Arri Lawton Simon News

New York Theatre Barn will host another free live stream of their New Works Series on Tuesday, April 16, 2020 at 7PM EDT, with pre-premieres of the new musicals Borders and Sueños: Our American Musical. Meet the writers of these new musicals, and get a glimpse of live excerpts from both shows.

The York Theatre Company, as part of its acclaimed NEO Reading Series, will present a staged reading of the new musical Borders, with book, music, and lyrics by 2019 NEO writers Janine McGuire and Arri Lawton Simon, based on the film The Bubble by Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky, for ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY on Monday, February 24, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. at the York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Admission to the presentation is by invitation only.

Since 2015, Adelphi University has given musical theater creators the opportunity to showcase their work with new audiences through the Larson Legacy Concert Series. On Sunday, September 22, Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Andy Roninson, along with a talented cast of musicians and vocalists, will perform songs from his internationally acclaimed podcast TAKE A TEN, as well as never-before-heard material from new musicals in the works.

Founding Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the 27 writers of nine new musicals for Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's summer weeklong residencies. This year's artists include Obie-winner Heather Christian, Kleban-winner Brian Crawley, TV and film writers Bekah Brunstetter (THIS IS US) and Cinco Paul (DESPICABLE ME), inaugural Stephen Schwartz Award winner Oliver Houser, and ASCAP Foundation scholarship winner Khiyon Hursey. The musicals cover a wide range of subjects. Four have LGBTQ themes: a historical look at Florida in the 1950s (IN A SUNSHINE STATE), a Palestinian/Israeli love story (BORDERS), a modern coming of age of a young black man (SEAN'S STORY PART I | THE AWAKENING), and a fantasy queer rock musical celebrating lady love (TL;DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX). Two are darkly comedic historical musicals: one featuring Mary Magdelene (A.D. 16) and the second a WWII plot to foil Hitler (OPERATION MINCEMEAT). Other subjects include the opioid crisis (ALMOST HEAVEN), the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (THE GOLDEN SPIKE), and a mystery involving a woman with a sleep disorder (NARCOLEPSY).

Last night, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop held a special performance of memorable songs created during this year's workshop at the quaint Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in New York City. This esteemed workshop has been cultivating rising talent since 1961 and fostered some of the brilliant minds behind a variety of notable award-winning shows such as Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line, Raisin and Nine.

On Monday, March 4th, The York Theatre Company in New York City held its 2019 NEO13: A Concert Celebration. The one-night only musical theatre concert series founded in 2003 and stands for 'New, Emerging, Outstanding,' showcased the work of several emerging writers.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, presented the 2019 installment of the celebrated concert series NEO, featuring works by new/emerging/outstanding musical theatre writersAmanda D'Archangelis & Sami Horneff, Julian Hornik, Janine McGuire & Arri Lawton Simon, and Madeline Myers. In addition to these six writers, this year's NEO of the Future program showcased two songs by writers who are currently undergraduate students: Sarah Kaufman, a senior at CAP21/Molloy College, and Caleb Smith, a junior at Penn State.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will present its top works at this year's showcase on Monday, April 1st at 3 PM and 6 PM. The shows will be held at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in New York City (10 West 64th Street) and will premiere performances of the best of songs written and composed by recent members of this Drama League, Drama Desk and Tony honored workshop.   

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, has announced, today, Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina of The Skivvies will host, with their clothes on, the 2019 installment of the celebrated concert series NEO, featuring works by new/emerging/outstanding musical theatre writers Amanda D'Archangelis & Sami Horneff, Julian Hornik, Janine McGuire & Arri Lawton Simon, and Madeline Myers.

The York Theatre Company announced today the roster of performing artists scheduled to perform in the 2019 installment of the celebrated concert series NEO, featuring works by new/emerging/outstanding musical theatre writers Amanda D'Archangelis & Sami Horneff, Julian Hornik, Janine McGuire & Arri Lawton Simon, and Madeline Myers.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, presents the 2019 installment of the celebrated concert series NEO, featuring works by new/emerging/outstanding musical theatre writers Amanda D'Archangelis & Sami Horneff, Julian Hornik, Janine McGuire & Arri Lawton Simon, and Madeline Myers.

Last night, the 2017-2018 class of Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellows presented excerpts of full length works at Playwrights Horizons at 7:00 PM. This presentation caps off a year spent working under the tutelage of Michael Korie (War Paint), Laurence O'Keefe (Heathers), Diana Son (Stop Kiss), and Sheri Wilner (Kingdom City).

The eleventh season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series continues today, September 4, 2018 with pre-premieres of two new musicals: Borders and Inside My Head.

The eleventh season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series continues on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 with pre-premieres of two new musicals: Borders and Inside My Head.

The eleventh season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series continues on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 with pre-premieres of two new musicals: Borders and Inside My Head.

In celebration of their 5-year 'collabiversary', Look Up will feature songs from McGuire & Simon's daring new musical BORDERS, about two men who fall in love amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as audience favorites from their immersive musical EXPRESS (conceived for the New York Transit Museum and last seen at New York Film Academy), and selections from their brand new Theatre For Young Audiences show KIBBY THE SPACE DOG (commissioned by Wichita Children's Theatre and Dance Center).

A Little New Music returned to the Catalina Jazz Club in the heart of Hollywood on Tuesday, March 6 with a stellar lineup of singers and new musical theatre songs. Scroll down for photos from this exciting evening!

On Monday, March 5, ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com celebrated their Fifth Anniversary with a star-studded concert, featuring songs by some of today's most celebrated, award-winning, and emerging writers, presented by a host of fantastic Broadway performers.

The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop will present its winter "Smoker" on Thursday, March 8th 2018 at 5:00 PM EST. The event, held at BMI's headquarters in New York City (7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St. 30th Floor), will showcase new works written and performed by recent members of this Drama League, Drama Desk and Tony® Award-winning workshop. 

Theatre Now New York presented its 4th Annual festival of new musicals, Sound Bites 4.0 (sponsored by Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Productions) to a sold-out house at the Perishing Square Signature Theatre. An after-party was held in the theatre lobby where awards were given. Sound Bites showcases ten 10-minute musicals or musical excerpts in one evening.