Musical Theatre Project:developing six musicalswith the Academy for New Musical Theatreand Australian musical theatre writing teams

The Academy for New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles, in consultation with Kevin Purcell, in Melbourne, is now accepting applications for six musical theatre projects to be developed by Austra-lian writers over a 24 month period, through long-distance streamcast workshops, readings and mentorship. Successful applicants will follow a rigorous deadline-driven schedule of outlining, drafts and revisions, with the goal of creating a viable, produceable full-length musical by 2014.

This is the only formal, structured and internationally recognised program of training open to Austra-lian musical theatre writers. Never previously available, it represents an outstanding opportunity to connect with international experts, relevant theatre networks and peers, without relocating to the USA.

The musicals themselves can be about any topic (and need not be Australian-specific), and can be any size. ANMT knows of markets for every size of musical theatre, and can advise writing teams about balancing the economics of production with the importance of art and craft.

the viability of the premise writing samples writing team's experience in writing and collaboration

We are not looking for completed musicals; we are looking to develop new musicals with you, through this process. A single paragraph-sized idea would be sufficient to qualify a project, if writing samples from other projects demonstrate high level of craft. We will not be accepting musicals which have been completed; in fact, musicals which are early in their development have a distinct advantage over others.

The Academy (ANMT) will take no financial ownership in these projects, but will attempt to assist writers in introducing their work to American and international producers.

The Academy for New Musical Theatre has over 400 musicals through our process and now has an opportunity, through Kevin Purcell, to reach out to Australian writers, online, with readings and feed-back live from Los Angeles.

January/February 2013 -- applications Spring/Summer 2013 - projects launched Autumn 2013/Winter 2014 - workshops, mentoring, preliminary readings Spring 2014 - first drafts completed Summer 2014 - table readings/presentations in Los Angeles Autumn 2014 - marketing consultations; identification of potential producers and theatres

Cost: $15,000 USD per project

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

Timeframe:

Selections of projects will be based on various criteria, including:

Australian/American

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

Participate long distance/online with staff and mentors at the Academy for New Musical Theatre, who will customize various aspects of its development process to fit the needs of you and your musical.

We can help you conceive, write and finish your musical, evaluating your own personal goals and ambitions, and design a schedule that works for you. However, it will be our goal to get your musical finished and ready for producers to take a look at within 24 months.

Along the way, we'll personalize our feedback, not only to the particulars of your musical, but also to you as an artist: are you a working professional in need of structure, deadlines and feedback? Or are you an emerging writer and would like a foundation of the basic tenants of the craft of writing musical theatre? (That is, we'll customize how academic we are with you...perhaps not at all, perhaps a good deal, depending on your level of experience.) You'll have access to ANMT's online videos developed for Lyric Lab, Music Lab and Book Lab. Pending your expertise, you may wish to participate in some of the writing assignments in one or more of the Labs, outside the context of your musical.

Here’s how it works.The first stage of development will be spent working with you and your outline. We believe that it vastly improves your musical if you are absolutely sure your outline is rock solid before you begin writing. We have a kind-but-firm process to lead you from an idea through to outline, no matter what your level of experience.

After the outline is rock-solid, we'll encourage you to bash out a rough, sloppy, hasty version of the book...not for an audience...no one will ever hear this draft -- it's meant as an exploration of character and storytelling, to precipitate a discussion about possible songs. There are, of course, many approaches to writing a musical but we find one of the most efficient involves this step, prior to the songs, even the conception of songs.

After the initial draft of the script, then we'll coach you through song-spotting sessions, spit-balling a zillion possibilities for songs, and winnowing them to the ones which have the strongest potential to deliver story, character, drama, conflict and action.

Then songwriting begins.

Once songs come into existence, then you'll re-shape the book to set up the songs, eliminating redundant material, incorporating book into lyrics, and possibly vice-versa.

ANMT staff will present your songs/scenes for you, up to approximately 15 minutes' worth of material each month; usually sight-singing themselves, or occasionally enlisting some actors to join in the presentation.

Stage One:Outline and First Draft

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

We think if you stay on schedule, you can complete this process in 18 months. Whereas, the program in Los Angeles pushes writers to complete shows in 9 months, we appreciate that online completion will take a little longer. The upside of this is that we have more time to instruct you on additional relevant topics, as may be useful, and/or even suggest some small side-bar writing exercises where appropriate to your needs.

