The Academy for New Musical Theatre is proud to announce that 40 is the New 15, a new musical by Larry Todd Johnson and Cindy O’Connor, has received a 2010 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Los Angeles Theatre. Nominations for the awards were announced in Los Angeles at a press conference and on the GLAAD website.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.
40 is the New 15 explores five characters who are turning 40, and looks back on their lives when they met as high-school freshman at 15. Two of these characters, K.P. (Tod Macofsky) and Robby (Ed Martin) face coming-of-age sexuality issues at 15 that shape their view of the world for the rest of their lives. The ups-and-downs of Robby and K.P.’s relationship is the heart and soul of 40 is the New 15.
40 is the New 15 recently completed a successful developmental run at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood, produced by the Academy for New Musical Theatre. The production enjoyed sold-out houses throughout its run. There were raves about the “tuneful, clever songs, (and) engrossing storyline,” and critics called it “a diamond in the rough,” “sweetly entertaining,” and “something to sing about.”
“We are proud that this success has come to a new musical that was born in our Full Length Curriculum program and nurtured with a spot in our Concert Reading Series,” says ANMT Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry. “40 is the New 15 was a natural to be our first developmental production, and we congratulate Larry and Cindy for having their work honored with a GLAAD Media Award nomination.”
For a full list of GLAAD Media Award nominations, visit GLAAD.org at: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/nominees
Something exciting happened in Orange County this weekend – and the world of new musical theatre is all the better for it! Over the weekend of Sept. 18-20, the UC/Irvine Department of Drama presented what is planned to be the first annual New Musical Theatre Festival, with two performances each of the new musicals Aging Out (book and lyrics by Tara Redepenning and Hillary Rollins, music by Darin Goulet) and E-$cape (book & lyrics by Scott Guy, music by Nick DeGregorio).
The Festival, under the helm of Artistic Director Gary Busby, is the result of a partnership between UC/Irvine and the Academy for New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles. The Academy’s professional bookwriters, lyricists, and composers are hard at work on a series of new musicals created specifically for the talents of the UC/Irvine students.
Eli Simon, Chair of UCI’s Drama Department, feels that this partnership is a win-win situation – the UCI students get a chance to create new roles that no one else has ever performed, and get an inside view of how a new musical is created – and the ANMT writers get developmental resources that are almost unheard of in the professional world.
Check out the pictures below – and then watch for one (or both!) of these shows to wind up as full productions in an upcoming UCI season! And keep an eye out for next year’s Festival.
The writing teams (Left: Aging Out; Right: E-$cape) in post-show talk-back sessions with the casts.
UCI Department Chair Eli Simon, ANMT Associate Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry and Executive Director Scott Guy, and UCI Festival Artistic Director Gary Busby
Performers’ Workshop creator Joshua Finkel here. Here is some wonderful candid footage from the recent historic evening at the ANMT Performers’ Workshop, where for the first time all THREE levels of the workshop performed under the same roof to ANMT writers, Industry members, family and friends. The Fall Showcase and Potluck for the Performers’ Workshop–The Chow and Bow Broadway Buffet held on Wednesday November 12 was a smash! Members from Adult Level 1, Adult Advanced Level 2 and the new PW Teen level strutted their stuff to a packed house. Listen to the wonderful words and feelings of both performers and audience alike. Full evening’s show video is forthcoming! Don’t miss the NEXT showcase of the Performers’ Workshop at the M Bar in Hollywood on Wednesday February 25 at 8 p.m. where members of the Cabaret and Specialty Material Class will perform the 8 minute cabaret set they create themselves over the winter session! Further info: http://www.anmt.org/arc/pwdefault.asp
Hi!
Joshua Finkel here. I am the creator and director of the ANMT Perfomers’ Workshop. The next round of classes will be starting up soon, featuring the annual Performers’ Workshop Cabaret event at the M Bar in Hollywood. This performance is the culmination of the winter session Level 1 class entitled GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETHER which concentrates on Cabaret and Specialty Material Performance Technique.
I hope you’ll have a look at the video below, which is from my introduction to last year’s M Bar event.
Auditions for the next round of sessions for adults and teens will take place on November 2, 2008 from 2-6pm.
For more information about the Performers’ Workshop, and a link to sign up for auditions, please go to:
