Beyond Broadway: A Broader Perspective on Developing New Musicals
Tuesday, December 12th
Actors Temple Theatre, 339 W. 47th Street
Speakers to include Ken Cerniglia, Dramaturg and Literary Manager, Disney Theatrical Group; Jason Cocovinis, Director of Marketing, Music Theatre International (MTI),one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond; Michael Colby, librettist/lyricist (Drama Desk nominee for Charlotte Sweet, Tales of Tinseltown, Meester Amerika in the TRU Voices series, upcoming Dangerous), founding member of the Stuart Ostrow Foundation/St. Clement's Musical Theatre Lab; Betsy King Militello, executive director National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), whose 160 organizational members and 40 individual members, located throughout 31 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world.
Many consider the musical the great American art form and a key contribution to our country's culture. Many dream of writing a big Broadway hit, but there is a wealth of amazing creativity happening outside of New York. We will look at the rich environments for incubating new works that exist throughout our country, including regional theaters and colleges and universities. Not every show is destined for New York, though many follow a circuitous path that may ultimately lead there. Some shows go directly to licensing, others develop success without ever having a New York production. Is there something to be gained from developing new works beyond the commercial pressure of Broadway? Where do the most innovative and unconventional works come from? What are some of the other viable markets worth pursuing for new works? Are there any current trends? How do audiences differ outside of New York?
Doors open at 7:00pm for networking and refreshments, roundtable introductions of everyone in the room will start at 7:30pm - come prepared with your best one-minute summary of who you are, and what you need. Free for TRU members; $12.50 for non-members in advance ($15 at door), free for TRU. Please use the bright red reservation box on this page, or call at least a day in advance (or much sooner) for reservations: 212-714-7628; or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com
Panelists
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KEN CERNIGLIA
is a veteran dramaturg, writer, and creative executive. He dramaturged the innovative Broadway hits Hadestown (8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical) and Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards). As resident dramaturg and literary manager for Disney Theatrical Productions for 16 years, he developed over 60 titles for Broadway, touring, international, and licensed productions, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday, Aladdin, Newsies, The Little Mermaid, High School Musical, and Tarzan. He recently conceived and developed Marvel Spotlight, a collection of one-act plays with teenage super hero protagonists who tackle real-world problems in a diverse society. Other dramaturgy includes the chamber opera Blood Moon (PROTOTYPE 2020); the new musical Bridges (Berkeley Playhouse); Passion Trilogy (Fisher Ensemble/Loyola Marymount University); and Bud, Not Buddy, The Gift of Nothing, The Cricket in Times Square, and OLIVERio: A Twist on Dickens (Kennedy Center). Ken is a frequent guest lecturer, artist, and adjudicator at conferences, universities, and festivals around the world. He is immediate past president of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), co-founder of the American Theatre Archive Project, and Artistic Director of Two Turns Theatre Company. He holds a Ph.D. in theatre history and criticism from the University of Washington.
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JASON COCOVINIS
is a creative marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years of experience developing strategic campaigns and dynamic content for a wide variety of audiences. Jason joined Music Theatre International in 2008 helping to expand the company’s digital footprint, strengthen its third-party marketing services, and unify its brand platforms. In addition, Jason and his team have launched over 100 musicals to the secondary rights market and introduced several highly-regarded theatrical resources to MTI’s worldwide customer base. Prior to joining MTI, Jason was a Creative Director at the experiential marketing agency, Jack Morton Worldwide. In this role, Jason conceived and executed events and communications projects for several of the agency’s key accounts in the entertainment, healthcare and technology sectors. Jason began his career in public relations as an Account Executive at Ruder Finn and then moved on to manage the creative services department at Hemming+Gilman Productions, an event management and production firm.
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MICHAEL COLBY
was a founding member, in 1974, of the Stuart Ostrow Foundation/St. Clement's Musical Theatre Lab, the first non-profit organization exclusively for the development of new musicals, that launched with the original workshop of The Robber Bridegroom. He drew on that experience to co-produce showcases and readings of eight of his own musicals, seven of which received subsequent productions and/or licensing agreements. Among the regional and off-Broadway companies where his musicals have been produced are Goodspeed, Amas Musical Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Directors Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, London's A Stage Kindly and TADA! (where he has been on the Advisory Board since inception). He is one of the writers of the Broadway-bound musical, Dangerous, which just had a highly successful presentation at Feinstein's/54 Below. In February, the Second Act Company will present an all-star concert of Charlotte Sweet, whose showcase he produced in 1982 and for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination as “Outstanding lyricist.” Other shows: Tales of Tinseltown, North Atlantic (Show Business Award), Slay It with Music (off-Broadway & London), Mrs. McThing, They Chose Me!, and Ludlow Ladd. He was chief writer for the Drama Desk Award-winning New Amsterdam Theatre Company, and has been a writer for The NY Festival of Song as well as the Theatre By the Blind. He is the author of the well received autobiographical book "The Algonquin Kid: Adventures Growing Up at New York's Legendary Hotel." Jay Records has released CDs of Tales of Tinseltown, Charlotte Sweet (the complete show), and Ludlow Ladd. Dangerous, a musical he co-wrote, has recently been optioned for Broadway.
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BETSY MILITELLO
came to NAMT in August of 2011 from Outward Bound where she was Vice President of Development, responsible for an $8M annual fundraising goal. Prior organizations in which she served in non-profit administration and fundraising leadership roles include Hunter College, the NYU Child Study Center, Cooper Union and the Big Apple Circus, and she has also taught at Marymount Manhattan College as an Adjunct Professor in Non-profit Management. Following completion of her undergraduate degree at Harvard, she began her career in advertising; after receiving her Master’s degree in Public and Private Management (MPPM) from the Yale School of Management (with additional coursework in administration at the Yale School of Drama), she worked as a management consultant for Fortune 100 companies prior to moving to the non-profit sector. She also has theatre production experience, primarily in stage management and lighting, in both professional and volunteer musical theatre and opera organizations including Glimmerglass Opera and the Blue Hill Troupe.
