Ben Bonnema News

Beginning tomorrow, July 28, designer, director, master puppeteer, and MacArthur "genius" Basil Twist will perform in his singular creation, Symphonie Fantastique, during all Saturdayevening performances. The 20th-anniversary production, which has received near universal acclaim and is scheduled to close on September 2, will include Twist on July 28, August 4, 11, 18, 25 and September 1 at 8:30pm. Set to Hector Berlioz's revolutionary 1830 score, Symphonie Fantastique, for the first time in New York, features live piano accompaniment by Christopher O'Riley. Hailed as a creative masterpiece when it debuted in 1998, the production, which opened on April 4, is a presentation from HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program and a centerpiece of HERE's 25th anniversary season.

Musical Theatre Factory announces Get the 'Fack Out, a concert in honor or Founding Artistic Director Shakina Nayfack on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 7pm at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.

In response to overwhelming demand and near universal critical acclaim, Symphonie Fantastique - the singular creation by designer, director, master puppeteer, and MacArthur "genius" Basil Twist - extends its 20th anniversary engagement to July 15. Set to Hector Berlioz's revolutionary 1830 score, Symphonie Fantastique, for the first time in New York, features live piano accompaniment by Christopher O'Riley. Hailed as a creative masterpiece when it debuted in 1998, the production, which opened on April 4, is a presentation from HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program and a centerpiece of HERE's 25th anniversary season.

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.

ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com is proud to announce an amazing line-up of performers for their Fifth Anniversary Celebration Concert at The Green Room 42 on Monday, March 5 at 9:30 PM. Packed with great contemporary musical theatre songs and curated by Laura Josepher & David Sisco, Contemporary Writers' Circle: Fifth Anniversary Concert represents the best of today's wide range of contemporary musical theatre styles featuring songs by celebrated, award-winning, and emerging writers.

ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com is proud to celebrate their Fifth Anniversary at The Green Room 42 with a star-studded concert packed with great contemporary musical theatre songs on Monday, March 5 at 9:30 PM. Curated by Laura Josepher & David Sisco, Contemporary Writers' Circle: Fifth Anniversary Concert represents the best of today's wide range of contemporary musical theatre styles.

Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, announced applications are open for this summer. Nine musical theatre writing teams will be hosted for 9 consecutive weeklong residencies in the Hudson Valley between July 2 and September 3. All writers are eligible and their musical can be at any stage of development, as long as it has not been published or licensed. Selected writers pay nothing to participate and receive a $500 stipend. All costs are covered by donations to Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, including travel up to $750.  Writers with children are welcomed to apply and Rhinebeck Writers Retreat will accommodate their housing needs. There is no fee for applications received by February 16 and there is a fee of $20 for the final deadline of February 23.  All information, guidelines, and online application can be found at www.rhinebeckwriters.org.

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 36 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2018 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 18 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

THE APPLE BOYS, a new musical by Ben Bonnema (2017 Jonathan Larson Grant Recipient) and Jonothon Lyons, will be presented tonight, August 3, 2017 at 7:30pm at Dixon Place.

THE APPLE BOYS, a new musical by Ben Bonnema (2017 Jonathan Larson Grant Recipient) and Jonothon Lyons, will be presented on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 7:30pm at Dixon Place. 

Aria Entertainment's From Page To Stage (FPTS) will have one of the largest companies in the West End this summer: a Cast of 56, working alongside 18 Creatives, plus Musicians and over 50 Composers and Writers presenting new musicals!

Aria Entertainment's From Page To Stage (FPTS) are delighted to announce their exciting musical concerts and the eleven new musicals selected to be showcased during their Summer Festival at The Other Palace.

Founding Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the 19 writers and 9 new musicals selected for development at this summer's Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. 

Just last night, the Jonathan Larson Grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers, were presented to the 2017 recipients: Ben Bonnema, Maggie-Kate Coleman & Erato A. Kremmyda, Ty Defoe & Tidtaya Sinutoke, and Michael R. Jackson. 

The American Theatre Wing announced today that the 2017 Jonathan Larson Grants recipients are Ben Bonnema (book, music and lyrics), Maggie-Kate Coleman & Erato A. Kremmyda (music and lyrics), Ty Defoe & Tidtaya Sinutoke (book, music and lyrics), and Michael R. Jackson (book, music and lyrics).

Adult Swim Games released Tuesday the second act of Peter Panic, a musical video game starring Emily Skeggs (Fun Home) and Gideon Glick (Significant Other). The musical theater app, out now for iOS and Android, follows aspiring director Peter (Remy Germinario) as he attempts to save his local theatre from an ancient evil (Mykal Kilgore).

Dixon Place's annual HOT! Festival will feature a one-night-only concert reading of Ben Bonnema's Boys Who Tricked Me on July 29th at 7:30pm. Called 'heart-healing musical theatre' by Joshua Barone of The New York Times, the show is a song-cycle, party-game, sleepover-style musical. It was previously developed at the Musical Theatre Factory and features songs of 'love gone wrong, lust gone right, and that nagging fear that you will die alone.' 

Prospect Theater Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Cara Reichel and Managing Director Melissa Huber, presentsARCHETYPE, a collection of six new mini-musicals, the culminating production of Prospect's 2016 Musical Theater Lab (the company's 10th lab production).  ARCHETYPE will play from July 27 - 31 at The Theater at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street @ 1st Ave., NYC).

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) is proud to announce FAC @ THE FEST, a one-night-only concert event featuring celebrated Musical Theatre Factory (MFT) artists and special guests sharing work they've written and the musical idols that inspired it.

The fifth annual Broadway Sings for PKD, a concert benefiting the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, will be offered Thursday, February 25 at 7:00 pm at The Laurie Beechman Theatre.