Stephen Schwartz to Lead 2016 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop at The Wallis This Winter; Submissions Open!

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announces a new partnership with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and DreamWorks Studios to present the highly successful annual program, The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop.

Now in its 23rd year under the leadership of Artistic Director Stephen Schwartz, the workshop -- giving selected composers and lyricists the opportunity to present selections from original musical works in progress for professional critique -- will take place at The Wallis in Beverly Hills from Feb. 16-18, 2016, with submissions now being accepted. The application deadline is Dec. 16, 2015.

"We are delighted to join ASCAP and DreamWorks in this forward-looking program that encourages the next generation of musical theater artists," said Paul Crewes, newly appointed Artistic Director of The Wallis. "This alliance is a perfect example of our three organizations' commitment and dedication to furthering arts education and our continued encouragement of the development of new creative musical works by emerging artists."

The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop -- led by artistic director Stephen Schwartz, a Tony-, Oscar- and Grammy-award winning composer/lyricist whose credits include the Broadway smash Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, as well as the Walt Disney films Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the DreamWorks' film The Prince of Egypt -- is a three-day event composed of various workshop sessions featuring prominent guests from all aspects of musical theatre, including producers, directors, critics, performers and composers. Past panelists have included Lynn Ahrens (Tony Award-winning lyricist: Ragtime); Stephen Flaherty (Tony Award-winning composer: Ragtime); Sheldon Harnick (Tony Award-winning lyricist: Fiddler on the Roof); Mark Hollmann (Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist:Urinetown); Rupert Holmes (Tony Award-winning librettist and composer/lyricist: Drood); and David Zippel (Tony winning lyricist: City of Angeles).

"I'm truly delighted that The ASCAP Foundation/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop will be partnered with The Wallis," said Stephen Schwartz. "Not only does this provide us a larger state-of-the-art venue, but it greatly expands our educational possibilities. With the Wallis' strong educational program in place, we now have the opportunity to include students of musical theatre from the wider LA community who will be invited to attend and observe the workshop."

Submission Information:

Writers interested in applying for participation in The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles should submit the following:

• CD of four (4) songs from your musical
• Lyric sheets for each of the four songs
• A brief description of each song as to its plot placement
• A brief synopsis of the musical
• Biographical information for each composer, lyricist and book writer
• Contact information (including e-mail address, phone number and mailing address)

Send your completed submission package to:
Michael A. Kerker
c/o ASCAP
7920 Sunset Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90046
ATTN: ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop

Deadline: Submissions must be received in the ASCAP office by Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

Please note:

1. Please submit four (4) songs only. If you send a full recording, ASCAP will only listen to the first four (4) songs.
2. Submissions do not need to be produced in a studio as we are looking for talent and potential, not production values.
3. If your musical is selected, you will need to present 50 consecutive minutes from the musical at the workshop. The 50-minute selection must include book and songs.
4. Those who have been accepted to present material in the workshop will be contacted by January 15, 2016.
5. Those who will be invited to audit the workshop will receive an e-mail invitation.
6. Please do not call to ask if you have been selected.

Space is limited. Submissions will not be returned. For further information, call ASCAP at 212-621-6264.

Tickets for The ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshops at The Wallis are FREE and available at www.thewallis.org, by calling 310-746-4000, or in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

The mission of The Wallis is to be a vital cultural hub that uses unique arts events and education programming to entertain, enlighten and inspire children and adults in our community and across the nation. Since opening its doors in October 2013, The Wallis has produced or presented over 100 dance, theatre, opera, classical music and children's programs to an ever-expanding audience. The 2014-15 season-recently awarded six LA STAGE Alliance Ovation awards including "Best Season" and "Best Musical Production" for Spring Awakening, which transferred to Broadway and continues it run though January at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre-saw audiences at The Wallis grow to over 44,000 attendees with another 50,000 anticipated for the 2015-16 Season which officially began in September with a sold-out and live-streamed conversation with two-time Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington followed by four sold-out performances of the Twyla Tharp 50th Anniversary Tour.

Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, The Wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. With eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles, and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe.

Nominated for 26 Ovation Awards, four L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards and the recipient of five architectural awards since opening in 2013, The Wallis is a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue that celebrates the classic and the modern and was designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA of Studio Pali Fekete architects. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation) and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. For more information, visit www.thewallis.org.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With 550,000 members representing more than 10 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com

DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed by partners Steven Spielberg and The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The studio was originally founded in 1994 by Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. It currently has a worldwide distribution deal with The Walt Disney Studios, which markets and distributes their films.

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