Robert Lopez News

The American Theatre Wing has extended the deadline to turn in applications for its 2009 SpringboardNYC Program, to be held on June 1 - 12, 2009 in New York City. Due to an overwhelming amount of interest, the American Theatre Wing will now accept applications through April 15.

Westchester based theatre company Little Fig Stage will be presenting 'The Music of Hope,' a benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids on May 16th at 8pm and May 17th at 3pm Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre in Manhattan.

Avenue Q ? the three-time Tony Award? winning smash-hit Broadway musical about real life in New York City, is coming to Omaha?s Orpheum Theater. Avenue Q, as told by a cast of people and puppets through a hilariously irreverent award-winning book and score, will be presented by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America - Omaha, Wednesday, March 25 through Sunday, March 29, 2009. Tickets go on sale to the public Thursday, February 12.

Avenue Q will close in the West End at the No?l Coward Theatre on 28 March... but it will now reopen at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on 1 June (booking to Saturday 26 September), after the cast and puppets have taken a well deserved holiday!

Though no longer Commander-in-Chief, George Bush's tenure on Broadway as a lyric in the musical AVENUE Q will continue, it has been announced by the Tony Award-winning musical's creators and producers.

Tony? Award winners Kathleen Marshall (Pajama Game, Wonderful Town) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), and Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) have joined the panel of Jurors for The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) for the 2009 Next Link Project along with lyricist Susan Birkenhead, composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, producer Robyn Goodman, and director Francesca Zambello.

The American Theatre Wing is now accepting applications for its 2009 SpringboardNYC Program, to be held on June 1 - 12, 2009 in New York City. At this two week college-to-career transition program, students have the opportunity to participate in training sessions and workshops in preparation for finding jobs in the New York theatre community while living in New York. Taught by industry professionals, sessions include on-your-feet audition training with directors and casting directors and seminars with the industry's leading agents and managers, as well as intimate conversations with working actors.

Avenue Q ? the three-time Tony Award? winning smash-hit Broadway musical about real life in New York City, is coming to Omaha?s Orpheum Theater. Avenue Q, as told by a cast of people and puppets through a hilariously irreverent award-winning book and score, will be presented by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America - Omaha, Wednesday, March 25 through Sunday, March 29, 2009. Tickets go on sale to the public Thursday, February 12.

Celebrate Valentine's Day this year with double the love - two chances to see the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street).

Come hang out with the NYMF gang on Wednesday evening, January 28! Get all of your burning Next Link Project and Festival Submissions questions answered and also learn about other ways you can get involved with NYMF. A meet and greet to answer any questions from those interested in applying will be held Wednesday, January 28, 6-8pm at the Irish Rogue (356 West 44th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues. NYMF staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the Next Link Project submissions process and chat about other ways to get involved with the Festival. A cash bar with drink specials will be available, including $3 Domestic Bottles & Drafts and $4 Martinis & Cosmos. Drop by after work and say hi! The New York Musical Theater Festival is currently accepting open submissions for its Next Link Project for the sixth annual festival taking place September 28 - October 18, 2009. Any work that has not been produced professionally in New York City may be submitted by authors with or without industry representation, but scripts should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure NYMF provides. All entries undergo double-blind evaluations by several members of NYMF's reading team, with finalists referred to a grand jury of celebrated industry professionals. Previous jury members have included such Tony winning talents as Victoria Clark, Raul Esparza, Robyn Goodman, Margo Lion, Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx, Kathleen Marshall, Kevin McCollum, Tom Meehan, Phylicia Rashad and BD Wong.

Come hang out with the NYMF gang on Wednesday evening, January 28! Get all of your burning Next Link Project and Festival Submissions questions answered and also learn about other ways you can get involved with NYMF. A meet and greet to answer any questions from those interested in applying will be held Wednesday, January 28, 6-8pm at the Irish Rogue (356 West 44th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues. NYMF staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the Next Link Project submissions process and chat about other ways to get involved with the Festival. A cash bar with drink specials will be available, including $3 Domestic Bottles & Drafts and $4 Martinis & Cosmos. Drop by after work and say hi! The New York Musical Theater Festival is currently accepting open submissions for its Next Link Project for the sixth annual festival taking place September 28 - October 18, 2009. Any work that has not been produced professionally in New York City may be submitted by authors with or without industry representation, but scripts should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure NYMF provides. All entries undergo double-blind evaluations by several members of NYMF's reading team, with finalists referred to a grand jury of celebrated industry professionals. Previous jury members have included such Tony winning talents as Victoria Clark, Raul Esparza, Robyn Goodman, Margo Lion, Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx, Kathleen Marshall, Kevin McCollum, Tom Meehan, Phylicia Rashad and BD Wong.