We prefer if you approach us with a collaborative TEAM of at least two people, with some combination of shared responsibilities of book, music and lyrics. A team of three is ideal: one writer in each craft; but two-person combinations are welcome. If you prefer working by yourself, we will consider your project, but you'll probably have to put up with our urging you at every step of the way to work with a collaborator. You might consider prior to beginning your musical asking us to try to match you up with an online collaborator.

This stage of development includes:

• Online, personalized Outlining Lab• Online feedback and interaction (a combination of streamcasting, Skype/Google+ Hangouts, video-conferencing, and uploading of digital feedback sessions)• Individualized scheduling, deadlines and nudging• Access to ANMT's videos on the craft of musical theatre writing (music, book and lyrics)• Unlimited online storage space for your files, videos, feedback, mp3's, for five years• Personalized coaching through the song-spotting process• Monthly presentations and feedback sessions of your musical

Stage Two consists of a sequence of five separate day-long sessions. The first session will consist of a table reading of your musical and a half-day of feedback. You will then take time for rewrites, paced by "check-in" sessions which will concentrate on specifics of your musical, typically, one session focused on lyrics, another on music and the third on book. ANMT will then produce a final table reading and feedback session.

Sessions One and Five will include complete table readings of the entire work, followed by feedback and analysis. Sessions Two through Four will include in-depth, line-by-line analysis and mentoring on such topics as: character arc, fulfillment of theme, dramatic function of songs, song structure, progression, musical gesture, prosody (marriage of words and music), character diction, musical diction, and initial exploration of accompani-ment, arrangement and support for voice.

Session One - Script Overview. 6 hours, 3 mentors.Session Two - Lyric Concentration. 5 hours, 2 mentors.Session Three - Music Concentration. 5 hours, 2 mentors.Session Four - Scene Work. 5 hours, 2 mentors.Session Five - Table Reading/Feedback. 6 hours, 3 mentors.

Stage Two:Table Reading and Analysis

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

At the conclusion of the final table reading, advice and counsel will also be given about next steps of develop-ment, workshops, initial production, and identification of possible theatres and producers. ANMT will also work closely with the writing team consulting about marketing materials, and marketing campaign, leading writers to create attractive, attention-getting promotional materials and demos (both physical and online).

Musicals which successfully complete Stage Three will be considered for ANMT's season of Concert Readings, presented in a professional theatre in Los Angeles, at ANMT's expense. Actors, director, music director, theatre, stage manager and producer will be supplied by ANMT. Value: $25,000. Note: This is not a guarantee; not all musicals in this project will be presented in concert readings, but all will be considered, and all will be consid-ered for inclusion in Stages Musical Theatre Festival, presented every other year in Los Angeles. Please also be aware that the selection of a musical for Stages or a concert series is an award, based on artistic merit, and cannot be purchased; works are selected for the concert series on the basis of merit and interest to an audience and potential producers.

Stage Three:Marketing and Producers

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

Elise Dewsberry has been involved in the development of new works for over twenty years: as an actor/singer, as a director, as a dramaturge, and as a writer. While living in Toronto, Elise served as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Muskoka Festival; the Co-Ordinator of the festival’s annual Musical Theatre Writer’s Colony, the Associate Dramaturge of the Canadian Stage Company; the Resident Drama- turge of the Smile Theatre Company; and was the co-founder of Toronto’s Script Lab. Elise spent many years touring Canada with Nine Months – a one-woman musical which she commissioned from writers Carl Ritchie and Stephen Woodjetts. Elise and Carl also co-wrote Any Body Home?, which was produced by the Cordova Bay Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia, and published by Dramatic Publishing. Elise joined ANMT as Associate Artistic Director in 2003, and joined Founding Artistic Director, John Sparks as Co-Artistic Director in 2010. Elise also serves as a member of the Selection Committee for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre's annual Festival of New Works, and as a Los Angeles Ovation Award Voter. Elise is also the author and evaluator of the Book Lab and the Outlining Lab, offered online through www.writingmusicaltheatre.com.

Scott Guy 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 current and recent writing projects include: Script consultant for musical version of Pirates Of The Caribbean for Disney; libretto for a new musical by Placido Domingo, Jr., book of Manson's Girls for UC/Irvine; Master Smee's Finishing School For Gentlemen Pirates And Ladies Is Welcome Too with music by Jacques Offenbach; and SPAM: a song cycle which will be produced by Boston Metro Opera next spring. Television credits: Six Emmy nomina- tions, and over 100 produced television scripts for Warner Bros., FOX-TV, Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. www.scottguy.biz.

