A head's up for my fellow theater educators and enthusiasts. Samuel French, one of the largest theatrical publishing and licensing companies, is holding a four day series of seminars on musical theater called #MusicalsWeek. The events, held at the Samuel French Offices (235 Park Avenue, 5th Floor) in NYC, are free to the public. Admission is limited.
However, each of the panels will be streamed live on HowlRound, a blog about resources for theater from Emerson College. Samuel French and HowlRound have put together a wonderful group of presenters covering a wide range of topics on contemporary musical theater. I'll be watching and tweeting along from home. I hope you'll join me.
#MusicalsWeek concludes with a live concert at 54 Below on Friday night. Amanda Green, the composer/lyricist of Hands on a Hardbody, will host. The concert will feature composers talking about and then performing selections from their musicals, all available to license through Samuel French. This is a paid event benefiting the Dramatist Guild Fund. The 54 Below site has the ticketing details.
Here's the full schedule of events.
Promotion and Protection of Musicals Monday, September 28, 6:30pm Samuel French Offices (235 Park Avenue South, 5th Fl. NYC) Moderator: Sam Willmott (composer/lyricist, Yo, Vikings) Panelists: Sean Patrick Flahaven (Senior Vice President of Theatre & Catalogue Development, Warner/Chappell Music), Bruce Lazarus (Executive Director, Samuel French), Ryan Scott Oliver (composer/lyricist, Jasper in Deadland, 35mm: A Musical Exhibition), and Georgia Stitt (composer/lyricist, Danger year, Big Red Sun)
Development of a Musical Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30pm Samuel French Offices (235 Park Avenue South, 5th Fl. NYC) Moderator: TBA Panelists: Kathy Evans (Founder/Executive Director of the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat), Chris Miller (composer, Tuck Everlasting), Nathan Tysen (lyricist, Tuck Everlasting)
Diversity and Equality in Musical Theatre Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30pm Samuel French Offices (235 Park Avenue South, 5th Fl. NYC) Moderator: Sarah Schlesinger (lyricist/librettist; Chair, Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program & Associate Dean of the Institute of Performing Arts, New York University Tisch School of the Performing Arts) Panelists: Justin Huff, CSA (Telsey + Co. Casting The Color Purple, On Your Feet, Kinky Boots), Ali Stoker (actress, Deaf West’s Spring Awakening), Michael R. Jackson (composer/lyricist)
New Forms of Musical Theatre* Thursday, October 1 at 6:30pm Dramatists Guild Fund (356 West 40th St, 2nd Floor, NYC) Moderator: Kent Nicholson (Director of Musical Theatre, Playwrights Horizons) Panelists: Michael Friedman (composer/lyricist, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Jackson Gay (director, These Paper Bullets), Branden Huldeen (New Works Director & Festival Producing Director, National Alliance for Musical Theatre), Shakina Nayfack (Founding Artistic Director, Musical Theatre Factory)
The Thursday panel is already full, so you have no choice but to stream it.