Mitnick, a 2006 Harvard University graduate, is an accomplished composer/lyricist who recently completed his first year in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. As an undergraduate, he wrote/co-wrote several musicals for the Dramatic Club (The Life and Many Deaths of Mr. Plumb), the Harvard Lampoon (Maude & Harold: A Love Story on Ice), and the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (# 156: As the Word Turns). His list of accolades includes presentations of his song cycle, Snapshots, at the 45th Street Theater in 2004; an Eager Award, Briggs Prize and Levy Award in Musical Theater from Harvard Office for the Arts for his dark comedy Card House; and a 2004 Best Comedy Award at the Ivy Film Festival for co-writing the screenplay and songs to the film Winning Caroline. Mitnick is adding novelist to his list of talents with the near completion of his first book, “Ending Hazel Harper” while pursuing a M.F.A. at the Yale School of Drama.

As one-half of the Oscar-winning songwriting team the Sherman Brothers, BMI composer Robert Sherman has written some of the best-loved and most-recognized songs in history, including such Disney themes as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Parent Trap, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Aristocats. With a career that spans almost 50 years, the Shermans have accumulated countless accolades, including two Academy Awards and nine nominations, two Grammy Awards, 23 gold and platinum albums, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for songs like "Chim Chim Cheree," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "It's A Small World (After All)," considered the most-translated and most-performed song on earth.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

Leading the nominations are Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, co-creators of Spring Awakening . An off-Broadway hit, it transferred to the Great White Way and swept up audiences with its strong emotions and artistic sensitivity, receiving a total of 11 nominations. Sater has been nominated for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, while Sheik received nods for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

Veterans John Kander and the late Fred Ebb were recognized for Best Original Score for Curtains , while Jerry Bock's and Sheldon Harnick's The Apple Tree, was nominated for Best Revival of a Musical, as was Ed Kleban's A Chorus Line .

Richard and Robert Sherman's Mary Poppins received the Best Musical nomination, while BMI member Michael Cerveris was acknowledged for his appearance in LoveMusik as a Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Michael Andreas contributed music to Jay Johnson's solo vehicle, My Two and Only , which was nominated for Best Special Theatrical Event.

Additionally, BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop alumnus Michael Korie received a nomination for Best Original Score for his work in Grey Gardens .

The current Broadway season has theatre-goers scrambling for seats to shows from BMI’s ever-growing list of writers from the Tony-honored BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

A CHORUS LINE
A revival of A Chorus Line opened Oct. 5, 2006, at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York. The ground-breaking and record-breaking musical features lyrics by BMI writer Edward Kleban, who won the 1975 Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier Awards and the Pulitzer Prize in Music for the show’s lyrics. Kleban was a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Workshop for over 20 years.

A Chorus Line begins on a bare stage, where casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. The competition has been narrowed down to just 17 dancers. During the show we find out the dancers’ dreams and disappointments. By the show’s finale, the final chorus line of eight is chosen.

In 2001, a musical biography of Kleban, A Class Act, was produced on Broadway. The show features Kleban’s music and lyrics and has scenes set in the BMI Workshop. Mr. Kleban, who died in 1987 at the age of 48, posthumously won an Obie for his score for A Class Act, and was nominated for a Tony and a Drama Desk Award. Linda Kline, Kleban’s literary executor and a BMI Workshop member, is co-writer. The Kleban Foundation, created according to his will, awards grants to aspiring theatre lyricists and bookwriters so that they may carry on the tradition of the American musical theatre, which he loved so dearly.

Joel Siegel of ABC-TV wrote, “This proves you can be a singular sensation twice. The choreography, the staging, the set and the score are still magic. You’ll dance out humming the score. The music moved me to tears twice. And something I’ve never done, during the finale, I whispered wow under my breath.”

Jon Lahr in The New Yorker described A Chorus Line’s score “full of wit and fun. Edward Kleban’s shrewd lyrics sit easily on Marvin Hamlisch’s inspired score.”

