in the Living Room; Mary Marie; The Angel of Painted Post; Now and Then a Hero at

the 2011 Stages Festival; Red v. Blue (ANMT's 2008 Fifteen Minute Musicals); Spellcasters at

the Secret Rose; and Queen Mab's Alarmingly Mandatory Bridal Shower at the Noho Arts

Centre. Most recent directing: Bloodline and Mad Bomber (for the 2013 Stages Festival); Mary

Marie; Love Bytes; ANMT's 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2012 Fifteen Minute Musicals; At Home In

Mitford; and The Water. Elise has been ecstatically married to cellist Stephen Green for 33

years, and they are the proud parents of high school Social Justice teacher Rebecca Rose.

Michael Finke (New Voices Winner) is a New York based composer, lyricist, and librettist.

He has written the book, music, and lyrics to full-length musicals such as Caroline and George

and Goodnight, Stranger, (ASCAP and O'Neill Finalist), Other People’s Relationships, and

Reporting Live. Recent winner of the New Voices project, Michael has had songs, concerts,

and full productions of his work performed at 54 Below, The Laurie Beechman Theater, NYU,

Don't Tell Mama, Off Broadway at St. Luke's, Joe’s Pub, NYMF, L.A.’s Rockwell: Table &

Stage, the Christmas Day telecast on ABC, and many more. He is a member of ASCAP, BMI

and the Dramatist Guild.

Sara Gonzales (Guest Artist) is thrilled to be appearing in got musical 2015! She is no stranger

to NMI and tries to be involved with as many new musicals as she can. She was recently seen

in 4x10's production of New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. Sara is also an award

winning jazz singer, winning several national and international titles. She thanks you all for

supporting new musicals! www.saragonzales.weebly.com

Randy Guiaya* (Guest Artist) is pleased to be once again stretching his creative muscles at

NMI where his previous projects include: Daughter of Beijing, The New Kid, In the Mind of

Olympians, The Max Factor Factor, Emerald and The Ring. He also music directed last

season's presentation of Mad Bomber for the 2013 STAGES Festival. Theater: Songs For A

New World (NCPD at JANM), STEEL: John Henry and the Shaker ([Inside] the Ford), Bed,

Boys and Beyond (Hudson Theater), Godspell (Knightsbridge Theater), Visions (Los Angeles

Theater Center) and a slew of shows at East West Players. Television: The Office and Jimmy

Kimmel Live! Proud member of Actors' Equity since 1999.

Scott Guy (NMI Executive Director, ARC Member, Book and Lyrics for Darby O'Gill and the

Leprechaun Queen) Under Scott's tenure, the Academy has developed over 50 musicals for

producers across the country, and over 100 independent musicals by ANMT writers. Scott's

own recent writing projects include: Script consultant for musical version of Pirates of the

Caribbean for Disney; two-year NY tour of Just-So Stories; and Soul of Darkness with Plácido

Domingo. Scott is also working on a series of animated musical shorts. Television credits: Six

Emmy nominations, and over 100 produced television scripts for Warner Bros., FOX-TV,

Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. www.scottguy.biz.

David Hollingsworth (Book, Invisible) is the former editor-in-chief of UC Berkeley's prestigious

and majestic humor quarterly The Heuristic Squelch and is the founder of several failed blogs.

Invisible is Mr Hollingsworth's first musical. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his amazing

wife Harmony.

Morgan Hollingsworth (Music, This is How It Feels) recently graduated with a BFA in Music

Theatre from UC Irvine, where he premiered his first two musicals, The Shadows of Edgar Allan

Poe andNotes From Underground. He has performed in many productions in San Diego,

including the world premieres of Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention and Lee Blessing’s

The Scottish Play. After completing ANMT’s Core Curriculum, he is moving to New York to

pursue performance and writing for theater. Many thanks to his family, friends, Scott, John, Elise,

and Natalie!

