Shown (l-r): Matthew Hardy, Sean Hartley, Randy Klein, Ron Barnett, Greg Edwards, Eric March, jeff Ward, Matt Schatz, Phillip Chernyak, Patrick Cook, , Mary Liz McNamara, Richard Engquist, Frank Evans, Alison Hubbard, Kim oler, Ray Bokhour, Phoebe Kreutz, BMI’s Jean Banks, and Daniel Israel. Not pictured: Simon Gray

The new musicals showcased included The Suicide by Raymond Bokhour and Simon Gray; The Thing About Joe by Randy Klein and Matthew Hardy; Saloon Songs by Richard Engquist; and The Dirty Hippie Jam Band by Dan Israel and Phoebe Kreutz. Other writers included Mary Liz McNamara, Sean Hartley, Greg Edwards, Eric March, Jeff Ward, Matt Schatz, Phillip Chernyak, Alison Hubbard and Kim Oler. Previous smoker participants include Best Musical Tony Award-winners Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Avenue Q); Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer (I’m Getting My Act Together…); Eric Rockwell and Joann Bogart (The Musical of Musicals, The Musical); and Amanda Green and Tom Kitt (High Fidelity). The event was produced by the Workshop’s Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook and Special Events Coordinator Frank Evans. The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a 2006 Tony Honor recipient, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award winner for Excellence in Musical Theatre, was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft.

Event participants (l-r): Ralph Oman, former Register of Copyrights and current Pravel Professorial Lecturer and GW CIEC Fellow; Susan Mann, Senior Director, Intellectual Property Policy, Microsoft Corp.; Maury Yeston, Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist, former Professor and Director of Undergraduate Music Studies, Yale University; Co-Director GW IP Law Program Robert Brauneis; Bhamati Viswanathan, GW CIEC Research Associate; Tanya Sandros, General Counsel, U.S. Copyright Office; and Del Bryant, President & CEO, BMI.

The meeting at the Library of Congress was the second in “The Creative Industries in Transition: New Directions for the Digital Era” series and showcases academic research papers that are supported by The George Washington University Law School and sponsored by BMI.

Tony winning Broadway composer Maury Yeston makes an impassioned plea for copyright protection during the panel discussion. From left: Susan Mann, Yeston,Tanya Sandros, Robert Brauneis and Ralph Oman.

“Intellectual property is one of the driving forces of the economy, especially now with the financial troubles on Wall Street,” noted Ralph Oman, a Creative and Innovative Economy Center fellow who teaches copyright law at The George Washington University Law School and previously served as U.S. Register of Copyrights from 1985-1993. “Performing rights organizations work. They are the most transparent and most trustworthy solution to create value for and protect the rights of songwriters, composers, and their small businesses by collecting money around the world when their songs are performed. These organizations are a key part of the machinery.”

“Let us consider the massive and disproportionally positive influx of income the export of our intellectual property has on our nation’s balance of trade, not only in song, but also in film and theatrical products,” said program panelist Maury Yeston, Ph.D, a multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway composer and former director of undergraduate music studies at Yale University. “As someone who is currently in production with a $90 million American film musical, I know the strength and extension of copyright protection is in the national interest, even more critical during economic times like these,” said Dr. Yeston.

BMI President & CEO Del Bryant offered perspective from within the performing right arena, stating, “There is certainly no dispute that entertainment, information and copyright are in an era of dramatic change. This change has been has been evolutionary. Its been going on for a long time. For those of us in the music industry, it started nearly 15 years ago when music started to hit the web.

“It’s clear that entertainment is changing. As they say in the technology business, it’s scaling fast. Clearly, technology is nurturing an explosion of creativity. So will all of the 5 million bands on MySpace become commercial hits or even commercially viable? Probably not. But they do deserve a chance to express themselves and present their creative work to the public. When they do so, the copyrights that they create deserve our respect and, if the creator desires it, fair compensation when they are exploited. Likewise, businesses deserve a marketplace where they can get access to copyrights for a fair price and take their shot at building the next generation of entertainment.