The contest to replace the 'George Bush' line in the finale 'For Now' in the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q (on Broadway at the Golden Theatre and on national tour) resulted in over 2,000 entries from contest participants coast-to-coast in the United States, as well as from overseas in Brazil, Australia, Ukraine and Israel, to name a few. On Friday, January 15th, the winners were revealed in a special press event, the entire Avenue Q gang was there and so was BroadwayWorld! AVENUE Q -- which opened on Broadway in 2003 and six years later continues to entertain audiences on Broadway (at the Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45 St.), on national tour and in London's West End -- concludes with the musical number 'For Now,' which reminds us that 'everything in life is only for now,' including 'sex, your hair and George Bush.' The contest (conducted Dec. 22, 2008 to Jan. 12, 2009) invited the general public to submit suggestions for a new lyric to replace 'George Bush' as he will leave the office of President of the United States on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 and forfeit his spot as a lyric in a hit Broadway show, as well.

With President George W. Bush set to leave office on January 20, 2009, the creators and producers of the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q have announced four possible winners of their 'Only for Now' contest to replace the lyric in the show's final number, 'For Now,' which astutely observes that everything in life -- including 'George Bush!' -- is only for now. They picked four new potential lyrics, each will be given a test drive, they are; 'Recession' 'Prop 8' 'This Show' 'Your Mother-in-Law' The 'Only for Now' contest invited participants to enter their suggestion for a new person (not necessarily a political figure), place, thing, event, fad, etc. to be considered as a substitute for the soon-to-be-outdated reference to 'George Bush' in the musical's finale. The winning entry will be performed in AVENUE Q on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.

Jurors for The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) for the 2009 Next Link Project will include lyricist Susan Birkenhead, composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, producer Robyn Goodman, and director Francesca Zambello. The New York Musical Theater Festival is currently accepting open submissions for its Next Link Project for the sixth annual festival taking place September 28 ? October 18, 2009. Twelve of the Festival?s full production slots are reserved for participants in The Next Link Project, NYMF?s primary writer service program. The Next Link Project empowers emerging musical theatre writing teams as both artists and entrepreneurs by providing the training and relationships needed to help them move their musicals from mere readings to fully-realized productions and to advance their careers by maximizing the exposure they receive in the Festival. A meet and greet to answer any questions from those interested in applying will be held Wednesday, January 28, 6-8pm at the Irish Rogue (356 West 44th Street, between 8th and 9th Ave). NYMF staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the Next Link Project submissions process and chat about other ways to get involved with the Festival.

BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Thrives in Adverse Environment as promising playwrights sharpen their skills with expert tutoring and peer feedback. The Great White Way has encountered some challenges recently with celebrated shows closing and theatres running half-empty. Despite these trends, a well-respected workshop fully sponsored by Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) continues to nurture musical theatre scribes and showcase their works to the public.

The New York Times hailed AVENUE Q as 'a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!' and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was 'one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see!' This critic found the show to be filled with wit and intelligence as well as being very naughty and full of excellent show tunes. In short, a total delight.

AVENUE Q takes places in a fantasy world with real people, puppet people, puppet monsters and other special surprises. However, don't let the puppets make you think this is a show for the kids. While AVENUE Q may not be raunchy, it is certainly very naughty.

Jeff Marx, the Tony and Grammy winning co-creator of Avenue Q recently debuted a new Kwanzaa song titled, 'White Kwanzaa' on CNN's D.L. Hughley Breaks The News. Jeff and his team sent us at BWW TV the video so we could share it with you too!

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, December 22, 2008.

'Avenue Q' is looking for some inspired help regarding President George W. Bush leaving the White House. You see he is not only leaving office, he's also exiting Broadway. 'For Now,' the closing number in the Tony Award-winning musical 'Avenue Q,' sings out that everything in life is temporary - even George W. Bush is 'only for now.' But change is coming to those lyrics. A contest that starts today Monday, December 22nd at noon will allow participants to submit suggestions for a new person, place, fad or anything else to substitute for the soon-to-be-outdated reference.