Before he became a household name on "Seinfeld," Jason Alexander was a Broadway baby -- literally. His New York stage vehicles included Broadway Bound and Jerome Robbins' Broadway (1989 Tony). Now that "Seinfeld" has finished its run, Alexander is giving something back to his stage roots: he'll appear as the keynote speaker at the First Annual West Coast Musical Theatre Conference, Mar. 13-14 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.
Frank Wildhorn, composer of Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War and the Broadway-bound Havana, will be interviewed by librettist Libbe S. HaLevy.
Sponsored by Broadway on Sunset (Musical Theatre Development) in association with the L.A. Cultural Affairs Department, the conference will offer networking, a panel, a concert reading and a revue of songs. Both the revue and reading are taken from winners of a "First Look" National Competition, designed to help writers of new musicals develop their work. This year's "First Look" winner is Pablo, by Charles Bloom.
On Mar. 14, a panel on "Getting Your Musical Produced" will feature Alice Jankell (Disney Theatrical), Joan Stein (Canon Theatricals), Sheldon Epps (Pasadena Playhouse), producer Willette Klausner and Daniel Henning (Blank Theatre Company). Producer and playwright Farrell Hirsch will moderate.
For reservations ($5-$7) and information on the Conference, at LATC, 514 South Spring St., call (213) 485-1681. -- By David Lefkowitz