Free Writers' Workshop DEMO on August 15

On August 15, the ANMT Staff is offering a completely FREE musical theatre writing workshop that will serve as a sample of and an introduction to our exclusive Writers' Workshop Core Curriculum. So head over to the NoHo Arts Center (11136 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601) at 5:30 pm 8/15/2010, and see what all the buzz is about.

Limited space available-- reserve your place in advance at http://www.anmt.org/events_reservation_1.asp?eventid=153.

To learn a little more about the Writers Workshop program, take a look at the video:

Aging Out: The Musical - 7/21 to 8/4

"Aging Out" is a new rock musical written by Darin Goulet, Tara Rede-penning, and Hillary Rollins about foster care kids aging out of the system into the real world in one big, scary leap. After a successful workshop production last year, it is BACK for a developmental production of its newest version.

Here's the best part: the August 4th performance is a BENEFIT PERFORMANCE. 100% of the proceeds go to three great causes: The Serpentine Project for former foster care kids (see video below), the UC Irvine Department of Drama, & ANMT. See the musical; automatically donate to charity. Musical theater with a social conscience- how cool is that?

It's a poignant, eye-opening, amazing musical experience that you don't want to miss!

Only TWO more performances before it closes! If you want to see it, get tickets at http://www.anmt.org/.

The Biz: A Conference for Actors - In Two Weeks!

Our 2010 Actor Conference begins on Friday, August 6 - that's two weekends from now!

There will be tons of interesting panels on things actors need to know to be successful: how to network, how to audition, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to generally thrive as an actor.

In addition to the seminars, this event brings you into the proximity of Broadway producers, directors, casting directors, agents, and many more! And thus, it is a rare networking opportunity.

Interested? The schedule, and specific panel information is below! You can register at http://www.anmt.org/conference_actors.asp.

Conference Schedule

Friday, August 06, 2010

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Opening Wine & Cheese Schmooze

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

THE STATE OF THINGS (Panel)

Mixed panel of Director, Agent, Casting Director, Producer, and Actor discuss the state of the industry today from various perspectives.

Confirmed Panelists:
Gerry Koch (Senior Agent, The Gage Group)
Steven Glaudini (Producing Artistic Director, Musical Theatre West)
Richard Israel (Director)
Forbes Candlish (Producer)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, August 07, 2010

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Coffee and Donut Schmooze

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

WORKSHOP: AUDITION TOOLS (Panel)

Auditioning is an art unto itself. Concrete, simple tools and methods you can use to get your mind in a good place so that you walk into every room set up for success.

Confirmed Panelists:
Dan Callaway (Actor, Vocal Teacher)
Heather Provost (Broadway Producer)
Angel Creeks (Dancer/Singer/Choreographer)

11:30 AM - 1:15 PM

THE ACTOR AS ENTREPRENEUR or FIRING YOUR DAY JOB (Panel)

Stop being a poor, desperate actor, get your money in shape, and thrive. It’s not as hard as you think. A panel of entertainment pros tell you how to do it.

Confirmed Panelists:
Brian Bellomo (Lead Coach for Abundance Bound)
Michael Salerno (Western Regional Manager - Actors Work Program at the Actors' Fund)
James Leo Ryan (Broadway Actor)
Evelyn Halus (Performer and Vocal Coach)
Thomas Griep (Musical Director)

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM
Lite Lunch Schmooze

1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT (Panel)

The things actors unwittingly do that lose them work.

Confirmed Panelists:
Rob Sternin (Executive Producer, TV)
Pru Fraser (Executive Producer, TV)
Nick DeGruccio (Artistic Director, Havoc Theatre Company)
Bob Fraser (Writer, Producer, Show Runner, Author)
Thomas Griep (Musical Director)

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Coffee Break Schmooze

3:30 PM - 5:30 PM

PERSPECTIVE: BEHIND THE TABLE (Panel)

What it’s really like on the other side of the table. Mixed panel offers perspective on what the actor is walking into when they enter the room.

Confirmed Panelists:
Amy Lieberman (Casting Director, Amy Lieberman CSA)
Heather Provost (Broadway Producer)
Calvin Remsberg (Director/Producer)
Lee Martino (Choreographer)

Invited Panelists:
Michael Donovan (Casting Director)

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
BREAK for off-site dinner

7:30 PM - 10:30 PM

LA THEATRE SCENE (Panel)

Representatives from the various LA Theatre companies talk about the state of things and what’s going on, what they need/want from the actors they see.

Confirmed Panelists:
Barbara Beckley (Artistic Director, The Colony Theatre)
Ivan Rivas (Actors' Equity Association)
Lewis Wilkenfeld (Artistic Director Cabrillo Musical Theatre)
Chad Borden (Producing Director Havok Theatre Company)
Douglas Clayton

Invited Panelists:
Michael Ritchie (Artistic Director, Center Theatre Group)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, August 08, 2010

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

ACTOR LIFE: It's About More Than Booking Jobs (Panel)

Experts talk about cultivating a full and rich life that supports your acting career.

Confirmed Panelists:
Barbara Deutsch (Career and Life Coach)
K Callan (Actor and Award Winning Author)
Davis K. Brimberg Ph.D. (Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in performance concerns)

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lite Lunch Schmooze

1:30 PM - 3:15 PM

PRACTICALITIES (Panel)

Which headshots work? Which ones get immediately rejected? How important is your reel? What about your resume? Mixed panel discusses the tools of the trade and how actors can do themselves every favor by having these elements up to date and in place.

Confirmed Panelists:
Ray Garcia (Actor/Photographer)
Jacole Kitchen (Agent, KSR)

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Coffee Break Schmooze

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

IT'S WHO YOU KNOW (Panel)

How to make meaningful connections in the industry, use technologies like social media, and not be annoying.

