Three new musicals have been selected for presentation at the second annual ASCAP Foundation/Disney Theatrical Productions Musical Theatre Workshop in Chicago, running April 6, 8, 20, 21 and 22, at 7:30 PM, at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Each chosen writer will be able to make short presentations from their original works-in-progress for professional critique by a host of prominent theatre producers, directors and composers.The workshop will be directed by composer-lyricist Craig Carnelia.
The selected writers and their musical works are:
April 6 and 20: The New Kid by Jordan Mann (book, lyrics) and Jeff Thomson (book, music). “A New York City Public High School is forever changed by the appearance of Jamal, a mysterious new student determined to make things better, by any means necessary. Dealing with contemporary themes, The New Kid is a story of unlikely heroes and finding hope and redemption in the face of apathy and injustice.”
April 6 and 21: Ebenezer: Return of the Scrooge by Keith Huff (book, lyrics) and Adryan Russ (music, lyrics). “Picking up where A Christmas Carol leaves off, Ebenezer Scrooge keeps Christmas better than any man in town. When Scrooge’s Christmas magnanimity threatens nephew Fred and his wife Christine of their inheritance, Christine enlists actors from her acting troupe to portray the ghosts of Christmas to spook Uncle Scrooge back to his penny-pinching senses. Can Scrooge’s Christmas spirit survive the night?”
April 8 and 22: Julian Po by Andrew Barrett (book, lyrics) and Ira Antelis (music). “When a strange man mysteriously arrives in an even stranger middle-American town, his presence causes the sleepy lives of The Townspeople to awaken. Combining the traditional and mythical sounds of Americana bluegrass and mountain music with the musical theater form, Julian Po is a rollicking yet cautionary tale of Man’s greatness.”