David Holmes* (ARC Member) has performed in numerous award-winning theatrical shows

throughout the U.S. including 1776, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity, Li’l Abner, Company, Best

Little Whorehouse, A Little Night Music, Beauty and the Beast and many others…alongside such

stars as Ed Asner, Bruce Davison, Milton Berle, Joe Namath, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Placido

Domingo, Robert Morse, Dick Shawn, Bebe Neuwirth, Donna McKechnie, Mary Martin and

Glynis Johns. David is a proud member of the award-winning Musical Theatre Guild and a

founding member of the Academy Repertory Company. He dedicates his performance to his

brave, lovely wife Christine.

Carl Johnson (Music, Bagels!) is an Emmy Award-winning film and television composer who

has written music for numerous feature films, including Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame II,

Aladdin and the King of Thieves, andWinnie the Pooh's Grand Adventure. Among his accolades

are Emmy Awards for his musical scores for Invasion America and Aladdin: the Series. He

recently orchestrated music for James Horner's Titanic Live. www.carljohnsonmusic.com

Bob Kelly (New Voices Merit Finalist) is a NY-based composer, pianist, and music director. He

is from the Twin Cities, MN, and is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the NYU Graduate

Musical Theatre Writing Program. His thesis musical gilgamesh & the mosquito, written with

Sam Chanse, will be developed this summer at the Yale Institute for Music Theatre and at NYU

Tisch as part of the Collaborative Development and Productions Series. Bob was the 2013

recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship, and is a member of ASCAP and

the Dramatists Guild. More info at www.bobkelly-music.com

Amanda Kruger (Guest Artist) has most recently performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in

world premiere musical Land of Smiles. Her NMI projects include City of Light (Santa Barbara

Playfest), Angel of Painted Post (ASCAP), Invisible(ARC), and Off the Wall (ARC). Currently

residing in LA she has made television appearances on the CW's 90210 and The Fresh Beat Band

on Nick jr. Her love of music has also recently lead her to performing as the lead singer in jug/

bluegrass band, Everly Snodgrass.

Matthew Levine (Music, Oklahoma in Wisconsin) is thrilled to be working with Adrian Bewley

and Richard Castle on The Angel of Painted Post, his first full-length musical, which was one of

three musicals featured at the 2014 ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theater Workshop (out of 130

submitted). For 30 years, Levine has composed pop, jazz, choral, and 20th century music winning

numerous awards, publishing contracts and commissions. He is currently devoting his time

exclusively to musical theater where he can exploit his broad musical background. In 2010,

Levine finished the ANMT Core Curriculum with John Sparks, Elise Dewsberry and Scott Guy.

Christopher Maikish* (ARC Member) Since studying music and theatre in Chicago, Chris has

performed in TV, film, voiceover, and on stages up and down the West Coast. Critics have called

his work "pitch perfect" (LA Times) and "excellent" (LA Weekly), noting his "easygoing

wit" (Backstage). TV: Desperate Housewives (ABC). Theatre: California Shakespeare Theater,

Celebration Theatre, Marin Shakespeare Company, TheatreWorks, SF Playhouse, and Theatre

Unleashed, among others. Chris produces the new musicals concert series ALittleNewMusic.org

and directs for the stage. Member: Actors Equity, SAG-AFTRA, SDC. ChristopherMaikish.com.

Paul Marchegiani (Guest Artist) is thrilled to be back at NMI for got musical 2015. In addition to

frequent appearances at NMI, Paul has performed musical theatre, improv, cabaret, jazz, and

classical music throughout the country (including with L.A. Opera, the San Francisco Symphony,

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cabrillo Music Theatre, Crown City Theatre, Impro Theatre,

Glendale Center Theatre, Sterling's, the NoHo Arts Center and the Monterey Jazz Festival). A

practicing entertainment lawyer by day, Paul holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.Mus./

B.A.) and U.C. Berkeley (J.D.).

Shannon Martinous (Guest Artist) is thrilled to be a part of got musical! Recent theatre credits

include: Down in the Valley with The Heartland Opera, Hi-Tech Hijack at Studio C Artists

(Original Cast); Fauntleroy at The Santa Monica Playhouse (Original Cast). Recent film work

includes the short film Changes, and commercials Fruit of the Loom and United Airlines. Shannon

has been lucky enough to record multiple original cast albums and demo music for several new

musical theatre writers in Los Angeles. Shannon is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory. She'd

like to thank Scott and Elise for this opportunity, the writers for their amazing works, and her

husband, Xav, for being a constant support!