Ross Kalling is an award winning musical director and pianist. He received Dramalogue awards for his musical direction of Fate's productions of Marat/Sade and Three penny Opera, and was also pianist/M.D. for the revival of Liz Swados' Nightclub Cantata at the Odyssey Theatre. Ross was Musical Director at the prestigious Beverly Hills Playhouse for fifteen years, working with actors such as Doris Roberts, Penny Fuller and Jeffrey Tambor; and such directors as Gene Reynolds and the late Milton Katselas. He was also founding Director of Music Curriculum at the Academy for New Musical Theatre. He can be seen performing around town in various cabaret or jazz venues, or with his classical piano trio, trioCAYENNE.

USA

AustraliaKevin Purcell is one of Australia's most eminent musical directors, having worked all over the world for producers including Cameron Macintosh and The Really Useful Group. He is also internationally regarded as a theatre composer and orchestrator, having scored arrangements for leading industry figures including Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch, Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Ann Hampton Callaway and Raúl Esparza amongst others. He is the previous recipient of the Sir Charles Mackerras and Tait Memorial Trust Conductor prizes, having studied in Moscow, the Czech Republic and the USA as part of major international conducting awards. Visit www.kevinpurcell.com.au and www.quillandquaverassociates.com.

Mentors

Ross KallingAcademy Repertory

Company (ARC)

Scott Guy Executive Director

Elise DewsberryArtistic Director

Dr Kevin Purcell

How to Apply

The Application Form is online at: http://www.anmt.org/australianamericanproject/

Please note:

• You can upload and update this information in several sessions;• You need not have everything ready to upload when you first visit the Application page;

• You can save your work and return to it later, even replacing revised versions of documents previously uploaded if necessary.

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

We think we can really help you not only finish your musical, but help your growth as an individual artist, at whatever your stage in your career. Some of you will prefer to be treated as students; some of you will prefer to tap into our professional connections with producers and theatre companies all over the country. But probably everyone will benefit from joining our bustling community of musical theatre writers and artists.

Our motto is: Make a musical, make a difference. We urge you to join us.

Elise DewsberryArtistic DirectorThe Academy for New Musical Theatre

P.S. Don't take our word for it. We have hundreds of testimonials from writers and composers, including Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Marc Hollmann (Urinetown). Visit our online Testimonial Page to read a nearly-endless list of flattering testimonials about us: http://www.anmt.org/workshop.asp

A Final Notefrom ANMT’s Artistic Director

Academy for New Musical Theatre 5628 Vineland North Hollywood, CA 91601 818.506.8500 www.anmt.org

1. Project credits (e.g., "Book & Lyrics by _______; Music by _______")

2. Lead Writer, to be contacted on behalf of the writing team

3. 50-200 word bios of every member of the team.

4. A description of the idea for your project. This should be 1-3 pages (no longer), and can be as short as a half-page. This description should include a plot summary, indicating your main character's main want and conflict. You may optionally address theme, characters, style of music, and description of the setting or other important visuals. We know the idea isn’t finished - we're looking for an overview, and won't be judging the completeness of the storyline.

5. For Composers: include a complete piano/vocal score for two songs (to demonstrate both your notational and compositional knowledge). Lead sheets are not acceptable samples.

6. For Bookwriters: include a sample 4-10 page excerpt from your work; this could be from the project you're submitting, or previous musical theatre work. It should showcase your ability to write dialogue and character through diction

7. For Lyricists: include lyrics along with a brief description of their dramatic context (who's singing; what has happened the moment right before the song?). These lyrics need not be from the current project. These lyrics should demonstrate mastery of song structure, and character/story.

8. 100-200 word artistic statement from each member of the team, stating your goals as a writer and/or goals for this project. Include a statement about whether you are looking for a collaborator on your project, or whether you feel your team is intact.

9. OPTIONAL: recordings of 1-3 songs, at least one of which corresponds to samples above. These do not have to be professional studio recordings.

At least one member of the team must be from, and/or currently living in Australia.

Deadline to apply: 18 February 2013

Meetings/workshops/streamcasts will be scheduled prior to the announcement of the projects, so you will have a chance to determine your availability for the project before accepting the invitation. Once you have accepted the invitation, however, we will expect full and complete commitment, as we will be investing considerable resources and money into these projects and will not want to see them abandoned prior to completion.

Application Checklist