“To make all of this happen, we need fair, market-driven copyright clearance and payment systems. You, as policy makers, are in a pivotal role to help frame these systems. Some innovative solutions have been proposed, ranging from Music Rights Organizations to ISP levy systems, global licensing solutions and more.

“Unfortunately, to date, the biggest winner in this evolving world has been inertia. It’s a paradox. We are here today to chip away at that inertia in a thoughtful and balanced way. We cannot wait until the next round of Congressional hearings or rate-setting proceedings to hurriedly craft the next big idea.

“We need to be proactive, and collaborative. We need to blend the best thinking from the best minds across all aspects of these issues and come up with solutions that work for creators and copyright owners, solutions that work for business and solutions that foster strong, progressive public policy for America’s copyrights both here in the U.S. and around the world.

“That’s why we launched the New Copyright Era initiative. We believe that a productive, balanced and thoughtful dialog among the academic, business and policy communities is crucial to setting the stage for the future of copyright — and the future of creativity. I thank you again for joining us today and hope you will keep up to date with the New Copyright Era Initiative at our website http://newcopyrightera.org.”

A recipient of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Award, the Lehman Engel Musical Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and book writers who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumnus Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous). Alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

Sponsorship for the Workshop is fully covered by BMI, at no cost to participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in American musical theatre. A springboard for new works, the Workshop creates a learning environment for members to experiment, take risks and learn from moderators and other participants.

Applications for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop can be downloaded here, or requested by emailing theatre@bmi.com. Applications should include:

Composer: Three (3) contrasting compositions on CD –up-tempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting lyrics –up-tempo, comedy song, ballad.

Composer/Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting songs on CD -up-tempo, comedy song, ballad. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Please send completed applications to:

Jean Banks BMI 320 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019

(Front row, L-R): Michael Bush, BMI’s Jean Banks, Jane Smulyan, Randy Klein, Kristin Maloney, Adam Matthias, Rick Freyer, Raymond Bokhour, Phoebe Kreutz, David Spencer, Robert Yarnall, Sara Wordsworth, Andrew Sherman; (Back Row)Jack Lechner, Andy Monroe, Robert Maggio, Diane Daltner, Nancy Golladay, Pat Cook, Doug Katsaros, Frank Evans, Dan Irsael, Ben H Winters, Robert Sislen, Chris Boal

The evening began with composer Brad Alexander and book writer/lyricist Adam Mathias’s See Rock City & Other Destinations, winner of the 2008 Richard Rodgers Award and 2007 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award. Anthony Rapp (Rent) and Jill Abramovitz (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me) performed two songs from the show, followed by Jenifer Foote, currently in the Broadway revival of a Chorus Line, who performed the title song from BMI Foundation Harrington Award-winning writer Stephen Sislen and Ben H. Winters’ Room 16.

Pat Cook presents retirement award to Advanced Class moderator Richard Engquist.

The showcase continued with selections from The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project, with a performances from Sandie Rosa and Bret Carr; Pleasantville, an adaptation from the film of the same title; The Kid, based on the book by Village Voice columnist Dan Savage; The Thing About Joe, with a performance of “Some Girls” by Kevin B. McGlynn; Shall We Dance, featuring an ensemble performance of “He Needs Me”; Drive, created by composer/lyricist Andy Monroe; China Doll Overdrive, with a performance from Workshop composer Adam Overett and Mick Bleyer; My Blue Heaven, created by composer Andy Karl and lyricist Diane Daltner; National Geographic, spawned from author Chris Boal and Grammy Award-winning composer Andrew Sherman; and The Suicide, with a performance of “Hold the Pity Pudding.”

Anthony Rapp performs “See Rock City”.

Pat Cook, artistic coordinator of the Workshop, presented an award to Richard Engquist on his retirement as the moderator of the Advanced Workshop. Engquist has been moderating the Second Year and Advanced classes for 25 years.

The finale of the showcase featured Anthony Rapp, star of the original cast of Rent, singing the title song from the BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award-winning musical See Rock City.

