BMI, Lehman Engel, Ascap workshop experiences

[Steve]

I'm a first year member of the Lehman Engel Musical Theater Writing
Workshop here in Los Angeles. Run very professionally by John Sparks,
the workshop has been a really good experience, the structured
assignments proving really helpful. (I like the workshop's philosophy:
learn the rules first, THEN break them.) Lots of talented folks in our
"class", with composers surprisingly over-represented.

Our end-of-year mini-musicals will be performed -- five twelve-minute
musicals -- on June 14 & 15 at 7:30 PM at the workshop space in
Glendale. Admission is free, but seating is very limited. Call
818-502-3309 to see if reservations are still available.

ANYWAY ... I'd love to hear reports of people's experiences in the other
Lehman Engel chapters (New Tuners/Chicago and LE (BMI) in NYC. What are
you all up to? Are you doing mini-musicals? How's it going?

Reports on other workshops, like the Ascap, would be interesting too.
Good? Useful? Not?

-- Steve in Venice Beach

[Cbdemill]

Interesting. I wonder if you ever get into discussions re: the state of
musical theatre in the country today, or where it's headed. Seems there's been
a resurgance of interest in Opera, a decline in classical music per se, a
Disneyfication of the Musical on Broadway, a return to celebrity worship (soap
opera stars "carrying" musical shows on their name alone; and yet, a big
question mark on that untapped region between coast to coast. Any thoughts?
C.B.

[Steve]

Yes, we chew over that stuff all the time, as we all do here on RATM.

-- Steve

[Greg Tufaro]

I have a friend who is involved in the BMI workshop here in NY. I actually
went in and auditioned a couple of her songs with her before she was
selected. It was a great experience. They're working on their mini-musicals
right now as far as I know. I'm not sure though if they're going to be
presented outside of the class.

Meanwhile, though, if you're interested in getting exposure, check out my
site "Musicals That May" at http://members.home.net/gtufaro/index.html

It's in it's initial stages, but I feel like it has real possibilities.

I'm going to be putting up links to my friends musical soon, based on "Tess
of the d'Urbervilles" and my own works, as well as any of the BMI students
who would like to have their music presented on the web. So, I'd be happy to
offer you and your class the same!

Greg

[Noel Katz]

I was the youngest member of the New York BMI workshop during the last four
years of Lehman Engel's life. He was a fascinating, inspiring, opinionated
individual with a contagious enthusiasm for good musical theatre. He was wrong
about many things (saying, e.g., that there's no humor in The Music Man) and
told some great anecdotes from his career (e.g., Streisand changing the way she
did Miss Marmelstein and then never recovering her form). But what was most
important were his high standards. No false rhymes, hackneyed concepts or
dated harmonic structures went uncriticized. If we could all be as hard on
ourselves as Lehman was on us, all the time, well, there's no limit to what our
musicals would be. The year of his death, two of his long-term students, Maury
Yestin and Alan Menken, finally broke into the big time, with Nine and Little
Shop of Horrors. A fitting finish for the man who invented the concept of the
workshop that teaches a way to write musicals.

[Professor Dash]

Noel Katz wrote: "I was the youngest member of the New York BMI workshop

during the last four years of Lehman Engel's life."

--------
Lehman Engel's books were probably the most solid how-to info I ever
read on writing a musical. Any aspiring writers out there who haven't
read any of Engel's books, put down whatever you are doing and RUN to a
library.

PROFESSOR DASH
"Soon I'll get the credit I deserve"!

[Professor Dash]

Last year, my wife / collaborator and I attended the ASCAP workshop on
two nights, one with one of our very own RATMiesters as one of the guest
panelists (on SWING ALLEY night). I wish I would have known that then- I
could have said hi! Anyway, all the panelists gave the two shows in the
hot seat great criticism, from which I learned some things, and had some
things confirmed. It was most educational for me in the area of what a
staged reading looks, sounds, and feels like- because this is our next
step. I look forward to next years ASCAP workshops, but I was
disappointed to see that they are already way finished accepting tapes.
Already! Oh well. A great experience.

[Noel Katz]

> I look forward to next years ASCAP workshops, but I was
>disappointed to see that they are already way finished accepting tapes.

I think you have this wrong. ASCAP hasn't started accepting tapes for the
workshops in the year 2000

[Steve]

I was lucky enough to find copies of Engel's books on musical theaster
writing at used book shops, and I second your motion. Engel's books are
a treasure of musical theater know-how, how-to, and better-not. Too bad
they're out of print, as far as I know.

-- Steve in Venice Beach

Professor Dash wrote:
>
> Noel Katz wrote: "I was the youngest member of the New York BMI workshop
> during the last four years of Lehman Engel's life."
> --------
> Lehman Engel's books were probably the most solid how-to info I ever
> read on writing a musical. Any aspiring writers out there who haven't
> read any of Engel's books, put down whatever you are doing and RUN to a
> library.
>

> PROFESSOR DASH
> "Soon I'll get the credit I deserve"!

--

-- Steve Gregory

"Why always try to be different? Being good is different enough."

-- Arthur Freed

[Professor Dash]

Noel Katz wrote: "I think you have this wrong. ASCAP hasn't started

accepting tapes for the workshops in the year 2000"

------
Noel- I hope so! But according to the Playwright's Companion 1999, the
deadline was March 15, 1999 with notification in Jan. of 2000.

[Lilalove]

<<< according to the Playwright's Companion 1999, the deadline was March 15,
1999 with notification in Jan. of 2000.

PROFESSOR DASH>>>

I wrote a musical (book and lyrics) that was included in the 1998 ASCAP
workshop (the same year as Swing Alley) and I'm pretty sure we submitted our
work in January or February (and were notified of acceptance in March or April
-- just a week or so before the first part of the workshop began). I would
suggest that you call ASCAP directly and get the current info -- your
Playwrights Companion may have the information wrong.

Cheers,
Lilah

[Professor Dash]

Lilalove wrote: "I wrote a musical (book and lyrics) that was included

in the 1998 ASCAP workshop (the same year as Swing Alley) and I'm pretty
sure we submitted our work in January or February (and were notified of
acceptance in March or April -- just a week or so before the first part
of the workshop began). I would suggest that you call ASCAP directly and
get the current info -- your Playwrights Companion may have the
information wrong. "

--------
Cool. I think I will call them. Michael Kirker couldn't have been nicer
to us when we were there last year! BTW, how did you enjoy the
"hotseat"?

[Lilalove]

Prof Dash writes:

<< BTW, how did you enjoy the hotseat>>

Well, I loved part one -- when we presented just songs -- because there was
nothing hot about the seat at all. They were unbelievably complimentary about
the music, the lyrics, and the collaboration -- a dream experience. Even
Stephen Schwartz commented on how rare it was that they had nothing bad to say.

But we got our comeuppance the following month, when we presented the 50
consecutive minutes. I got a taste of the hot seat experience, and all I can
say is: "ouch!" But at least the panels were tough on everyone that month.
And we felt, all in all, that the workshop was a worthwhile experience.

Michael Kerker is a mensch. I'm sure he will set you straight about deadlines
for application etc - but DO call him because if you want to be considered for
2000 I'm positive it's NOT too late.

Lilah