Tony Nominee Andrew Lippa Elected President of The Dramatists Guild Fund

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that The Dramatists Guild Fund, the charitable arm of The Dramatists Guild of America, has elected Tony nominee Andrew Lippa as its new president, succeeding Gretchen Cryer, who has held the position since 2005.

"It is with great joy and humility I accept the position of President of the Board and I am deeply honored to be of service to this wonderful organization," said Lippa in a statement released today.

Cryer will remain on DGF's Board as President Emeritus.

"The Dramatists Guild Fund would not be the organization it is today without the devotion of Gretchen Cryer," Executive Director Rachel Routh added. "I am delighted to continue cultivating DGF's growth with Andrew Lippa who is passionate about serving his fellow writers and nurturing the next generation of artists."

"The last 10 years have been an exciting time of redefinition and growth for DGF," Cryer said in the announcement. "Our dedicated writers, our passionate Board, and our incredible Executive Director Rachel Routh have worked together as a powerful team, enabling us to innovate and expand beyond our wildest dreams. And now our new President, Andrew Lippa, has the perfect combination of energy and vision to take us to an even higher level of service to dramatists. I am thrilled to give him my support."

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Andrew Lippa wrote the theatrical oratorio I Am Harvey Milk that received its New York premiere in October at Lincoln Center with Kristin Chenoweth and Mr. Lippa as Harvey Milk. Life of the Party, an evening celebrating 20 years of his work, premiered at London's award-winning Menier Chocolate Factory this past summer. He also wrote the Drama Desk-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Big Fish, the Tony-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Addams Family as well as the music for Aaron Sorkin's Broadway play The Farnsworth Invention. Other musicals include the Drama Desk award winning musical The Wild Party (book/music/lyrics); A Little Princess (music); john & jen (music/book); Asphalt Beach (music and lyrics); and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (additional music/lyrics and arrangements). He is currently working on a musical adaptation of Jules Feiffer's book The Man In The Ceiling with Mr. Feiffer. Accolades include a Tony and Grammy nomination, the Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Award, ASCAP's Richard Rodgers/New Horizons Award, The Drama Desk and The Outer Critics Circle Award. Andrew Lippa serves on the board of The Dramatists Guild Fund and is a graduate of The University of Michigan.