Writers previously showcased include Best Musical Tony winners Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Avenue Q); Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line); triple Tony Award winner Maury Yeston, (Nine, Titanic, Grand Hotel); eight-time Oscar-winner and nine-time Grammy-winner Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors); Drama Desk winner Carol Hall (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas); Tony Award recipients Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Seussical); Tony and Grammy winners Judd Woldin and Robert Brittan (Raisin); Tony nominees Michael Korie and Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens; and Tony nominee Jeff Blumenkrantz (Urban Cowboy).

A recipient of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Award, the Lehman Engel Musical Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and book writers who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumni Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous). Alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

Sponsorship for the Workshop is fully covered by BMI, leaving no cost for participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in American musical theatre. A springboard for new works, the Workshop creates a learning environment for members to experiment, take risks and learn from moderators and other participants.

Applications for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop can be downloaded here, or requested by emailing theatre@bmi.com. Applications should include:

Composer: Three (3) contrasting compositions on cassette – ballad, up-tempo, comedy song. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting lyrics – ballad, up-tempo, comedy song.

Composer/Lyricist: Three (3) contrasting songs on cassette - ballad, up-tempo, comedy song. Please include copy of score that includes lyrics.

Please send completed applications to:

Jean Banks BMI 320 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019

Now in its fourth decade of working with musical theatre writers, the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop was recently celebrated with Drama League, Drama Desk, and Tony™Honors awards for its contribution to the theatre community. The Librettists Workshop was created by the late Lehman Engel as an essential complement to the original songwriters’ workshops that Engel led from 1961 until 1982. Engel was fond of Oscar Hammerstein’s statement that “the song is the servant of the play.” BMI’s Librettist Workshop was founded to foster the new scripts which allow the American musical theatre to keep on singing.

The Workshop’s goal is to clarify the special techniques of writing for the musical stage. BMI fully sponsors the Workshop; there is no cost to participating writers. Most members of the Librettists Workshop are accomplished playwrights, but some join the Workshop after experience in screenwriting, journalism, or other literary disciplines. The Workshop has become a springboard for new works, a resource for new collaborations, and a talent pool known throughout the theatrical industry.

Broadway Literary Manager and scriptwriter Nancy Golladay serves as Librettist Workshop Moderator. Members meet weekly to present work in progress and to participate in peer discussion. Golladay has also created a number of innovative programs where Librettist members work on short-term projects with members of BMI’s songwriting workshops to promote collaboration and networking among the groups. Occasional guest lecturers visit the Workshop to discuss other aspects of the theatre business. Participants learn musical theatre skills both through moderated critiques and from the examples shown by the group’s senior members.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is made up of approximately 250 composers, lyricists, and bookwriters working in the musical theatre. Alumni include Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party), Linda Klein (A Class Act), Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Once on This Island, Ragtime, Dessa Rose, Seussical), and Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q).

To apply to the Librettists Workshop, writers must submit samples of their work with a résumé and completed application form by May 1. In addition to bmi.com, application forms and information may be obtained by contacting:

Jean Banks, Senior Director, Musical Theatre, BMI

320 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

musicaltheatre@bmi.com

Produced by Workshop committee members Frank Evans, who serves as Public Relations Coordinator, and Patrick Cook, who is Artistic Coordinator, the event is an informal social gathering modeled after entertainments from BMI composer and former Workshop moderator Maury Yeston's undergraduate days at Cambridge.

Pictured after the ceremony at Tavern on the Green are (front row): Tony Honors recipient Gerard Alessandrini, BMI Workshop moderator Maury Yeston, American Theatre Wing President Douglas Leeds, Shubert Organization Chairman Gerald Schoenfeld, actress Angela Lansbury, American Theatre Wing Chairman Sondra Gilman, Tony Honors host Cynthia Nixon, BMI Workshop moderator Richard Engquist, Tony Honors recipient Biff Liff; (middle row): Workshop alumni and Tony Honors presenters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Workshop Steering Committee members Nancy Golladay, Jane Smulyan and David Spencer; (back row): Workshop moderator Rick Freyer, Workshop alumnus Judd Woldin (composer of Raisin, the Workshop's first Tony-winning musical), BMI Workshop Director Jean Banks, Workshop Steering Committee members Patrick Cook and Frank Evans, and Workshop alumna Linda Kline.