Madeline Myers (New Voices Winner) is a composer and lyricist for musical theater based in

New York City. Madeline's musical Legends & Lore has been workshopped at the Musical Theatre

Factory, the Fingerlakes Musical Theater Festival, and the New York Theatre Barn. Madeline is

currently writing a new musical, Masterpiece, which was developed at the Goodspeed Musicals

Writers Colony. She was selected to participate in the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio

and the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project, and is the recipient of the first place award in the

inaugural Ken Davenport Songwriting Contest. Madeline is a proud member of the BMI Lehman

Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, ASCAP, and the Dramatists Guild. She is represented by Katie

Gamelli at Abrams Artists Agency. www.madelinemyers.com

Bill Nelson (New Voices Winner) wrote Harmony, Kansas with Anna K. Jacobs, which received

its premiere production in San Diego (4 SCENIE Awards, 3 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle

nominations). His plays have been produced around the country and his songs have been heard at

cabarets around the world, including Bill Nelson’s All-Male Revue, conceived and directed by

William Finn. He's a 2010/11 Dramatists Guild Fellow, member of the BMI Advanced Musical

Theatre Workshop, and has an MFA from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Among current projects is Men with Money, written with Joseph Trefler.

www.billnelsonbillnelson.com

Conchita Belisle Newman (Guest Artist) attended New York University Tisch school of the arts

and is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory. Her most recent roles include Lily St. Regis in

Annie and the role of Krystal in the new musical Fentor. Conchita is also an accomplished exotic

animal trainer. Her favorite animals to work with are tigers and alpacas, although not at the same

time. She is a member of NMI's 4x10 ensemble and is thrilled to be a part of got musical! She'd

like to thank her husband and children for their love and support.

David Orris (Lyrics and Music, Invisible) Born in Twin Peaks and raised in Chicago, David began

performing at a very young age as a church vocalist and pianist, playing classical and gospel music

alike at age four. Today, his work as a composer, lyricist, artist and producer is ultimately about

beauty, humor and truth. As a BMG Chrysalis songwriter and indie recording artist, David's songs

have appeared in a variety of TV and film, including the hit shows Felicity, Smallville, MTV's Real

World and numerous others. He has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and songs from his last

two albums "The Seraphim Circus" and "Retrograde Boulevard" have both charted at #1 nationally

on CMJ and are available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other online outlets. David resides in

Hollywood, CA where he is currently hard at work composing music and lyrics for several pop/

rock musicals, most notably Invisible (with bookwriter David Hollingsworth) which was a recent

winner in the NMI Search for New Musicals.

Andrea Press* (ARC Member) has performed a wide variety of roles, ranging from the Beggar

Woman in Sweeney Todd to Auntie Julie, the head Prairie Dog, in the original musical, Peril on

the Prairie. A founding member of ARC, she has been actively involved with NMI/ANMT’s

development process as a performer, director and producer and is a member of the new 4x10

Ensemble. LA/Regional credits include: Welcome to the Stork Club (Texas Guinan), Cabaret

(Fraulein Kost) and The Sound of Music (Sister Margaretta). She was a featured soloist at the

Gold River Casino in Laughlin, Nevada and has appeared locally in various cabaret venues as a

solo artist as well as with her group, Four Play! AEA/SAG-AFTRA.

David Rackoff (Lyrics, This is How It Feels) grew up in Florida and moved to Los Angeles to

pursue a career in film and theater. He wrote and directed The Chase Lounge, which Backstage

West called “a delightfully crafty… one-person Noises Off”, and LA Weekly called “side-

splitting”. His first feature, I Am Bad (Best Horror Film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film

Festival), stars Pauley Perrette, Taylor Dayne, and Tony Winner Wilson Heredia, and was just

released on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. The score features seven original songs, with

lyrics by David. The soundtrack won “Best Original Music” at the Blue Whiskey Independent

Film Festival.

