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

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

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 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334786 Artists, Bryant, Del, Cook, Patrick, Cunningham, Ryan, Engel, Lehman, Engquist, Richard, Evans, Frank, Flaherty, Steve, Freyer, Rick, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Smulyan, Jane, Spencer, David, Yeston, Maury Past and Present Members Nominated for Outstanding Music and Lyrics

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will receive a special Drama Desk Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater." This prestigious award will be presented to the Workshop during the 2006 Drama Desk Awards ceremony, set for May 21 at LaGuardia Concert Hall at New York's Lincoln Center.

Upon hearing the news, BMI President and CEO Del Bryant said, "We are thrilled to have been selected for this unique honor. It is a recognition that the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop has truly become part of the fabric of Broadway over the past 45 years. The real credit goes to Lehman for his inspiration and vision, and to the many talented composers, lyricists and librettists who have so generously given of their time and passion to nurture generations of emerging talent."

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the Workshop was founded in 1961 by BMI, the performing right organization, and the late Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. It is the birthplace of such classic musicals as A Chorus Line, Nine, Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast and current Broadway favorite Avenue Q. The Workshop was also honored with the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre and received the 2004 Broadway Theatre Institute Award for excellence in theatre education.

Tony Award-winning BMI composer Maury Yeston (Nine, Titantic), a longtime moderator of the Workshop who also cut his teeth with Engel, commented, "If you think about it, it may be the greatest impact that any corporation has had on American culture, certainly on the sector of that culture we call musical theater. In addition to its mission of training the next generation of Broadway creators in the art and craft of the musical, it has created a community among these creators. Because of the Workshop, these people know each other, work together and collaborate. The list is truly impressive: Jeff Marx met Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q), Howard Ashman met Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast), Lynn Ahrens met Steve Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island), and so many other teams. It's a nebula - a place where stars are born - where talent coalesces into new stars, and it's happening today, right now, making future stars."

The Workshop is supervised by BMI's Jean Banks, Senior Director of Musical Theatre, along with Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook, who heads the Workshop Steering Committee. Other faculty members include Richard Engquist, Frank Evans, Frederick Freyer, Nancy Golladay, Alan Menken, Jane Smulyan, David Spencer and Yeston.

In addition to the special award presented to the Workshop, past and present members were also nominated for Drama Desk Awards, including alumni Michael John LaChiusa (Best Music and Best Lyrics for See What I Wanna See) and Michael Korie (Best Lyrics for Grey Gardens), and current Workshop member Ryan Cunningham for his I Love You Because lyrics.

Hosted by actor Harvey Fierstein for the third consecutive year, the annual Drama Desk Awards honor excellence in theater for Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway during the season. The ceremony will be taped and subsequently broadcast nationwide on PBS stations; in New York, the program will be shown on Thirteen/WNET and on NYC-25 TV. For the fourth year in a row, the awards ceremony will be webcast by TheaterMania.com.]]> 2006-04-30T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334783 Artists, Engel, Lehman, Kleban, Ed, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Yeston, Maury, Musical Styles, Musical Theatre BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Librettists Workshop are now being accepted. This unique writing workshop, one of the four multi-tiered teaching environments sponsored by BMI, is devoted to the development of libretti or "books" for new works for the musical theater. Members of the Librettists Workshop have come to BMI from many diverse writing disciplines including theatre, journalism, fiction, non-fiction and education.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of whom are actively writing new works for the musical theater. 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), and Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q).

The Librettists Workshop was created by the late Lehman Engel to supplement the composer/lyricist workshops that Engel led from 1961 until 1982. Since then, writers who were developed and nurtured by Mr. Engel as well as other Broadway professionals have taught the workshop.

Susan H. Schulman, award-winning Broadway director, serves as Senior Moderator of the Librettist Workshop. Ms. Schulman directed the recent Broadway and touring productions of The Secret Garden and The Sound of Music. Schulman is the director of the touring production of Sunset Boulevard, the City Center Encores productions of The Boys From Syracuse, A Connecticut Yankee and Allegro as well as off-Broadway productions of Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, Time and Again and Feathertop.

Veteran Broadway literary manager and dramaturgy Nancy Golladay serves as Librettists Moderator. Golladay has written a musical adaptation of The Great Impostor, and is currently developing a project based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe with the working title Annabel Lee. In recent years, Golladay has created a number of innovative programs where Workshop members collaborate on short-term projects with members of the songwriting workshops to stimulate networking opportunities and new collaborations among the groups.

Performing right organization 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 Theater. 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 a talent pool available to the theatrical industry.

Applicants for the Librettists Workshop are asked to submit samples of their scriptwriting work, as well as a resume and completed application form by Monday, May 1, 2006. Application forms and other information may be obtained by contacting:

Jean Banks
Senior Director, Musical Theatre
BMI
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 830-2508
musicaltheatre@bmi.com]]> 2006-04-25T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234492 Artists, Cook, Patrick, Engel, Lehman, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Yeston, Maury, Musical Styles, Dance, Musical Theatre BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is now accepting applications for its first year composer/lyricist class. The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2005.

The Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre. 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 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). The class explores the basics of writing for the musical theatre through a series of assignments, which culminate 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.

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 BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop are asked to submit three contrasting samples of their work along with a completed application form. Click here to download an application form (pdf), or request one 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]]> 2005-07-07T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234408 Artists, Engel, Lehman, LaChiusa, Michael John, Lopez, Robert, Marx, Jeff, Menken, Alan, Yeston, Maury, Musical Styles, Dance, Musical Theatre Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Librettists Workshop are now being accepted. This unique writing workshop, one of the four multi-tiered teaching environments sponsored by BMI, is devoted to the development of libretti or "books" for new works for the musical theater. Members of the Librettists Workshop have come to BMI from many diverse writing disciplines including theatre, journalism, fiction, non-fiction and education.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and bookwriters, most of who are actively writing new works for the musical theater. 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") and Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez ("Avenue Q").

The Librettists Workshop was created by the late Lehman Engel to supplement the composer/lyricist workshops that Engel led from 1961 until 1982. Since then, writers who were developed and nurtured by Mr. Engel as well as other Broadway professionals have taught the workshop.

Susan H. Schulman, award winning Broadway director, serves as Senior Moderator of the Librettist Workshop. Ms. Schulman directed the recent Broadway and touring productions of "The Secret Garden" and "The Sound of Music." Schulman is the director of the touring production of "Sunset Boulevard," the City Center Encores productions of "The Boys From Syracuse," "A Connecticut Yankee" and "Allegro" as well as off-Broadway productions of "Merrily We Roll Along," "Sweeney Todd," "Time and Again" and "Feathertop."

Veteran Broadway literary manager and dramaturgy Nancy Golladay serves as Librettists Moderator. Golladay has written a musical adaptation of "The Great Impostor," and is currently developing a project based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe with the working title "Annabel Lee." In recent years, Golladay has created a number of innovative programs where Workshop members collaborate on short-term projects with members of the songwriting workshops to stimulate networking opportunities and new collaborations among the groups.

Performing rights organization 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 Theater. 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 a talent pool available to the theatrical industry.

Applicants for the Librettists Workshop are asked to submit samples of their scriptwriting work, as well as a resume and completed application form. Application forms and other information may be obtained by contacting:

Jean Banks
Senior Director, Musical Theatre
BMI
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 830-2508
musicaltheatre@bmi.com]]> 2005-04-12T18:00:00-05:00