New Musicals Inc. Welcomes Broadway Producers as Conference Panelists, Now thru 7/20

New Musicals Inc. announces the line-up of panelists for the fifth biennial BIZ OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE BIZ CONFERENCE, set for today, July 18 through July 20 in North Hollywood.

A series of panels held Friday evening through Sunday evening will include such musical theatre luminiaries as:

- John Caird - Director, LES MISERABLES; Writer, Jane Eyre, Daddy Long Legs
- Randy Johnson - Writer/Director, A Night with Janis Joplin; Original Producer, Always, Patsy Cline
- Michael Alden - Broadway Producer, Grey Gardens, Bridge and Tunnel
- David Bryant - Broadway Producer, A Tale of Two Cities, A Time to Kill
- Karyl Lynn Burns - Producing Artistic Director, The Rubicon Theatre
- Sheldon Epps - Artistic Director, Pasadena Playhouse
- Paul Gordon - Lyricist/Composer of Daddy Long Legs, Tony nominated lyricist/composer of Jane Eyre
- Dana Harrel - Creative Executive Director, Walt Disney Imagineering
- Daniel Henning - Founding Artistic Director/Producer, The Blank Theatre Company
- Michael Jackowitz - Broadway Producer, How to Succeed..., Tuck Everlasting, The Hawaiian Goddess Project
- Michael A. Kerker - ASCAP Director of Musical Theatre
- Terence McFarland - Executive Director, LA Stage Alliance
- Brendan Milburn & Valerie Vigoda - Striking 12, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, Beautiful Poison
- Heather Provost - Broadway, film, and television producer
- Cheri Steinkellner - Tony nominated bookwriter of Sister Act
- Michael Weiner & Alan Zachary - First Date, Second Hand Lions
- Michael R. Blaha - Entertainment Lawyer, Producer
- Cate Caplin - Award Winning LA Director/Choreographer

There is also a special free perk to everyone who registers in the Biz of the Musical Theatre Biz Conference.

On Friday, July 18 at 5:00pm, there will be a presentation of a staged reading of the Broadway-bound world premiere musical Little Miss Scrooge, by John Caird (Tony and Olivier Award-winning Director of LES MISERABLES; writer of Jane Eyre and Daddy Long Legs), Sam Caird, and Paul Gordon (composer of Jane Eyre and Daddy Long Legs).

The love story from Great Expectations and the ghost story from A Christmas Carol are combined with a magnificent pop-rock score in this Dickensian musical spectacular. Estella Scrooge, a Wall Street tycoon and direct descendant of Ebenezer, travels to Pickwick, Ohio on Christmas Eve to foreclose on The Harthouse Hotel, a haven for the lost, lonely and dispossessed. There she finds herself drawn to the attractive proprietor Philip Nickleby.

The reading will be followed by a moderated feedback session, where the writers will be looking for critical feedback from the audience.

The conference will begin offically that evening with an opening reception, and a special panel with the producers of Little Miss Scrooge who will discuss new producing models for collaborations between for-profits and non-profits.

The rest of the information-packed weekend conference includes sessions led by musical theatre professionals, who will share valuable information and advice on a variety of issues related to producing and writing musicals. Participants will have the chance to hear behind-the-scenes stories from professional theatre writers about how to write a musical, and meet other emerging artists in the musical theatre world. As an added bonus, participants will also have the chance to pitch their musicals to established producers.

Tickets for the entire conference (including all events Friday evening, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday) are $595 - single-day rates are also available. The conference will take place at the NoHo Arts Center (in the heart of the NoHo Arts District) at 11136 Magnolia Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601, the weekend of July 18-20. To register or for more information, go to www.nmi.org.

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