ART Hosts Discussion with Diane Paulus and Stephen Schwartz 11/30

American Repertory Theater presents The American Musical in the 21st Century: A conversation with Diane Paulus and Stephen Schwartz on November 30 at OBERO.

WHAT: The American Musical in the 21st Century: A conversation with Diane Paulus and Stephen Schwartz

WHEN: Tuesday, November 30 @ 6:00pm

WHERE: OBERON, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge

TICKETS: Free Ticketed event. Seating is General Admission. Please arrive by 5:45pm to secure your seat. If you arrive past this time, your ticket may be given away to guests waiting in the standby line.

DETAILS: A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Stephen Schwartz, creator of the musicals Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell will hold a discussion about the American musical, its trends in the coming decade and its future. Admission is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. (http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/americanmusical)

WHO's WHO:
Diane Paulus is the Artistic Director of American Repertory Theater where last season she directed Johnny Baseball, The Donkey Show and Best of Both Worlds. Her recent theater credits include The Public Theater's revival of HAIR on Broadway (2009 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical, nominated for 8 Tony Awards including Best Director, as well as winner of a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Award for Best Revival of a Musical), London's West End, and national tour. She is the creator and director of The Donkey Show, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which ran for six years Off-Broadway. Other recent work includes Kiss Me, Kate (Glimmerglass Opera) and Lost Highway (ENO co-production with the Young Vic.) Opera credits include Il Mondo Della Luna (Gotham Chamber Opera at the Hayden Planetarium), Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Turn Of The Screw, Cosi fan tutte; and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Orfeo at the Chicago Opera Theater. Upcoming work at the A.R.T. includes Death and The Powers: The Robots' Opera, a new opera by Tod Machover in collaboration with MIT Media Lab and Chicago Opera Theatre, and Prometheus Bound, a new rock musical by Steven Sater and Serj Tankian later this season.

Stephen Schwartz is best known as the composer and lyricist of such Broadway hits as Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked as well as The Baker's Wife and Children of Eden. He co-adapted Working and wrote lyrics for Rags. He is the songwriter of the films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt and Enchanted, and the Disney television movie Gepetto. Mr. Schwartz is the recipient of three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and four Drama Desk Awards. In 2009 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Mr. Schwartz is a producer of The Blue Flower, which is currently in rehearsals at the A.R.T., and begins performances on December 1 at the Loeb Drama Center. This is his first venture as a producer.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is one of the country's most celebrated resident theaters and the winner of numerous awards. Founded by Robert Brustein in 1980, the A.R.T. during its 30-year history has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes new American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts, and provocative new music Theater Productions.

In 2009, the A.R.T. welcomed its new Artistic Director, Diane Paulus. Armed with the A.R.T.'s mission to expand the boundaries of theater, Paulus and her team have engaged thousands of new theatergoers at performances of Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, Best of Both Worlds, Johnny Baseball, and Cabaret as well as festivals like Emerging America. Critics and audiences have embraced the immersive environments that have become hallmarks of A.R.T. productions. The Theater has broadened its focus to include the audience's total experience, providing them with a sense of ownership in the theatrical event. Initiatives like the A.R.T.'s new club theater OBERON, which Paulus calls a "Second Stage for the 21st century," is an example of one initiative that has not only become an incubator for local artists but also has attracted national attention as a groundbreaking model for programming. Through all of its work, the A.R.T. is committed to building a community of artists, technicians, educators, staff, and audience, all of whom are integral to the A.R.T.'s core mission of expanding the boundaries of theater.