The discussion will be moderated by Jack Viertel, artistic director of City Center Encores!. Panelists will include composer Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City), playwright David Henry Hwang (Tarzan, M. Butterfly, The Golden Child), producer Margo Lion (Hairspray, The Wedding Singer), director Susan Schulman (Sweeney Todd, The Secret Garden, The Sound of Music) and producer Kevin McCollum (The Drowsy Chaperone, Avenue Q, Rent).

“What do Spamalot!, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, The Producers and a long list of recent Broadway musicals have in common? They were all adapated from other media. Films, novels, even television shows have become an increasingly desirable source for new material, but it takes more than a good idea to create a successful adaptation. How do you condense a novel that spans decades into a two-hour musical? What does it take to translate a film, which can travel to any location, to the confines of a Broadway stage? What are the copyright and other legal issues involved? This panel brings together a group of writers who have successfully managed the transition to discuss the how, why and when to adapt.”

NYMF members may reserve a seat by calling (212) 352-3101.

(Playbill.com is a media partner of the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2006.)