Sara Cooper News

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces nine awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its sixth year, the Fund will provide grants totaling $35,500 to nine organizations across the country.

The American Theatre Wing just awarded the 2014 Jonathan Larson Grants to writing team Sara Cooper (lyricist/bookwriter) & Zach Redler (composer), receiving $12,500 and the Running Deer Residency; and Shaina Taub (composer/lyricist), receiving $12,500, at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. Check out highlights from the special event below!

The American Theatre Wing announced today that the recipients of the 2014 Jonathan Larson Grants are writing team Sara Cooper (lyricist/bookwriter) & Zach Redler (composer), receiving $12,500 and the Running Deer Residency; and Shaina Taub (composer/lyricist), receiving $12,500. The prestigious grants, totaling $15,000 more than last year's grants, will be presented on Monday, April 7, 2014 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

On Monday, March 3, Musical Theatre Factory presented the second edition of 'Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists you Probably Don't Know but Should,' celebrating the work of emerging musical theatre writers mentored by two-time Tony Award winner William Finn. Scroll down for some pictures of the cast and the performance!

Musical Theatre Factory presents second round of 'Ridiculously Talented,' hosted by William Finn at 54 Below, Monday, December 16th at 9:30pm. Musical Theatre Factory presents the second edition of 'Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists you Probably Don't Know but Should,' celebrating the work of emerging musical theatre writers mentored by two-time Tony Award winner William Finn.

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, has announced that its acclaimed production of Almost, Maine, written by John Cariani and directed by Jack Cummings III, will be taped for the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on February 27. Almost, Maine opened February 4.

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, has announced that Almost, Maine, written by John Cariani and directed by Jack Cummings III, and I Remember Mama, written by John Van Druten and directed by Mr. Cummings, will comprise the company's 2013-14 season. Both productions will take place at the Gym at Judson, 243 Thompson Street, where Transport Group will now be in residency.

While the bold and brave new musical Next to Normal rocks the Weston Playhouse MainStage, a smaller but mighty new musical, Loving Leo, opens at the Weston Rod and Gun Club (today, July 18 - August 4.) In this intimate venue, transformed for the summer theatre season, audience members will take an up-close and personal journey with Broadway-accredited actors, and will be among the first to witness the piece brought to full production.

While the bold and brave new musical Next to Normal rocks the Weston Playhouse MainStage, a smaller but mighty new musical, Loving Leo, opens at the Weston Rod and Gun Club (July 18 - August 4.) In this intimate venue, transformed for the summer theatre season, audience members will take an up-close and personal journey with Broadway-accredited actors, and will be among the first to witness the piece brought to full production.

At separate moments early on in Sara Cooper (book/lyrics) and Zach Redler's (music) ambitious and noteworthy The Memory Show, each of the musical's two characters refers to herself as being a funny person while acknowledging that funny people are often the sad ones.

For those who would enjoy David Mamet plays if there wasn't so much cursing and misogyny, I offer Lyle Kessler's very funny, testosterone-laced drama, Orphans.

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, plays off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street. The show is currently in previews and will open Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM, running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Transport Group, the Drama Desk and OBIE award-winning theatre company, has announced that it will present two, special, one-night-only, dark night performances, featuring Transport Group alumni: David Greenspan on Sunday, April 28, at 7pm, and Mary Testa and Michael Starobin on Sunday, May 5, at 7pm.

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, will play off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, beginning tonight, April 16th, 2013 at 7PM, opening Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM and running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces 11 awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its fifth year, the Fund will provide grants totaling $37,000 to 11 organizations across the country.

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, will play off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, beginning Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 at 7PM, opening Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM and running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM. In the video below, go inside rehearsals with the cast!

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, will play off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, beginning Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 at 7PM, opening Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM and running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM. The cast met the press earlier this week and you can check out photos from the event below!

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, will play off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, beginning Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 at 7PM, opening Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM and running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM. The cast met the press yesterday and you can check out photos from the event below!

The Memory Show, presented by the Transport Group Theatre Company, will play off-Broadway at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, beginning Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 at 7PM, opening Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 7PM and running through Saturday May 18th, 2013 at 8PM. The cast met the press earlier today and you can check out a photo preview from the event below!

On Saturday, March 23, 7:30pm, composer Zach Redler and librettist Sara Cooper, the creative team behind next month's musical 'The Memory Show' at the Duke Theater, will premiere their latest work 'Windows' featuring singers Sumayya Ali (The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess) and Etai BenShlomo (Wicked). Part of AOP (American Opera Projects) and Opera on Tap's new music series, 'OPERAtion Brooklyn' the 40-minute staged song-cycle will be followed by excerpts from two new operas - Decoration and Smashed. The performances will take place on multiple floors of ART-NY's South Oxford Space (138 S. Oxford St., Brooklyn 11217) in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Tickets are $20, available at www.operationbrooklyn.com. The evening will run 1 hour, thirty minutes.