Entertainment Weekly proclaimed, “This sensational revival blows the sequins off most Broadway musicals. It’s thrilling!”

Michael Sommers of the Star-Ledger wrote, “Welcome back, you beautiful thing! The show glows with dynamic and dazzling songs by composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Edward Kleban,” and Joe Dziemianowicz of the Daily News asserted, “There’s nothing better. The score sounds fantastic, too. As long as ‘A Chorus Line’ is kicking on Broadway, audiences have somewhere exciting to go.”

MARY POPPINS
Based on P.L. Travers’ cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins features the Sherman Brothers’ original Academy Award-winning songs, bringing to life the story of the Banks family and their magical nanny.

Mary Poppins marks the first collaboration between Disney, producer of the The Lion King (BMI’s Elton John and Tim Rice) and Beauty and the Beast (BMI’s Alan Menken) with Cameron Mackintosh, legendary producer of the record-breaking Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Miserables. The Cameron MackIntosh Foundation provides underwriting for the annual BMI Workshop Musical Theatre Showcase at Manhattan Theatre Club.

Mary Poppins, with classic songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, opened Nov. 16, 2006, at the historic New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.

The Sherman Brothers are leading composer/lyricists in family entertainment. Among their many hits is the most translated and performed song on earth: “It’s a Small World (After All).” Robert Sherman endows the BMI Foundation’s Robert B. Sherman Scholarship, which is given annually to a college student who is a musical theatre composer/lyricist.

The Shermans’ career spans almost 50 years and includes two Academy Awards for Best Score and Best Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from Mary Poppins. Their other Broadway credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Over Here, which is being prepared for a lavish West End revival.

Additional songs are by composer/lyricists George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, Olivier Award winners for the musical Honk and founders of London’s Mercury Musicals.

Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press wrote, “All the big, classic Sherman Brothers songs are here, and new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe fit seamlessly into the proceedings. In fact, one or two of them, including Mary’s opening number, ‘Practically Perfect,’ possess an instant hypnotic quality.”

Terry Teachout wrote in The Wall Street Journal, “I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t run for at least a century!”

SPRING AWAKENING
Based on the scandalous 1891 play about troubled teens, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway last summer and opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Dec. 10, 2006. This ground-breaking show is by BMI writers Duncan Sheik (music) and Steven Sater (book and lyrics).

Christopher Isherwood of the The New York Times called Sheik and Sater’s score “ravishing” and declared that “Broadway would never be the same. The music, spare in its simple orchestrations, lush in the lapping reach of its seductive choruses, embodies the shadowy air of longing that infuses the show, the excitement shading into fear, the joy that comes with a chaser of despair. The singing throughout is impassioned and affecting, giving powerful voice to the blend of melancholy and hope in the songs.”

Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik’s self-titled debut album, both a popular and critical success, introduced the hit singles “Barely Breathing” and “She Runs Away,” and spent 30 weeks on the Billboard 200. Other albums include Humming, Daylight, Phantom Moon with lyrics by Steven Sater and his latest, White Limousine.

Sheik’s film soundtracks include Great Expectations, The Saint, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Three to Tango, What a Girl Wants, Transamerica and A Body Goes Down. Sheik and Sater recently wrote original songs for the feature film A Home at the End of the World. For the stage, their Nightingale workshopped both at the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and La Jolla Playhouse, and is announced for La Jolla’s 2007 season.

Sater’s plays include the long-running Carbondale Dreams, Perfect for You and Doll (Rosenthal Prize, Cincinnati Playhouse).

HIGH FIDELITY
The romantic musical comedy High Fidelity follows the adventures of Rob, a record store owner who knows almost everything about pop music, but almost nothing about how to hang on to a girlfriend. This new musical adaptation of Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel marks the first-time collaboration of fast-rising songwriters Tom Kitt and Amanda Green (daughter of actress Phyllis Newman and legendary Broadway lyricist Adolph Green) and book writer David Lindsay-Abaire (a Tony nominee last season for his play Rabbit Hole).

