Songsmiths of Broadway Showcase the Best of the BMI Workshop

Posted in News on September 19, 2005

Broadway composers who honed their craft at the famed BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop joined together in song for a one-night-only concert on September 14 at 59E59 Theaters in New York City. The evening was a cooperative production of BMI, the Prospect Theatre Company and Musical Mondays Theatre Lab.

Gathered after the performance are (first row): BMI's Jean Banks, Kristin Maloney, Barbara Rosenblat, Emcee Gerard Alessandrini, Jeff Marx ( kneeling), Robert Lopez; (second row): Steve Routman, Mark Janas, Beth Falcone, Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook, Jedidiah Cohen, Barbara Anselmi, Nancy Ford, Stage Director Schele Williams, Jeff Blumenkrantz; (top row): Maury Yeston, Frederick Freyer, Richard Engquist, Judd Woldin, Concert Producer Frank Evans and David Spencer

The event was part of the three-week New York Musical Theatre Festival (September 12 to October 2), and featured performances by Tony Award winners Maury Yeston (Nine, Titanic), Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), and Judd Woldin (Raisin), as well as Richard Engquist (Kuni-Leml, Little Ham), Nancy Ford (I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road, David Spencer (Weird Romance), Jeff Blumenkrantz, (Urban Cowboy), Beth Falcone (Jonathan Larson Fellow), Barbara Anselmi (The Wedding Project), Will Randall (The Wedding Project), Frank Evans (War Brides), Patrick Cook (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Rick Freyer (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).

Richard Engquist and Judd Woldin perform songs from Little Ham

Gerard Alessandrini, writer and director of Forbidden Broadway, now in its 23rd season at the 47th Street Theatre, hosted the show.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, recently honored with the 2005 Drama League Award 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. Since its inception, the Workshop has been operated by BMI free of any cost to participants; admission is based on merit.

Show host Gerard Alessandrini and Jonathan Larson Fellow Beth Falcone

Deemed "the Harvard of musical theatre" by The New York Times, the Workshop is the launching pad for musicals such as A Chorus Line, Little Shop of Horrors, Nine, Avenue Q and most recently Musical of Musicals! - The Musical.

Show host Gerard Alessandrini with Jerry Bock Award-winning Lyricist Frank Evans

Workshop Co-Moderator Frederick Freyer and Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook perform from The Night Before

Barbara Rosenblat, Jedidiah Cohen, Cheryl Stern, Steve Routman and Ron Trenouth perform Barbara Anslemi and Will Randall's Wedding Project

Workshop Artistic Coordinator Patrick Cook helps David Spencer with his performance from Weird Romance

Jeff Blumenkrantz performing "My Book" from The Seven Deadly Sins

In an impromptu moment, Avenue Q creators Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx convince Gerard Alessandrini to perform his newest song from Forbidden Broadway

Nancy Ford performs "If I Could Make a Difference" from The White House Affair

Maury Yeston performs "The Germans at the Spa" from his Tony Award Winning Musical Nine

photos by Gary Gershoff

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