Peter Mills News

The ASCAP Foundation honored composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz for his lifetime contributions to the Musical Theater with The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award.

Prospect Theater Company's critically-acclaimed Off Broadway production of Iron Curtain, originally scheduled to run through November 27, 2011, will instead play through December 4. A post-performance talkback with members of the creative team and cast will be held at the theater following the Wednesday, November 30 matinee.

Prospect Theater Company's critically-acclaimed Off Broadway production of Iron Curtain, originally scheduled to run through November 27, 2011, will instead play through December 4. A post-performance talkback with members of the creative team and cast will be held at the theater following the Wednesday, November 30 matinee.

Composer and lyricist Peter Mills talks about Iron Curtain, revisiting older works, creating new ones and the challenges of running a theater company.

Known primarily for their excellent work with the Prospect Theatre Company (of which she is Producing Artistic Director and he is Resident Writer), the husband and wife team of director/bookwriter Cara Reichel and composer/lyricist/bookwriter Peter Mills are responsible for some of the most exciting and innovative musical theatre New York has seen since the company was founded in 1998.  And I daresay that with Iron Curtain, they and their inspired cohorts fully succeed in presenting one of their most difficult and risk-taking concepts yet; a fast, loud and funny 1950s-style musical comedy.

Just like Pope Paul VI figured when The Vatican told followers to go ahead and celebrate mass in the vernacular, John-Michael Tebelak figured that if the musical he penned with Stephen Schwartz, based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, was going to connect with young people, it had to be done in their language.  So when Godspell premiered Off-Broadway forty years ago, the son of God and his disciples were depicted as soft pop and folk singing flower children who were too busy learning how to spread love to be bothered with sex, drugs and burning their draft cards.  Arriving on Broadway after Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, it was the first major rock musical that didn't scare the hell out of parents.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Illyria at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Nov. 11 - 20 with a preview on Nov. 10.

Following a successful 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals held in NYC Oct. 27-28. The National Alliance for Musical Theatre held a party at Southern Hospitality. This year's Festival attaracted over 650 people representing 300 organizations from around the country including Europe attending the eight new musicals that were presented. Over 100 creators, actors and musicians were involved. Check out photos from the big event below!

Prospect Theater Company will present by special arrangement with Fireboat Productions a new Off Broadway production of the 2006 hit musical Iron Curtain, winner of the Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

Prospect Theater Company (Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director / Melissa Huber, Managing Director) is pleased to announce the following subscription opportunities for their upcoming 2011-12 Season, which includes a new production of the original musical comedy, Iron Curtain (book by Susan DiLallo, music by Stephen Weiner and lyrics by Peter Mills); a re-envisioned staging of Adam Guettel's song cycle Myths and Hymns, with new narrative and direction by Elizabeth Lucas; and a re-conceived version of Cole Porter's 1933 musical Nymph Errant, with new libretto by Rob Urbinati and direction by Davis McCallum.

Todd Alan Johnson, whose credits include Broadway's Aida, Off Broadway's NEWSical and the national tour of Les Miserables, will join the cast of Prospect Theater Company's upcoming Off Broadway production of Iron Curtain. He replaces Marcus Neville, who has withdrawn from the production due to a scheduling conflict.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today initial casting for the eight new musicals selected to be part of the 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today the eight musicals selected to be part of the 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

Prospect Theater Company will present by special arrangement with Fireboat Productions a new Off Broadway production of the 2006 hit musical Iron Curtain, winner of the Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today complete casting for the eight new musicals selected to be part of the 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Illyria at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Nov. 11 - 20 with a preview on Nov. 10.

Prospect Theater Company (Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director/Melissa Huber, Managing Director), one of New York's leading not-for-profit producers of new musicals, will present by special arrangement with Fireboat Productions a new Off Broadway production of the 2006 hit musical Iron Curtain, winner of the Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.