April 29, 2003

News, Musical Theatre

Learning from the Masters

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop recently held its second "Master Class," a new program launched in December that features theatre "Masters" critiquing two projects developed in the Workshop. The first Master Class included John Kander and Sheldon Harnick who critiqued Absolutely Anything by Erick Goldstein and Brian Cimmet and Up in the Air by Warren Loy and Chris Todd. Theatre composers Steve Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who wrote Once on This Island, A Man of NO Importance and Ragtime, presided over the second Workshop Master Class.

Lynn and Steve, who met in the Workshop and have since gone on to a successful collaboration, commented on the works and gave suggestions as to how they could be improved. They are pictured here with members of the Workshop Steering Committee: (l-r) Jean Banks, Pat Cook, Nancy Golladay, Rick Freyer, Jane Smulyan, Frank Evans, Flaherty, Richard Engquist, Ahrens and David Spencer, who moderated the evening.

Photo: Eric Miller

In this story: Richard Engquist, Frank Evans, Steve Flaherty, Rick Freyer, David Spencer

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