Kitt and Green first met and collaborated in 2006 in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, and songs from High Fidelity have been featured in BMI Workshop showcases. Tom’s work has been heard in film (The Two Ninas), television (Dawson’s Creek), and original recordings (Julia Murney, The Tom Kitt Band). Amanda’s shows include Hallelujah Baby (Arena Stage 2004; additional lyrics) directed by Arthur Laurents, For The Love of Tiffany (NY Fringe Festival 2003) and Up the Week Without a Paddle (L.A. Drama Critics Circle nomination, Garland Award, Best Score).

Frank Rizzo in Variety wrote, “This is a musical that celebrates the power of pop culture with wit, verve and a killer beat. Nailing the music in all its varied forms is Tom Kitt’s tuneful score and the sharp, funny and telling lyrics of Amanda Green.”

Terry Teachout proclaimed Green “a master of the craft of packing everything you need to know about a character into a neatly wrapped, deftly rhymed package.”

The Philadelphia Enquirer calls the musical numbers the show’s “mother lode. Act II bubbles over with so many show-stealers that you begin to wonder whether it has anything left to plunder. Indeed, it keeps bringing out the treasure.”

And Entertainment Weekly declared that High Fidelity is “the unique show that charms both your college drinking buddy and your mother.”

THE APPLE TREE
A revival of The Apple Tree, which opened Dec. 14, 2006, at the Roundabout’s Studio 54 Theatre, features a score by BMI writers Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics). The original production, which opened at the Shubert Theatre in 1966, was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Bock and Harnick are the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning writing team responsible for Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, The Rothschilds and Fiorello.

The Apple Tree contains three short musicals, all pertaining to the subject of temptation. The first is based on Mark Twain’s interpretation of Adam and Eve, the second, Frank Stockton’s classic fable of The Lady or the Tiger, and the third, Passionella, Jules Pfeiffer’s delicious look at a chimney sweep who is transformed into a glamorous movie star.

Composer Jerry Bock personally selects and endows the BMI Foundation’s Jerry Bock Award, which is given bi-annually to a composer/lyricist team from the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote that The Apple Tree “is somewhere you should definitely spend time if you need reassurance that musicals can still float next door to heaven,” and praised Bock and Harnick’s “remarkably fresh comic and musical stylings, which speak slyly in an assortment of musical tongues.”

Terry Teachout declared, “musical comedy fans, rejoice!” and Broadway.com wrote, “With a lovely score and witty book by the legendary Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, ‘The Apple Tree’ is a must-see revival for lovers of musical theater.”

BMI Broadway blockbusters from earlier seasons include:

Avenue Q
2004 Best Musical and Best Score Tony Award by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who met and first wrote together in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop; plays nightly at New York’s Golden Theatre and in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Beauty and the Beast
Now in its 12th year at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, has music by Alan Menken, who also honed his craft at BMI’s Musical Theatre Workshop; he is currently a member of the Workshop’s Steering Committee. Menken’s Sister Act is currently breaking box office records on its pre-Broadway tour, and his Little Mermaid is in preparation for Broadway next season.

Chicago
1997 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, by John Kander and Fred Ebb, celebrates its tenth year at the Ambassador Theatre. Kander and Ebb’s Curtains opens on Broadway March 22 at the Hirschfeld Theatre.

The Color Purple
2006 Tony nominee featuring a score by BMI writers Brenda Russell and Allee Willis plays at the Broadway Theatre.

Jersey Boys
With music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Musical celebrates its 500th performance at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.

The Lion King
Music by Sir Elton John (PRS) and lyrics by Tim Rice (PRS), winner of the 1998 Best Musical Tony, is in its ninth year at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.

Mama Mia!
With songs by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, Mama Mia! has been playing at the Winter Garden Theatre since 2001.

Monty Python’s Spamalot
2005 Tony Award for Best Musical with book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, directed by BMI writer Mike Nichols, continues its run at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.