Sarah Rebell (Book and Lyrics, Off the Wall) is a lyricist/bookwriter whose musicals include Off

the Wall (music by Danny Abosch), which was recently awarded first prize in New Musicals

Inc.’s 2014 Search For New Musicals, The Awakening (music by Teresa Lotz) and Rose Petals

(music by Lizzie Hagstedt). Workshops/Readings: New Musicals Inc., Musical Theatre Factory

4x15 Series, Fingerlakes Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF, NYU, Vassar College. Sarah's work

has been performed at 54 Below, the Berkshire Musical Theater Writers Lab, the Duplex, the

Laurie Beechman Theater and the Metropolitan Room. Proud member of The Dramatists Guild,

ASCAP & MTF. MFA: NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Curtis Rhodes (Guest Artist) is an actor, music director, writer, and composer. Over the past 30

years, he has appeared at such venues as NoHo Arts Center, PCPA TheatreFest, and Western

Stage in everything from musicals to Shakespeare to contemporary drama. More focused on

writing these days, in 2014, his musical A Proper Place (book, music, additional lyrics) with

collaborator Leslie Becker was featured at both Goodspeed and the Village Theatre’s Festival of

New Musicals and continues on a path to development. www.aproperplacethemusical.com

Rehyan Rivera (Guest Artist) is excited to be part of this fantastic line-up of new musical works!

You might have seen him recently as part of the cast of 4x10's New York Society for the

Suppression of Vice. Past roles include Marius in Les Miserables, Sonny in In The Heights, Lucas

in bare: a pop opera, and Bitelle in La Cage Aux Folles, among others. He is a graduate of

AMDA in New York and was born and raised in Puerto Rico. See him again in La Llorona at the

Hollywood Fringe and as Hoxie in 4x10's Bagels! the musical.

Mark Sonnenblick (New Voices Merit Finalist) writes words and music. As playwright, lyricist,

and/or composer: Independents (“Best Production” FringeNYC, NYTimes “Critics’ Pick”),

Horizons (Yale Institute for Music Theatre, upcoming), Stompcat in Lawndale (Ars Nova), Wheel

of Misfortune (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), and Bunkerville (Yale DRAMAT). Mark

has been a composer fellow at the John Duffy Institute (Virginia Arts Festival), a member of the

Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project, a MAC award nominee, and a finalist for both the Jonathan

Larson Grant and the Kleban Prize. Currently, Mark is a Dramatists Guild fellow and a librettist

for the Kennedy Center's American Opera Initiative.

John Sparks (Founding Director) John Sparks was the founder/co-Director of the Lehman Engel

Musical Theatre Workshop (1979-1995) and the Artistic Director of ANMT from 1995 to the

present. He founded the Writers’ Workshop at Theatre Building Chicago in 1987 and was its

Artistic Director for over a decade. Between the two workshops, John has mentored the work of

over 250 writers, including Mark Hollmann, composer/lyricist of Urinetown; George Gorham and

Dan Sticco, A Change in the Heir. Other writers in the workshops have earned three Richard

Rodgers Awards and two Kleban Awards. Nearly 400 shows written by workshop members

have been produced in theatres across the country. John’s own musicals have been produced in

Los Angeles and Chicago.

Tedd Szeto* (ARC Member) is enjoying his fourth year as a member of the Academy

Repertory Company. LA theater credits include Mame (Ito), You're a Good Man, Charlie

Brown (Linus), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour); Chang and Eng (Eng), Pacific Overtures,

Sweeney Todd, Cabaret. TV: Nip/Tuck, Parks and Recreation, and national spots for Microsoft

Bing and UPS. But the "productions" he is most proud of are his kids: JP (7), Tabitha (6), and

Deke (4).

