Performances play dark nights of the Musicals Tonight! spring season of musicals-in-concert at the intimate 45th Street Theatre, 354 West 45th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.
The 2005 Drama League Award-winning BMI Workshop is the not-for-profit crucible of craft that puts composers and lyricists in a room to present their work in an atmosphere of constructive criticism. A multi-year, tuition-free initiative of BMI, the performing rights organization, the workshop is moderated by professionals (Maury Yeston, among others) and has often been the place where orphaned writers meet collaborators. Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) are among alumni.
The first BMI writer to be celebrated in the Musical Mondays series is composer Doug Katsaros, 6:15 PM April 4. The composer has extensive Broadway, Off-Broadway and recording credits. On Broadway, he composed Laughing Room Only, conducted and arranged Footloose, wrote arrangements for The Life, orchestrated The Rocky Horror Show and Welcome to the Club, composed and orchestrated for The Tony Awards and was featured in the revival cast of Hair. Off-Broadway Katsaros most recently served as orchestrator and CD producer for Altar Boyz, composed and orchestrated Just So, A...My Name Is Alice, Diamonds, Elizabeth & Essex ,Moby Dick and composed, orchestrated, directed and produced the CD for the musical Abie's Island Rose.
The three evenings are being co-produced with Musical Mondays Theatre Lab (Bick Goss, artistic director and Frank Evans, producing director). Since its inception in 1998, Musicals Tonight!, headed by Mel Miller, has revived more than 20 musicals, on a shoestring budget for an affordable price ($15). Musical Mondays, meanwhile, has presented five seasons of readings of new works, including Cupid and Psyche, Abie's Island Rose, Like You Like It, Thorstein Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class and Dinner at Eight.
Suggested donation for the initial offering is $15. Upcoming Musical Mondays will focus on BMI'ers Jenny Giering and Friends (May 2 at 6:15 PM) and Barbara Anselmi's The Big Picture (6:15 PM May 16). For reservations or information, call (212) 989-6706 or email [email protected].