The Producers
Won an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score for Mel Brooks‘ music and lyrics, plays at the St. James Theatre.

Tarzan
With music and lyrics by Phil Collins, continues at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Tarzan, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast are all Disney Broadway productions.

Valparaiso High School students and teachers gather with Workshop faculty at the day-long interactive seminar. Pictured are (back row): Dan Nellessen, Elizabeth Uzelac, Drew Nellesen, Richard Engquist, Tom Leland, Andria Kessler, Molly Vass, Tanau Popli, Aaron Porter, Mark Blane, Alan Chambers; (middle row): Ann Nellessen, Becky Schoon, Kathy McMillan, Laura Punter, Jamie Patton, Lindsay Babcock, Erin Gerig, Erika Marinello; (front row): Frank Evans, Jean Banks, Nancy Golladay, Alice Gambel, David Spencer, Pat Cook and Daniel Pritchett.

BMI Workshop moderators Rick Freyer and Pat Cook, who also serves as Artistic Coordinator, gave a short presentation, and then joined faculty members David Spencer (Kleban Award recipient for Weird Romance), Frank Evans (Jerry Bock Award for Dinner at Eight), Richard Engquist (Outer Critics Circle nominee for Kuni-Leml) and Librettist Workshop moderator Nancy Golladay to critique the students' songs. Spencer, author of "The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide," also spoke about writing hit musicals.

Special guest Michael Korie and Workshop faculty member Frank Evans

Special guest Michael Korie-Kleban and Larson Award-winning lyricist of Grey Gardens, which opened to rave reviews at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre-participated in a Q&A session with the students, who saw a performance of his show the night before. Korie's other credits include the operas Kabbalah and Harvey Milk, performed at New York City Opera and San Francisco Opera, and the upcoming musical version of Dr. Zhivago, which premiered in La Jolla, Calif., this summer.

Congratulating Robert Sherman Scholarship recipient Drew Nellessen (center) are Alice Gambel, creator of the Valparaiso Musical Theatre program, and BMI's Jean Banks, who supervises the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

The Valparaiso students also caught a performance of the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line, the multiple Tony Award-winning musical developed by lyricist Edward Kleban in the BMI Workshop.

During the session, Valparaiso alumnus and Millikin University senior Drew Nellessen was awarded the BMI Foundation's first Robert Sherman Scholarship, a new award endowed by the BMI composer of Mary Poppins (opening soon on Broadway). Nellessen, who participated in the high school's 2002 visit, is currently preparing to star as "Vinnie" in Millikin's production of Lucky Stiff, and has also performed in the university's productions of Sugar, The Secret Garden and Damn Yankees.

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop was founded in 1961 by Lehman Engel, dean of American musical theatre, to create a setting where new writers could learn their craft. In addition to A Chorus Line, it is the birthplace of such celebrated musicals as Nine, Raisin, Little Shop of Horrors and Avenue Q, among others. An innovative program widely regarded as the foremost training ground for new writing voices, the BMI Workshop has been recognized with such prestigious awards as the 2006 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, the 2005-2006 Drama Desk Award, and the 2005 Drama League Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. The Workshop is supervised by BMI's Jean Banks, Senior Director of Musical Theatre.

Photos by Dana Rodriguez]]> 2006-11-10T03:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/335060 Nellessen, Andrew James, Nellessen, Drew, Engel, Lehman, Sherman, Robert, Classical, Film-TV, Foundation, Robert Sherman Scholarship BMI Foundation has announced the winner of its inaugural Robert Sherman Scholarship, awarded to Millikin University student Andrew James (Drew) Nellessen. The new $1,000 scholarship, endowed by Mary Poppins composer Robert Sherman and administered through the BMI Foundation, will be given each year to a talented student composer studying musical theatre.

