BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop

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The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is a two-year educational program for people who wish to develop a musical.[1] After the program, some participants are invited into the advanced workshop program for further study and collaboration on works in development.[2][3]

In 1961, BMI and Lehman Engel founded the program.[4] Engel supervised the workshop and led weekly sessions until his death in 1982, and Maury Yeston led it for the next two decades until 2003,[5] when Patrick Cook took over.[1] BMI sponsors the workshop, which is free for participants.[1][5][6]

On May 21, 2006, Drama Desk awarded the BMI Workshop a Special Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater."[7] In 2006, the BMI Workshop was one of the recipients of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre.[8] The New York Times called the BMI Workshop "The Harvard of Showtunes.[9]

The musical A Class Act, about composer-lyricist Ed Kleban, one of the workshop's early students, had several scenes set in the BMI Workshop. Kleban was played by Lonny Price, who also directed, and Engel was played by Patrick Quinn. The score consists of Kleban songs that were first heard in the workshop.[5]

How the workshop functions[edit]

Applicants for the BMI Workshop must pass a screening process,[2] first by submitting three songs.[10] Some of these are then invited to audition for admission.[5][1][6] Those who are accepted to the workshop are invited to participate for free.[11] All BMI workshops run from approximately September to May.[12]

In the first year, students are paired with a different partner for each assignment. The workshop teaches show tune writing styles, such as ballads, comedy songs and charm songs, and other basic techniques. The first assignment of the first year is to write a song where someone tells a lie. Another assignment is a song for Blanche from A Streetcar Named Desire, and the last assignment of the first year is a presentation by each writing team of a 10-minute musical[11] In the second year, teams stay in the same pairings throughout the year and musicalize an already existing work. At the end of the year, each team presents its four best songs, and the steering committee decides whether the writers are cut or may continue into the advanced workshop.[11][13]

Composers and lyricists in the advanced workshop are welcome to stay for as many years as they would like while they workshop new material.[11] They participate in discussions and roundtables, and collaboratively develop new works.[1][5] As of 2008, 250 people had participated in the advanced aorkshop.[14]

BMI also hosts a librettist workshop for bookwriters.[15] The first year is called "Bookwriting Basics".[12] To apply to the librettist workshop, applicants must submit a resume and two 10-page writing samples, at least one of which must be comedic.[12] After the first year, some of the participants are invited to the advanced librettist workshop.[12]

Broadway shows developed in the workshop[edit]

Maury Yeston wrote the first three songs for Nine while in the workshop. Barry Brown and Fritz Holt saw these presented at one of the workshop's showcases in 1974 and decided to produce the show.[16] Yeston said, "In 1970 ... I joined the BMI Music Theatre Workshop ... Lehman was instrumental in my working on the Fellini musical, which I decided to call Nine. It was really the first project that was born in the workshop. It contains so many of Lehman’s teachings and I’m very, very grateful to him."[16]

Next to Normal and Avenue Q both started as first-year 10-minute musical projects.[17][18][19]

Other Broadway shows developed in the workshop have included:

Awards granted by the BMI Workshop[edit]

The workshop grants the Jerry Harrington Awards for Creative Excellence annually to a member of each workshop group. Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez, co-creators Avenue Q, were the recipients in 2000, the first year the awards were granted.[22]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Sklar, Rachel. "How Musical Theater Magic Is Made, One Class at a Time", Theater Mania, June 25, 2018
  2. ^ a b Giere, Carol de (2019-04-08). "The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop". MusicalWriters.com. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  3. ^ Guss, Daniel (October 20, 2016). "Seeing My Life in a Sondheim Show". www.tdf.org. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  4. ^ Engel, Lehman (1974). This Bright Day. Macmillan.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jones, Kenneth. "Maury Yeston Will Step Down as BMI Musical Workshop Moderator After 20 Years", Playbill, March 7, 2003
  6. ^ a b c "Applications Now Open for BMI Musical Theatre Workshop", Music Connection, May 18, 2023
  7. ^ "Drama Desk Awards 2005-2006 winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  8. ^ "The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards". 2008-11-22. Archived from the original on 2008-11-22. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  9. ^ a b Calhoun, Ada (2004-11-28). "Where Musical-Makers Audition Their Ideas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  10. ^ "2024 Theatre Workshop: Application Requirements". BMI.com. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  11. ^ a b c d Jacobs, Leonard. "Writing Right: The BMI Workshop at 40". Backstage.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ a b c d Cristi, A. A. (May 19, 2021). "The BMI Lehman Engel Librettist Workshop Is Now Accepting Applications". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  13. ^ "'BMI' Means 'Better Musicals Indeed!'". Theater Mania. 2002-02-01. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  14. ^ "BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Application Deadline Approaches". Songwriters Hall of Fame. July 14, 2008. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  15. ^ Jones, Kenneth (April 30, 2002). "So You Wanna Write a Libretto? BMI Accepting Applications to Workshop to May 1". Playbill.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b Botto, Louis (May 9, 2020). "Inside the Creation of the Tony-Winning Musical Nine". Playbill.
  17. ^ "The Ballad of Kitt & Yorkey". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  18. ^ "Show History". Music Theatre International. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  19. ^ "ATW's Working in the Theatre - Production:". CUNY TV. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  20. ^ "Edward Kleban - Music Publishing - Concord". concord.com. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  21. ^ a b "Show History". Music Theatre International. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  22. ^ "BMI Workshop Students Honored with Harrington Awards". Songwriters Hall of Fame. July 9, 2008. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  23. ^ a b andylindberg. "Home Page". Ahrens + Flaherty. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  24. ^ "Masi Asare – Dramatists Guild Foundation". dgf.org. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  25. ^ "Music and Soul: Disney Legends Howard Ashman and Alan Menken". factsandfigment.com. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  26. ^ Shaughnessy, Peter (November 4, 2019). "Lyricists – They Write the Songs that Make Us Want to Sing". Backstage.
  27. ^ "Bio (Composing) | jeffblumenkrantz.com". jeffblumenkrantz.com. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  28. ^ "Festival of New Artists". Goodspeed Musicals. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  29. ^ a b c Hetrick, Adam. "Korie, Frankel and Ahrens Among BMI Workshop's 2007-2008 Moderators". Playbill.com.
  30. ^ "Gary William Friedman". www.garywilliamfriedman.com. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  31. ^ Alpern, David M. (2018-10-22). "Ira Gasman Brought 'The Life' to Life". American Theatre. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  32. ^ "Women Wednesdays: Lyricist Amanda Green Talks About Her Broadway Path with the Boys…Tom Kitt & Lin Manuel Miranda". Un-Block The Music. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  33. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Carol Hall, Composer-Lyricist of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Dies at 82". Playbill.com.
  34. ^ "The Writers' Room". www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  35. ^ "A Chorus Line". www.pittsburghclo.org. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  36. ^ "Michael John LaChiusa". The Official Masterworks Broadway Site. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  37. ^ New Jersey Jewish News. "Meet Andrew Lippa".
  38. ^ "Kristen Anderson-Lopez". Music Theatre International. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  39. ^ a b c "Avenue Q Creative Team". Mercury Theater Chicago. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  40. ^ "How Musical Theater Magic Is Made, One Class at a Time - TheaterMania.com". 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  41. ^ "Glenn Slater and Stephen Weiner". The American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  42. ^ "The Ballad of Kitt & Yorkey". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-27.

External links[edit]

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