Search for New Voices in Musical Theatre launched

The Academy for New Musical Theatre (ANMT) and the Los Angeles-based Festival of New American Musicals are co-sponsoring ANMT's 2009 Search for New Voices in Musical Theatre. The winner of the Search will receive a workshop with the Academy Repertory Company (ARC) during the 2009 Festival of New American Musicals, detailed feedback from the ANMT staff, and a concert reading in Los Angeles during the 2009-10 ANMT season.

The winner of the 2008 Search was The Water, a timely piece about floods in the Midwest, written by Tim Werenko, Jeff Hylton, and Georgia Stitt. The Water received a workshop and feedback session with ARC during the 2008 Festival last May, and will be featured in ANMT's 2008-09 concert reading series at the Colony Theatre with a concert reading on Monday, October 27th. Second prize winner Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam Jr., Chris Budinich, Diana Belkowski, and Dan Tramon, received a table reading and feedback session in April. Third prize winner Unwritten Rules by Danny Abosch and Tommy Nolan received a dramaturgical evaluation. Special Merit winner Idaho! The Comedy Musical, by Buddy Sheffield and Keith Thompson, will receive a concert reading at the Colony, on December 1, 2008.

There is a $100 fee for submitting to the Search, in return for which each entry will receive a 3-5 page script evaluation from an ANMT staff dramaturg.

'I've never received a more cogent and useable evaluation before,' wrote 2008 applicant Elliott Baker (author of The Tooth Fairy's Daughter). 'I'm very comfortable with the critique process but I have never finished reading a critique/evaluation with as much desire and energy to go to work on and polish a piece.'

'The evaluation was far more in-depth than I expected and seemed to cover all the key aspects of the show. Frankly, I found it more helpful than a staged reading would have been,' stated Search participant Barbara Campbell (bookwriter/lyricist of The Awakening). 'This critique offered me far more in-depth comments into the basic 'nuts and bolts' than I have ever received to date.'

'The Festival is delighted to join with ANMT in this national competition', says Bob Klein, Co-Executive Producer. 'Musical theatre development is a unique process. Readings and workshopping are essential parts. The Festival has a continuing commitment to nurturing this process.'

Writers can submit their shows electronically via ANMT's website, or submit materials by mail after completing an online submission form. ANMT Staff then narrows the submissions to a short stack of finalists, and then asks finalists to submit a complete piano-vocal score before making a final decision.

Festival Co-Executive Producer, Linda Shusett, will work with ANMT to select final winners.

ANMT has a development process which has been around for four decades, nurturing musicals through a number of stages, including outlines, rough drafts, table readings and concert readings.

The Festival of New American Musicals launched across southern California in May of 2008. The inaugural festival included readings and workshops of eight new musicals - One Red Flower, The Man Who Would Be King and Daddy Long Legs in the Rubicon Theater WORKS IN PROGRSS series; The Times and I Married Wyatt Earp in conjunction with ASCAP; Sing Me a Happy Song at College of the Canyons; and Bonnie & Clyde and The Water with ANMT. The Festival plans to be back in full force in May of 2009 with a whole new slate of opportunities for new musicals on the west coast.

For more information on the Festival of New American Musicals, visit www.lafestival.org . Information on submitting to the Search is available online via ANMT's website: www.anmt.org . ANMT is located at 5628 Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood, California (91601).