Congratulating Robert Sherman Scholarship recipient Drew Nellessen (center) are Alice Gambel, creator of the Valparaiso Musical Theatre program, and BMI's Jean Banks, who supervises the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Photo by Dana Rodriguez

Nellessen is currently a senior at the Decatur, Ill.-based college, where he is preparing to star as "Vinnie" in Millikin's production of Lucky Stiff. He has also performed in the university's productions of Sugar, The Secret Garden and Damn Yankees. An alumnus of Valparaiso (Indiana) High School, the composer/performer was presented with the scholarship during his alma mater's recent "mini-workshop" session hosted by the Tony-honored BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York. The biennial event gives students in Valparaiso's Musical Theatre program a crash course on the craft of writing music and lyrics for the theatre and a unique opportunity to present their works to the Workshop's esteemed faculty. During the school year, the teens participate in a writing course led by Alice L. Gambel, who employs the teachings of BMI Workshop founder Lehman Engel. Nellessen participated in the high school's 2002 visit.

As one-half of the Oscar-winning songwriting team the Sherman Brothers, BMI composer Robert Sherman has written some of the best-loved and most-recognized songs in history, including such Disney themes as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Parent Trap, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Aristocats. With a career that spans almost 50 years, the Shermans have accumulated countless accolades, including two Academy Awards and nine nominations, two Grammy Awards, 23 gold and platinum albums, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for songs like "Chim Chim Cheree," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "It's A Small World (After All)," considered the most-translated and most-performed song on earth.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

Richard and Robert Sherman, that’s who. Their first hit, “Things I Might Have Been,” struck gold in 1952, and that was just the beginning. BMI brought attention to the brothers’ achievements when a cover story on the Walt Disney classic Mary Poppins appeared in the October 1964 BMI magazine. Reviewers at the time called the film “one of the most magnificent pieces of entertainment ever to come out of Hollywood” and praised the score as filled with “bright, catchy songs.”

The Sherman brothers have never stood on their laurels, and, if anything, have reached an even higher peak of popularity today. They have two hit musicals playing around the world and their first original score for the stage is waiting in the wings.

The duo’s embrace of the musical theatre begin in 2001 when the producers of the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—the same group behind the James Bond series—suggested creating a stage version with new songs added to the original score. The show took off successfully in London in 2002, and was transferred to New York City in 2004, and has been playing to packed houses ever since.

Making a magic car fly is one thing, but making a nanny named Mary Poppins take to the air on stage was quite another. However, in 2004, the London premiere of the stage version took off. Reviewers called it “better in every way than the Disney film, delightful though that seemed 40 years ago” and suggested that “like Peter Pan, it will live for as long as there are children to celebrate it and be amazed by the wonder of human flight.” And it won’t be long before Mary spreads her wings and comes to America and Broadway.

The Sherman Brothers themselves are not afraid to take their talents to even greater heights, for they are preparing their first musical written originally for the stage. Although it possesses elements of fantasy, Merry-Go-Round is aimed at an adult audience. Producer Jack Stein describes it as a mixture of ”It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol.” He states, “A father and his grown son get on a merry-go-round that takes them back in time to relive moments from the son’s childhood.”

Sounds like another hit that will take to the stage in Los Angeles for a workshop appearance this fall, as the Sherman Brothers continue their sixth decade of stellar musical achievements. 

MARY POPPINS This autumn Americans are renewing acquaintance with, or meeting for the first time, one of the most delightful literary creations of all time, as that English nanny, Mary Poppins, brightens the motion picture screen. The Walt Disney production, with Julie Andrews, as Mary, in such illustrious acting company as Dick Van Dyke, Ed Wynn, Glynis Johns and many others, is already being hailed as one of the all time great films.

Hollis Alpert, writing in Saturday Review, says: "...a 2 1/2 hour burst of sheer frolicsome delight, one of the most magnificent pieces of entertainment ever to come from Hollywood... It has bright, catchy songs, clever ballet, fine comic acting, and whimsical animation effects that add to the film's charm... Credit must first of all be given to the enduring charm of the little books written by Miss [P. L.] Travers... to the lyrics and tunes of RICHARD and ROBERT SHERMAN... Put simply, Mary Poppins is a wonderful show."