Joseph Trefler (New Voices Winner) is a New York-based composer-lyricist. He has written a

number of musicals, including A Ladylike Murder, The Unusual Engagement of Chester

Pringle, and most recently Men With Money with bookwriter-lyricist Bill Nelson. His work has

been performed at venues across the country, in Canada, and the UK. Joseph is the co-founder

and co-artistic director of the Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective (CMTWC), which

has nearly 150 members (and growing). Joseph received his Bachelor of Music from the

University of Toronto and his MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program,

Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. www.josephtrefler-composer.com

Christina Valo* (ARC Member) has performed in numerous ANMT/ARC productions and is

thrilled to once again be a part of got musical!. Favorite roles include the title character in

Monna Vanna, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Hero in Much Ado, Feste in Twelfth Night,

Jackie O in The House of Yes, Arlene in Getting Out, and Peggy Jones in I'd Rather Be Right.

When Christina isn't performing, she works as the executive director of an experiential

marketing agency and as supermom to her two beautiful baby girls. She is a member of Actor's

Equity.

Peter Welkin (Book, When Butter Churns to Gold and ARC Member) is a graduate of AMDA

NY and currently serves as a producer, director, writer, and sight-singing actor with New

Musicals Inc. He is a founding member of the Academy Repertory Company (ARC). With

collaborators Ron Barnett and Randi Wolfe, he has just put the finishing touches on When

Butter Churns to Gold, a musical melodrama, which opens at Northern Sky Theater in

Wisconsin on June 12th, 2015! Peter’s West Coast credits include Anatoly in Chess In Concert,

George in Sunday In The Park With George, Roger in A New Brain at WCE, Keith in Elegies

and Musical Theater Guild’s concert production of Titanic. He spent several years in the

Central Coast of California performing at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, and

while there, also co-founded the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival. He is a co-producer of the

highly successful series of A Little New Music concerts at Rockwell Table and Stage, and an

associate producer of LA’s Next Great Stage Star contest. Previous television credits include

Crusade, a spin-off of Babylon 5, and a full season of Boystown which airs in Canada and

Northern Europe. Film projects include the shorts: Singles Night, Mother’s Day, and A Thing

Called Happiness. His favorite creative projects to date are Miranda, Nathan and Genevieve.

www.peterwelkin.com

Chana Wise (Book and Lyrics, Bagels!) is a playwright and lyricist living in Southern

California. She has written both book and lyrics for Mary Marie (Richard Rodgers Award

finalist, 2015, NAMT Festival 2014), Tinseltown Christmas, which premiered at the University

of California, Irvine, December, 2012; The Coffee Quintet - a short musical film, and is

currently developing Bagels! the musical, (being produced by NMI this summer as a

developmental workshop) all with music by Carl Johnson. Chana also wrote lyrics for

Earthbound, (book by Adam Hahn, music by Jonathan Price) and The Island, (book and music

by Jonathan Price), both produced by SkyPilot Theatre and premiering at T.U. Studios in

Hollywood, June 2012 and July 2013, respectively, and lyrics for The Max Factor Factor,

(music - Joe Blodgett, book - Adrian Bewley), which was produced by NMI and premiered at

the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood, August, 2014. Chana is a proud member of the

Dramatists Guild. www.chanawise.com, www.bagelsthemusical.com

Cris Wo (Music, The Anarchist Girl) is a composer from Phoenix, AZ. Some of his writing

credits include the AriZoni Award winning musicals, The Ballad of Calico, A Swan Story, and

The Musical Comedy Adventure Mystery of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Cris was selected to

participate in The Johnny Mercer Song Writers Workshop and was also a student at the

Theatre Building Chicago’s Musical Theatre Writers Workshop. In addition to composing, he

works in theatre as a musical director, conductor, orchestrator and sequences orchestral tracks.

Randi Wolfe (Lyrics, When Butter Churns to Gold) is an alumnus of Theatre Building

Chicago's Musical Theater Writers Workshop and a member of the Academy for New

Musical Theatre in Los Angeles. Her recent work includes Mom! A New Musical which was

selected from hundreds of submissions from around the world as a winner of The Chameleon

Theatre Circle's 13th New Play Contest. Mom! was named "Best of the Fest" by Chameleon

Theatre audience members. Mom! was also selected for participation in the TRU Voices New

Musicals Series in New York City, and the Stages Festival of New Musicals in Chicago.

