Michael Kerker News

The Festival of New American Musicals, headed by its Executive Producers Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett is announcing two events. The first is a closing party on Saturday, August 22 from 3 to 6 pm, honoring Stephen Schwartz, open to the public with donation. There will be performances of songs from Schwartz' musicals performed by Peter Gallagher, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Graham Phillips, David Burnham, Susan Egan, Georgia Stitt and others.

The Festival of New American Musicals, headed by its Executive Producers Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett is announcing two events. The first is a closing party on Saturday, August 22 from 3 to 6 pm, honoring Stephen Schwartz, open to the public with donation. There will be performances of songs from Schwartz' musicals performed by Peter Gallagher, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Graham Phillips, David Burnham, Susan Egan, Georgia Stitt and others.

The Festival of New American Musicals, headed by its Executive Producers Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett is announcing two events. The first is a closing party on Saturday, August 22 from 3 to 6 pm, honoring Stephen Schwartz, open to the public with donation. There will be performances of songs from Schwartz' musicals performed by Peter Gallagher, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Graham Phillips, David Burnham, Susan Egan, Georgia Stitt and others.

The production played 3 nights - July 31, August 1 and August 2 to cheering crowds, but the crazy part is - the final dress is done at 10am, in broad daylight and is open to the public, as the venue is a county-owned facility. People showed up in droves, for the run-through and cheered on the actors, the Hollywood Bowl orchestra and conductor Kevin Stites, who you will see is wearing a black, casual shirt for the rehearsal. The show's director, Richard Jay-Alexander, made a brief speech before the run, welcoming everybody, and in this exclusive footage, I was also able to catch him, in his dressing room, before the Opening Night performance.

The ASCAP Foundation Children Will Listen program, which is designed to introduce the American Musical Theater to youngsters who might otherwise not have the opportunity to experience it, travels to Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center on April 24th to bring over 100 students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to a performance of Ragtime written by Tony Award-winning ASCAP members, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty.

The ASCAP Foundation Children Will Listen program, which is designed to introduce the American Musical Theater to youngsters who might otherwise not have the opportunity to experience it, travels to Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center on April 24th to bring over 100 students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to a performance of Ragtime written by Tony Award-winning ASCAP members, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty.

The 2009 Festival of New American Musicals, a four-month musical theatre festival, will be held in April through July, 2009, throughout Southern California. Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett are the Executive Producers of the second annual Festival.

arlier this month, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner joined in a week-long celebration at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. of the 'Next Generation of Broadway Songwriters' by performing an hour-long concert of their songs, joined by Megan Hilty (star of Broadway's Wicked and 9 to 5). The concert is now available to watch online.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the 12th Anniversary of the Millennium Stage on January 31, 2009 with 'Broadway Today'-a star-studded, free concert, produced by Michael A. Kerker and presented in cooperation with ASCAP, in the Opera House as a part of the Center's season-long artistic initiative Broadway: The Third Generation. With the composers at the piano, original cast members and Broadway stars perform signature songs that made these artists household names. Free tickets are required. Tickets will be given away one (1) per person in line in front of the Opera House beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2009.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the 12th Anniversary of the Millennium Stage on January 31, 2009 with 'Broadway Today'-a star-studded, free concert, produced by Michael A. Kerker and presented in cooperation with ASCAP, in the Opera House as a part of the Center's season-long artistic initiative Broadway: The Third Generation. With the composers at the piano, original cast members and Broadway stars perform signature songs that made these artists household names.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the 12th Anniversary of the Millennium Stage on January 31, 2009 with 'Broadway Today'-a star-studded, free concert, produced by Michael A. Kerker and presented in cooperation with ASCAP, in the Opera House as a part of the Center's season-long artistic initiative Broadway: The Third Generation. With the composers at the piano, original cast members and Broadway stars perform signature songs that made these artists household names. Free tickets are required. Tickets will be given away one (1) per person in line in front of the Opera House beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2009.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the 12th Anniversary of the Millennium Stage on January 31, 2009 with 'Broadway Today'-a star-studded, free concert, produced by Michael A. Kerker and presented in cooperation with ASCAP, in the Opera House as a part of the Center's season-long artistic initiative Broadway: The Third Generation. With the composers at the piano, original cast members and Broadway stars perform signature songs that made these artists household names.

STEVEN SCHWARTZ is, of course, one of the most important composers and lyricists for musical theatre and musical films working today, with an amazing career of stellar achievements. He has been nominated for six Academy Awards and the winner of three. His credits include the animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as last year's smash Enchanted and DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt. Alongside his film work, Schwartz' incredibly successful stage productions include Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show and the worldwide phenomenon WICKED.

The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project returns to Northwestern University's Evanston campus for the third consecutive year Aug. 9 through 16.

The world premiere musical revue 'Tonight at Eight: Saluting Sheldon Harnick' will launch Northwestern University's Summer Music Theatre Festival 2008.

This summer, Northwestern University's American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) and the Theatre and Interpretation Center will present the Summer 2008 musical theatre programs on the Evanston campus.

Northwestern University's Summer Music Theatre Festival 2008 announces line-up.

The ASCAP Foundation announced that four new musical works have been selected for presentation at the 13th Annual ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles.

The Festival of New American Musicals, a two-month musical theatre festival, will be held in May and June, 2008, throughout Southern California. Marcia Seligson and Bob Klein are the Executive Producers of the Festival.

On June 7, 2008, Charles Strouse, the award winning composer of Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and some of the most popular music from the last 50 years of Broadway, film and television, turns 80. To mark the occasion, a year-long celebration of events including concerts, international tributes, revivals of popular favorites and premieres of new works will take place across the United States and around the world.