As creators of the film's score, the Sherman brothers have added another to an already imposing list of credits. Among them are the music for Summer Magic, in Search of the Castaways, The Parent Trap, the theme music for NBC TV's Wonderful World of Color, The Absent Minded Professor and others.

Cover of BMI: About Music & Writers, October 1964	Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, & Friends in Mary Poppins
Images © 1964 Walt Disney Productions

The sons of a famous songwriter, Al Sherman, the Shermans were born in New York, educated in California, and are both graduates of Bard College. They had their first song hit in 1952, "Things I Might Have Been," and their songs "Midnight Oil" and 'Tall Paul" both won BMI awards. In 1960 they joined Disney Productions and have been working there since.

As a token of the esteem in which they are held by their Hollywood associates, Robert Sherman was this year elected to the executive music committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Currently the team is at work on a score for Winnie the Pooh, a new Disney production based on the A. A. Milne classic. This feature cartoon will be released Christmas, 1965.

SHOF inductees Robert and Richard Sherman, Towering Song Award winners Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, BMI's Del Bryant, and SHOF inductees David Porter, Isaac Hayes and Steve Cropper

Also honored was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," written by BMI writers Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The Righteous Brothers' classic received this year's Towering Song Award. "Lovin' Feelin'" recently surpassed the 10 million performance plateau and was recognized at BMI's 2005 Pop Awards held in May.

Gathered before the induction ceremony are (back row) EMI Publishing's Marty Bandier, BMI's Del Bryant, SHOF President Linda Moran, SHOF inductee Steve Cropper, performer Lalah Hathaway, SHOF inductees John Fogerty, Smokey Robinson, and Bill Withers, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., songwriter Jimmy Webb, SHOF Chairman Hal David, Gibson Guitar Chairman Henry Juszkiewicz , Towering Song Award winner Cynthia Weil, (kneeling) performers Debra Gibson and Ryan Cabrera, Towering Song Award winner Barry Mann, and SHOF inductees Les Paul and Richard Sherman

Dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create popular music around the world, National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The NAPM/SHOF is also devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. BMI is a long-time supporter of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

SHOF inductees David Porter, Isaac Hayes and Steve Cropper

SHOF inductees David Porter, Les Paul and Isaac Hayes, BMI former President & CEO Frances Preston, Towering Song Award winners Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and SHOF Chairman Hal David

BMI President and CEO Del Bryant (right) congratulates brothers Richard and Robert Sherman

photos by Gary Gershoff

BMI honored the composers and songwriters of the music from this year's top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series and highest-ranking cable network television series at its annual Film & Television Awards dinner. Held May 18 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, the black-tie gala was hosted by BMI President and CEO Del R. Bryant and BMI Vice President Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross. More than 100 awards were announced during the ceremonies.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the BMI Richard Kirk award for Outstanding Career Achievement to composer Graeme Revell. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to the composer who has made significant contributions to film and TV music. Past recipients include John Barry, Randy Edelman, Danny Elfman, Charlie Fox, Jerry Goldsmith, Earle Hagen, Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Mark Mothersbaugh, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Silvestri, Richard and Robert Sherman, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, John Williams and Patrick Williams.

Graeme Revell	Counting Crows

Revell, a New Zealand native, is in the midst of a historical career in film and television music. With credits including "Sin City," "Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D," "Dead Calm," "The Crow," "The Insider," "CSI: Miami," "The Negotiator," "Blow," "Open Water" and more, he has become known for his blending of traditional ethnic music and ambient sounds. He started his scoring career after picking up on rhythms in patient vocalizations at an Australian hospital for the mentally ill, where he worked as an orderly. His experiments with recordings of human and insect sounds and industrial machinery led him to create the early industrial band SPK. His first score was for director Philip Noyce and producer/director George Miller with "Dead Calm," for which he won an Australian Film Industry Award for Best Score.