In accepting the crystal trophy, Yeston, the Tony Award-winning BMI composer (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine) who has led the Workshop for more than 25 years, said, "Lehman wanted to pass on his expertise in writing musicals and he got together with an extraordinary corporation, BMI, and they did something unprecedented that I don't think has ever been done before or since: They made a workshop. BMI put up the money, they provided the infrastructure and the room and the piano, and they've been doing this for more than 40 years, free of charge, no strings attached. It is a real privilege to sit there and to see these shows come into existence week by week and song by song."

American Theatre Wing President Douglas Leeds, American Theatre Wing Chairman Sondra Gilman, BMI Workshop moderator Maury Yeston, who accepted the Tony Honor on the Workshop's behalf, and Workshop alumna Lynn Ahrens, who presented the award

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. With more than 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre, noted alumni include Yeston, as well as Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

(Back row): Workshop committee members Patrick Cook, Jean Banks and Frank Evans; and (front row): Lynn Ahrens and Maury Yeston

The BMI Workshop's 2006 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre adds to an impressive trophy shelf that already boasts a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater," and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.

In addition to the BMI Workshop, Forbidden Broadway and its creator Gerard Alessandrini- a BMI composer and Workshop alumnus-were also honored with a Tony Honor, given to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievements in the field of theatre, but that are not eligible in any of the established Tony categories. Winners are chosen by the Tony Administration Committee.]]> 2006-10-27T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334990 Alessandrini, Gerard, Engel, Lehman, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Yeston, Maury, Musical Theatre, Tony Awards Congratulations to the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, recently announced as a recipient of the 2006 Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. This prestigious honor will be presented Oct. 24 at Tavern on the Green in New York City.

The Tony Honors "recognize contributions to the field of theatre for individuals and organizations that are not eligible in any of the established Tony categories." In addition to the BMI Workshop, Forbidden Broadway and its creator Gerard Alessandrini, a BMI composer and Workshop alum, will also be feted. Other honorees include William Morris Agency Senior VP Samuel Liff and La MaMa E.T.C. Founder/Director Ellen Stewart.

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. The Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of whom are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. Noted alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

The Workshop's 2006 Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre adds to an impressive trophy shelf that already boasts a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater" and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.]]> 2006-09-26T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334883 Artists, Cook, Patrick, Engel, Lehman, Kleban, Ed, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Yeston, Maury BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is now accepting applications for its first year composer/lyricist class. The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2006.

The first year class is co-moderated by Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook (Captains Courageous, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Workshop alumni Frederick Freyer (Captains Courageous), both Drama Desk nominees. The class explores the basics of writing for the musical theatre through a series of assignments and culminates in the creation of a 10-minute musical presented at the end of the year. Qualified first year writers are invited into the second year.

The Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of whom are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. Other noted alumni include Tony Award winners Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).

BMI fully sponsors the Workshop so there is no cost to participating writers. The purpose of the Workshop is to bring writers together to work under the guidance and supervision of experienced professionals in order to develop new creative talent in the American musical theatre. The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop provides a learning environment where members are encouraged to experiment and take risks. Participants have opportunities to learn about musical theatre style from both the moderators and other members. The Workshop has become a springboard for new works, a resource for new collaborations, and one of the most respected workshops in the theatre industry.

Applicants for the first year composer/lyricist class are asked to submit three contrasting samples of their work along with a completed application form, which can also be obtained by email at MusicalTheatre@bmi.com or by writing to:

Jean Banks
Senior Director, Musical Theatre
BMI
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop was founded in 1961 by the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. Included among the prestigious honors the Workshop has received are a special 2006 Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater" and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre.]]> 2006-07-05T18:00:01-05:00