Patricia Zehentmayr (Lyrics, New York Society for the Suppression of Vice) has collaborated

as lyricist and/or composer with writers in genres many and varied, from Rosie Flores, Queen

of Rockabilly, to John Axelrod, Conductor of l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. On

the musical theater front she has written Wanting Miss Julie with John Sparks and Jake

Anthony, The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice with Joel Bailey and Jake

Anthony, and Madwomen with Marian Partee-Lamb and Patrick Burns. Patricia graduated

from UCLA with a degree in English.

This season’s programs at NMI

are made possible in part by:.

An extra special thanks to Doma Theatre for their help with our

upcoming STAGES Festival of New Musicals

Join us for some great musical theatre events this summer:

FORKS IN THE ROAD: seven short musicals about life-changing moments

June 29, 30, and July 1

Lonny Chapman Theatre

BAGELS the musical

A developmental production from the 4x10 Ensemble

Book and Lyrics by Chana Wise, Music by Carl Johnson

Fri/Sat Aug. 1-15 at 8pm

Sun. Aug. 16 at 2pm

Sat. Aug 22 at 4pm

at New Musicals Inc.

The STAGES Festival of New Musicals

Readings of new musicals in development.

August 21/22/23 at New Musicals Inc.

August 28/29/30 at 3DTheatricals in Anaheim

For into and tickets, visit www.nmi.org/tickets

upcoming events...

study

Study the craft of writing musical theatre, online or

join our Writers’ Workshop. NMI’s Academy for

New Musical Theatre has supported and trained

musical theatre writers for four decades,

beginning as a sister workshop to the BMI

Lehman Engel workshop in New York.

Join us, either in person or online for our

venerable Core Curriculum, or summer musical

theatre boot camp.

develop

produce

The Incubator at NMI is a workshop/

playground for musical theatre. Whether

you’re creating a musical from scratch — or if

it’s already underway — we offer a complete

process for developing a musical.

Our New Musicals Initiative is a fund supporting

the development of thirty new musicals over the

next several seasons. Separate from the

Initiative, we produce world premiere musicals

on our own, and also partner with producers all

across the country.

The Performers’ Workshop

is an intensive training

program for the singing

actor, headed by Broadway

performer and MFA acting

coach Joshua Finkel and

vocal coach Jake Anthony.

Comedy

Genres

Auditioning

Creating your own cabaret act

Personalized sessions

Prepare for auditions

Booking work

Casting Directors/Agents

Currently enrolling for summer sessions:

Build Your Audition Book (June 29-July 27)

Getting an Agent/Manager (July 12-26)

Cabaret Slam! (July 1-29)

For schedules,

fees, and

information

about auditions, visit

www.nmi.org/actor-

masterclass/

new musicals

...infectious

our Indiegogo campaign…

A huge thank you to all the generous donor who helped make our Indiegogo

campaign so successful. Thanks to all of you, will be having a great

STAGES Festival this summer!