Kevin Eubanks	Lalo Schifrin	Stu Phillips

Honoring Revell at the dinner via video messages were directors Robert Rodriguez, Phillip Noyce, Danny Cannon, David Twohy and Carl Franklin, as well as journalist Jon Burlingame. Chucky, the star of the "Chucky" film series for which Revell scored "The Bride of Chucky," narrated the video salute to Revell.

Calling Revell, "...the best secret weapon a director can ever have," director Noyce described working with him on the film "Dead Calm." "Graeme immediately sparked at the material and the opportunity. He hadn't scored a film before, but he had that great composing sense. We wanted a composer who would bring a completely different score to a very elemental movie. Graeme started at the idea of taking sounds that were part of the movie and incorporating them into the score; sound of wind, sound of water.

Mike Post	Pete Townshend

"The movie was completely different once we put Graeme's score in," he added. "He added tension, he added pace, he created drama, and he gave the film a unique aural quality."

Revell's skill at collaboration with the director was a theme that permeated throughout the evening. "Honest," "innovative," "soulful" and "a true renaissance man" were just some of the descriptions that the directors offered. His vast range of musical talents were lauded, including his use of a wide array of ethnic sounds and voices, atmospheric noises and wide ranging knowledge of obscure percussion and voice styles. His encompassing musical style constantly delivers a fresh new sound and approach to each score he has done. Cannon said, "Graeme is modern and he is up to date. That's what is great about him. He is so willing to use new techniques, new inspirations and is always willing to try something different, move the goalposts."

BMI also gave out the award for the Most Performed Song From A Motion Picture to the Counting Crows and their publishing companies for the "Shrek 2" song, "Accidentally in Love." BMI also recognized this year's Emmy Award winners for music.

The first BMI Spotlight Award was given to television composer Frank Gari and the inaugural BMI Classic Contribution Award was presented to the creators of "The Tonight Show" themes, composed by Johnny Carson, Paul Anka and Kevin Eubanks.

With a nod to the digital music age, BMI handed out its first Ringtone Awards for the TV music themes that have become the most-performed songs in the mobile space; the awards went to Stu Phillips for the theme to �Knight Rider� and Lalo Schifrin for the theme to �Mission Impossible.�

Taking home multiple awards at the dinner were past Richard Kirk recipient Mike Post with four Television Awards for the "Law & Order" series "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order: CI" and "Law & Order: Trial By Jury." Pete Townshend picked up three awards for "CSI," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY." Double winners included Harry Gregson Williams for the films "Shrek 2" and "Man On Fire"; Rolfe Kent for the films "Sideways" and "Mean Girls"; Harald Kloser for "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Alien vs. Predator"; Thomas Newman for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Six Feet Under"; John Keane for "CSI" and "The Amazing Race 7"; and Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Anthony Jackson, Jeff Lippencott and Mark T. Williams for "The Apprentice 2" and "The Apprentice 3."

BMI writers receive a 15% discount off the standard one-year membership fee of $50. Dues-paying members receive the following exclusive benefits:

• the opportunity to vote (with the exception of Associate Members) in SHOF's annual fall elections to determine who will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame the following spring
• the chance to participate in members-only showcase and workshop programs
• a subscription to "Words About Music," the newsletter of SHOF/NAPM
• quarterly NAPM events fliers with information about networking meetings and open mics
• an invitation to the annual SHOF Awards Dinner held each year.

To be entered in the drawing, sign up for membership now through the "Platinum Privileges" zone in the online services area.

BMI has played a vital role in the development and growth of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the list of BMI songwriting greats honored by the organization includes Chuck Berry, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Pete Seeger, Carole King, Sting (PRS), Barry Manilow, Queen, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Emilio & Gloria Estefan, Eric Clapton (PRS), Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Holland-Dozier-Holland and Barry, Maurice & Robin Gibb.

The National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The NAPM/SHOF is also devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships.