The Promax/BDA Awards, which recognize outstanding marketing, promotion and design in broadcast and electronic media, announced their 2013 finalists and projects I wrote were nominated for four awards.
Citations included Creative Copywriting – Print for the “Kroll Show Billboard” (working with my awesome Comedy Central teammates, Designer Derek Dudek and Design Director Rolyn Barthelman); Copywriting – Television as well as Channel Holiday/Special Event Spot for Food Network’s “Thanksgiving Umbrella“ promo; and Channel Holiday/Special Event Spot for Food Network’s “Thanksgiving Live“ promo (both in collaboration with Creative Director Cristine Shropshire). Winners will be announced at the Los Angeles Ceremony in June.
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre has awarded the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma a grant to present a workshop production of our musical Triangle. At the announcement, NAMT’s executive director Betsy King Militello explained, “”We are honored to support our member theatres as they develop these exciting, innovative and provocative new musicals… These projects will join a growing list of important new musicals added to the canon with support from our National Fund for New Musicals.”
I have to particularly thank Stacey Mindich Productions, which provided specific and generous support for our grant. As soon as I have details about the workshop, I’ll post them here.
Two time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals announced that Curtis Moore and I will be among the writers gathering for the inaugural Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. During January and February, 35 acclaimed music theater composers, lyricists and bookwriters will take residence on Goodspeed’s Connecticut campus, working side by side and sharing their newest material. Find out more at BroadwayWorld.
The charming and talented Colin Hanlon (Wicked, Submissions Only) has recorded a new song from Triangle titled, simply enough, “Love”.Although the version of the song that will appear in the show has already changed a bit from this recording (thanks to a very productive recent workshop at TheatreWorks), I can’t help wanting to share Colin’s gorgeous voice.
The set-up: a chemistry graduate student, who keeps everyone around him at arms length, finds himself suddenly kissing a man he’s only just met a few hours before. Dazed, he steps back to analyze what is going on.
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre will present our original musical Triangle at the 2012 Festival of New Musicals in October. One of eight pieces chosen (check out the full list of amazing writers involved), the show will receive two 45-minute staged readings for an invited audience of producers, artistic directors and other industry representatives. The NAMT festival is New York’s longest-running musical theater festival and has been the launching pad for Broadway hits such as Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Drowsy Chaperone.
Among a boatload of citations for Comedy Central’s Brand Creative Group, our Off-Air team won two awards at the June 2012 Promax/BDA Awards, which recognize outstanding marketing, promotion and design in broadcast and electronic media. At the Los Angeles ceremony, we received Gold for Best Web Marketing/Advertising – “Workaholics: Beer Bong Banners” and Silver for Best E-Communications – Comedy Central Holiday Card.
Though I’m listed as the writer on these projects, it’s an amazingly collaborative team and I’m particularly proud to share that Silver with Design Director Rolyn Barthelman, Designer Jamey Welch, Developer Scott Weiner (who also designed this website) and Project Manager Katie Zimmerman.
Triangle has been selected for this summer’s TheatreWorks New Works Festival in Palo Alto, one of the premiere developmental opportunities for musicals. During an intensive two week workshop, Triangle will receive three public staged readings (August 12, 16 & 18) directed by Meredith McDonough and featuring an amazing cast of New York and Bay Area actors. For more information on tickets and schedule, visit theatreworks.org or call 650-463-1960.
The May 2012 issue of Passport Magazine, featuring my interview with two-time Tony nominee Gavin Creel, has hit newsstands (and iPads) nationwide. We discuss his co-founding of the grassroots political organization Broadway Impact, his favorite cities and a few travel tips as he heads out on the road to star in The Book of Mormon. For more with Gavin, check out the “not safe for print edition” extended conversation on The Broadway Blog.
Nick Blaemire, star of Broadway’s Godspell, just recorded two tracks for the original musical Triangle. The demos reflect new material from the October 2011 workshop at Northwestern University’s American Musical Theatre Project. Take a listen to “Drive Away”, lyrics by Thomas Mizer & music by Curtis Moore:
