UC Irvine and ANMT join to create new musicals

The Drama Department at the University of California Irvine is partnering with the Academy for New Musical Theatre to create new musicals. The Academy will supply writers, composers, and dramaturgs, and the University will provide directors, facilities, and students. Each musical will be developed in workshop at the Academy, and then presented in concert format at the University. The goal is for some of the musicals to make it to production, perhaps as early as 2010.

The first two musicals out of the starting block are Aging Out, which focuses on foster care kids who are abandoned by the state support system on their 18th birthday, and e-$cape: a cybermusical, inspired by real events in which a social network virtual world spins out of its creator's control and bloodthirsty game players come after him, seeking money, revenge...and someone to blame.

'This is a perfect opportunity for our faculty and students,' says department chair Eli Simon, 'We lead our students to explore new works, shape the future, and rise up to become the next generation of leading theatre artists. Our collaboration with the Academy for New Musical Theatre could not be more compelling in this regard. The opportunity to create new musicals from scratch is exciting, especially when the musicals we engage in are relevant and stimulating to graduate and undergraduate students alike.'

Early workshops of the first two musicals took place in January at the Academy in North Hollywood featuring professional actors who are members of the Academy Repertory Company.

The next phase will be some closed table readings with faculty from both the University and the Academy.

Then beginning in May, students will start to take part in readings and workshops, culminating in concert presentations on the Irvine campus September 18, 19 and 20.

'This is a very exciting partnership,' says the Academy's Artistic Director John Sparks, 'It is an extraordinary opportunity to create artistic but relevant new works for a younger generation of audiences. We are thrilled at the inspiration this affords writers and composers.' The Academy for New Musical Theatre offers one of only three professional programs in the U.S. for writers, composers and actors in musical theatre. In the past four years they've developed over 50 musicals for producers and theatre companies across the U.S.

'We're hoping this will be an annual collaboration, with some works in development, some in concert, and some in performance,' says Simon. 'We've already begun preliminary discussions for musicals for production in 2012-13. We're hoping to foster a steady stream of works that are in process throughout each academic year.'

Aging Out is scheduled for two performances in concert at the Winnifred Smith Concert Hall on September 19th at 8:00p.m. and September 20th at 5:00p.m. The book and lyrics are by Hillary Rollins and Tara Redepenning, with music by Darin Goulet.

e-$cape: a cybermusical is scheduled for performances at the Winnifred Smith Concert Hall on September 18th at 8:00p.m. and September 20th at 8:00p.m. The book and lyrics are by Scott Guy, and the music is by Nick DeGregorio.

Audience feedback is a crucial component of developing new work. To this end, there will be discussions held after each performance.

Tickets will be $6 for a single ticket, $10 admission to both musicals. For more information about performances, contact the Department of Drama at UC/Irivne. For more information about the Academy, or its process of developing musicals, please visit www.anmt.org.