Among the moderators expected are BMI veterans Maury Yeston (Titanic, Nine, Grand Hotel) and Lynn Ahrens (Once on this Island, Ragtime, Dessa Rose) as well as Grey Gardens songwriting team Michael Korie and Scott Frankel.

The projects in development include Wanda's World, a new "tween" musical following a young girl with a birthmark on her face who dreams of being accepted by her fellow classmates. Wanda's World features music and lyrics by Beth Falcone with a book by Eric H. Weinberger.

The 2007 recipient of the Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, See Rock City, will also be included. The musical is described as a "collection of short musicals set at tourist destinations across the country, from Rock City, Georgia to Niagara Falls, stopping off at Coney Island, Route 66 and the Alamo. Each landmark introduces a new set of characters struggling to connect, to move past their fears and expectations in order to fully engage with each other." See Rock City is composed by Brad Alexander with lyrics by Adam Mathias.

Captains Courageous collaborators Patrick Cook, who is also the BMI workshop artistic coordinator, and Frederick Freyer will co-moderate the first year class. The BMI workshop begins Sept. 17 and will conclude on June 3.

Founded by Lehman Engel in 1961, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, fully funded by the BMI foundation at no cost to its participants, was created in order to nurture the craft of musical theatre by providing new writers with a testing ground for their work under the guidance of experienced professionals within the industry. Notable alumni and members include Maury Yeston (Titanic, Grand Hotel, Nine), Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Edward Kleban (A Chorus Line), Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, Dessa Rose), Gerard Alessandrini (Forbidden Broadway) and Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party).