Thanks to: Dean Alexander, Matthew Alexander, David Anderson, Heidi

Appe, Veda Arias, Terrence Atkins, Edward Auslender, Burton Averre,

James Babbin, Jamie Baer, Joel Bailey, Brynn Barge, Ron Barnett, Barbara

Bassinger, Brad Beaver, Harriet Belkin, Wilson Bell, Adrian Bewley, Judy

Bewley, Allison Bibicoff, Andy Bishop, Michael Blaha, Amy Bloom, KL

Brisby, Robert Brock, Karen Burkland, Iris Burnett, Cindy Busby, Gary

Busby, Lauren Byrd, Lotte C, Farley Cadena, Carol-Lynn Campbell, Cate

Caplin, Larry Carpenter, Peter Colley, Will Collyer, Pat & Mike Crane, Rick

Culbertson, Michael Daniel, Giovanni Delrosario, Antonio DeMesa, Sandra

Dewsberry, Eric Dodson, Joshua Donfeld, Noelle Donfeld, Chris Edgar, Paul

Elliott, Roz Esposito, Sean Feely, Cynthia Ferrell, Dan Fields, Joshua Finkel,

Gordon Firemark, Karole Foreman, Gregory Franklin, Maggie Gautier,

Christopher Guardino, Evelyn Halus, Erica Hanrahan, Kurt Hansen, Marty

Hansen, Laura Harrison, Jerry Hart, Doug Haverty, Kevin Saunders Hayes,

Ruby Hayes, Janet Heitkotter, Dale Hinkens, Jennifer Hinkler, Howard Ho,

Nan Hoffman, David Holmes, Catherine Hurd, Barbara Huyett, Lori

Jaroslow, Carl Johnson, Neville Johnson, William Johnson, Michael Jung,

David Kaufman, Max Kinberg, Jeff King, Luke Klipp, Marissa Kochanski,

Joey Kotfica, Kurt Kuenne, Megan Lange, Janet Lebovitz, Kelly Lester, Ilya

Levinson, Simon Levy, Paul Libman, Jeff Loeb, Roger Love, Stacey Luftig,

Alice Lunsford, Christopher Maikish, Dody Mason, John McCool Bowers,

Kevin McIntyre, Lou Ann McLean, Ann McNamee, Kevin Meyer, Brendan

Milburn, Scott Miller, Connie Monroe, Frank Mula, Rafi Nemes, Conchita

Newman, Mary Lou Newmark, Cindy O'Connor, Justin Okin, Phil Olson, Les

Oreck, David Orris, eLi Parr, Julie Perron, Richard Plotkin, Duane Poole,

Noah Reece, Danielle Roderick, Hillary Rollins, Jan Roper, Larry Rubinstein,

Arnold Rudnick, Adryan Russ, Shawn Ryan, Veronica Scheyving, Liz

Schiller, Jeffery Lyle Segal, Sandy Shanin, Michael Shepperd, Louis Silvers,

Mark Singer, Molly Siskin, Lisa Sniderman, Murray Sokolof, Fern Solomon,

Michele Spears, Ken Stone, Melissa Strauss, Jeffrey Sweet, Tedd Szeto,

Stephen Telfer, Betsy Thomas, R. Scott Thompson, Cheryl Tsieprati, Rachel

Tyler, Christina Valo, Richard Van Slyke, Charles Veley, Larry Verbit,

Gabrielle Wagner, Sue Warford, Terri Weiss, Peter Welkin, Betsy Wells,

Jennifer Winkler, Chana Wise, Steve Wise, Randi Wolfe, Paul Wong, Brian

Woodbury, Jill Wright

Board of Directors Michael Blaha (President), Ron Barnett (Member Rep), Elise Dewsberry,

Noelle Donfeld (Secretary), Kevin R. Meyer (Treasurer), John Sparks, Larry Verbit,

Sue Warford (Emeritus)

boards Honorary Board

Paul Lazarus, Jeff Marx, Marty Panzer, Hal Prince,

Stephen Schwartz, Charles Strouse

Advisory Board Thomas E. Backer, PhD, Susie Chodakiewitz, Susan Dietz, Jeannine Frank,

Mark Halloran, Herb Isaacs, Amy Levinson (Millan), Simon Levy,

Ron Parker, Elsa Ramo, Bill Royce, Frank Sheftel, Michael Silversher, Thomas White

staff John Sparks, Founding Artistic Director

Elise Dewsberry, Artistic Director

Scott Guy, Executive Director

Joshua Finkel, Director, Performers’ Workshop

Jake Anthony, Resident Music Director

Ron Barnett, ARC Music Director

Ross Källing, Music Consultant

Larry Todd Johnson, Lyric Lab

Philip Seward, Music Lab

new musicals

...indispensible

New Musicals Inc. and its curriculum branch, the Academy for New

Musical Theatre, has been nurturing the study, creation, and

development of new musicals for over four decades.

We provide opportunities for bookwriters, lyricists, composers,

performers, directors, music directors, producers, and everyone

interested in the future of our treasured unique American art form.

New Musicals Inc.

5628 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601

818-506-8500 www.nmi.org admin@nmi.org