March 28, 2005

News, Musical Theatre

Workshop Faculty Member David Spencer to Release Book

BMI composer and lyricist David Spencer, a faculty member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, was on hand in the New York office to discuss the forthcoming release of his new book entitled The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide. Published by Heinemann and set for release in June, this professional handbook includes a foreword by fellow BMI composers Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez, the Tony Award-winning creators of Avenue Q.

Discussing the upcoming release of The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide are "Avenue Q" co-writer Jeff Marx, the book's author David Spencer, "Avenue Q" co-writer Robert Lopez and BMI's Jean Banks. photo by Dana Rodriguez

An award-winning musical dramatist and teacher, Spencer received a 2002 Richard Rodgers Development Award (as composer/lyricist for "The Fabulist"), a 2000 Kleban Award, and two Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation grants. He was the lyricist/librettist for two musicals with BMI composer Alan Menken: "Weird Romance" and "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz." He made his professional debut in 1984 with the English adaptation of "La Boh�me" at the Public Theatre and has since written music and lyrics for Theatreworks/USA's all-new, award-winning Young Audiences versions of "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Mis�rables," as well as the original Alien Nation novel, Passing Fancy. Spencer is also webmaster and principal New York drama critic for AisleSay.com, an online magazine of stage reviews and opinions.

In this story: Lehman Engel, Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, Alan Menken, David Spencer

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