Confirmed Panelists:
Dallas Travers (Author)
Kat Landsberg (Producer, Pariah Entertainment Group)
Jacole Kitchen (Agent, KSR)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Break for off-site dinner, and move to NoHo Arts Center

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

AUDITION ASSESSMENT (Panel)

An overall assessment of performance, presence in the room, headshot and resume, material, what that person’s product is, etc. (All participants will be able to audit this session: a limited number will have the opportunity to actually audition and be assessed by the panel.) NOTE: This session will take place at the NoHo Arts Center on Magnolia, just west of Lankershim.

Confirmed Panelists:
Gerry Koch (Senior Agent, The Gage Group)
Richard Israel (Director)
Heather Provost (Broadway Producer)
Thomas Griep (Musical Director)
Evelyn Halus (Performer and Vocal Coach)

Invited Panelists:
Nick DeGruccio (Artistic Director, Havoc Theatre Company)

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Final Schmooze - at NoHo Arts Center

40 is the New 15's Run at the NoHo Arts Center has BEGUN!

The newest version of 40 is the New 15 had its WORLD PREMIERE at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood this past weekend, and already has received rave reviews from critics!

Stage Scene LA calls it a "polished gem" with an "absolutely splendid cast that can sing with the best of them", concluding that "L.A. theatergoers in search of that rare entity—an original new musical that works—have one in 40 Is The New 15".

A GLAAD Media Award Nominee and participant of the prestigious ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop, 40 is the New 15 follows the lives of five 40-year-olds who look back to their innocent days in high school, when they all dreamed of becoming successes at 40. Act I is a fun flashback to the '80s, allowing the audience to see the characters' 15-year-old selves (a wannabe neurosurgeon, a teen gymnast phenom, a computer geek, an all-too-All-American baseball fan, and a starry-eyed musical theatre fan), while Act II deals with their older, and more complicated selves going forward.

Michele Spears directs this brand-new world premiere production, with scenery and lights by Kevin Traxler (former producer for Disney). Cast members include Tod Macofsky, Dana Meller, Craig Woolson, Karole Foreman, John Allsopp, Peter Welkin, Gretchen Weiss and Lindsey Mixon.

For the rest of Stage Scene LA's rave review, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes video about building the set, go to: http://www.anmt.org/4015review.asp .

For tickets, please visit: http://www.40isthenew15.com/ !

Trailer for 40 is the New 15 below:

Musical Theatre Boot Camp 2010 - Last Chance to Register!

Next week marks the beginning of our Musical Theatre Boot Camp series! Check out the video below, and register now at http://www.anmt.org/bootcamp.asp !

This year, we have tons of classes, including:


For actors:

• LEARNING A DANCE COMBINATION QUICKLY

• COLD READING for AUDITIONS

• BRINGING A SONG TO LIFE
  
  
• FINDING and USING YOUR LEGIT and BELT VOICE
  
  
• MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMERS INTENSIVE

For writers:

• OUTLINING LAB
  
  
• SUMMER BOOK LAB
  
  
• THE ART OF WRITING DIALOGUE
  
  
• LYRIC MASTERWORK ANALYSIS
  
  
• ADAPTATION: the Secrets of Storytelling
  
  
• BUILDING STRONG PLOTS & 3-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS

For composers:

• PREPARING YOUR SCORE in FINALE NOTATION
  
  
• MUSICAL STYLES AND GENRES
  
  
• CHORAL WRITING FOR MUSICAL THEATRE

For producers:

• HOW DOES A MUSICAL GET FINANCED?
  
  
• Q & A with ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEYS

To register, please visit http://www.anmt.org/bootcamp.asp ! If you have any questions, email us at academy@anmt.org.

"For Richer, For Poorer": Four 15-Minute Musicals

It's that time again! Time for our annual "15 Minute Musicals", a highly-anticipated event where the participants of our Core Curriculum get to showcase their work (and the rest of the curious community comes out to see the new talent!).

This season there will be four 15-minute musicals, featuring the same cast of five actors. The writers have been given a theme of “For Richer, For Poorer”, and have cooked up four wildly different approaches to this theme: an outrageous family squabble over a cookie dough recipe; a porn movie with a G-rated director at the helm; Hansel and Gretel all grown up but delusional that the Witch is still out to eat 'em; and three exotic plants singing for their lives.

The four shows presented each evening (June 28 and 29) are:

• “Dough!”, with book by Sarah Hernandez, music by Clifford J. Tasner, and lyrics by Ron Ovadia.
  
  
• “Shoot Ma!”, with book by Joe Moe, music by Ryan Luevano, and lyrics by Richard Hefner
  
  
• “Witch Is It?”, with book by Maureen Borillo, music by Matthew Levine, and lyrics by Richard Castle
  
  
• “Green Thumb”, with book by Joan Enguita, music by Nancy Gitlin, and lyrics by Joan Enguita and Karrie Vach

Starring: Sonia Alcazar, Patrick Foley, Barry O'Neil, Emily Kimmel Plotkin, and Gabrielle Wagner.

The four musicals are directed by John Sparks, with music direction by Jake Anthony.

Tickets are $25; the performances begin at 7:30pm. For tickets, reservations and more info: www.anmt.org !

38 Days of Musicals This Summer!

This summer from July 16 through August 22nd, the Academy for New Musical Theatre is producing six weeks of new musicals, seven days a week: productions, workshops, concerts, lectures, seminars, two conferences on the business of musical theatre (one for actors, one for writers), as well as offering several dozen courses in the craft of writing or acting or producing musical theatre. Check out the video below for more information! If you want to buy tickets, please visit: http://www.anmt.org/summer2010.asp.