Tom Kochan News

It's a funny thing with musicals about women with psychiatric disorders; they seem to be more accessible when focused on the way loved ones try and achieve some kind of normalcy while dealing with the problem, rather than being about the disorder itself. Back in the autumn of '05, Off-Broadway's Transport Group premiered nor'mal:, Yvonne Adrian, Cheryl Stein and Tom Kochan exceptional musical about a family's attempt to stay functional while dealing with the teenage daughter's anorexia. Just a few weeks earlier the New York Musical Theatre Festival featured Feeling Electric, composer Tom Kitt and bookwriter/lyricist Brian Yorky's hard driving tale of a suburban mom being treated for clinical depression.

New York City-based composer Tom Kochan and book-writer Yvonne Adrian will join the cast of Stage 1's Regional Premiere Production of Normal this Saturday for a special post-show talk-back.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) seeks submissions for the 11th Annual TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series (deadline December 29, 2008). The TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series is a unique series geared towards producers who have an interest in developing new plays. Shows selected will receive staged readings to be presented in the spring of 2009. Each reading will be followed by a 'Dollars and Sense' panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the work. The series was created to help develop new plays and to help producers develop the skills needed to produce new works.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) seeks submissions for the 11th Annual TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series (deadline December 29, 2008). The TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series is a unique series geared towards producers who have an interest in developing new plays. Shows selected will receive staged readings to be presented in the spring of 2009. Each reading will be followed by a 'Dollars and Sense' panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the work. The series was created to help develop new plays and to help producers develop the skills needed to produce new works.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is pleased to announce that an exciting lineup of prominent Broadway producers and general managers has joined the Dollars and Sense panels to follow readings of the winning selections of the 2008 TRU Voices New Musicals Series. The series is unique because it develops new producers as well as new musicals, and in keeping true to its mission, the TRU talkbacks focus on producer concerns regarding the development of these works beyond the series. The panels will follow readings of the works on Mondays, December 8 and 15, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Players Theatre, located at 115 MacDougal Street, NYC.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is pleased to announce that an exciting lineup of prominent Broadway producers and general managers has joined the Dollars and Sense panels to follow readings of the winning selections of the 2008 TRU Voices New Musicals Series. The series is unique because it develops new producers as well as new musicals, and in keeping true to its mission, the TRU talkbacks focus on producer concerns regarding the development of these works beyond the series. The panels will follow readings of the works on Mondays, December 8 and 15, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Players Theatre, located at 115 MacDougal Street, NYC.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is pleased to announce the winning selections of the 2008 TRU Voices New Musicals Series. In a series that is unique because it develops new producers as well as new musicals, two works were chosen from submissions by emerging or established producers, as well as writers. The works will be read on Mondays, December 8 and 15, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Players Theatre, located at 115 MacDougal Street, NYC.

Submissions are being sought for the 10th Annual Theater Resources Unlimited TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series now thru January 11th, 2008

On June 12, 2007, The Snapple Theater Center hosted a benefit for 'Normal in Schools,' a national nonprofit arts-in-education organization to produce, develop and implement programs and curricula that teach students of all ages about the devastating impact of eating disorders and the therapeutic impact of theatre.

After an Off-Broadway run in 2005, the musical about a family dealing with a daughter's eating disorder is being used as an educational tool for high school productions

The first annual Howard L. Blau Award for a promising new work of musical theater was presented to Friends Like These, with music by John McMahon, lyrics by Jay Jeffries, and with book by Jeffries and McMahon.

The New Group has extended its limited run of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Tony Award-winner Cynthia Nixon in the title role, through December 9th

The New Group's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will begin previews on September 20th for an October 9th opening

The TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series is currently accepting submissions from theatrical producers

The world premiere of John Cariani's new play cul-de-sac will begin performances on April 20th

BroadwayWorld's Michael Dale takes a personal look at some moments that may not have made other top ten lists

An impressive new musical has a mother dealing with her daughter's anorexia

Normal, a new dramatic musical featuring Barbara Walsh, will be presented by The Transport Group from October 20th through November 12th

Transport Group artistic directors Robyn Hussa and Jack Cummings III have announced that the world premiere of a new American musical, Normal, with book by Yvonne Adrian, lyrics by Cheryl Stern, and music by Tom Kochan, will begin performances on Thursday, October 20 at 8pm at the Connelly Theatre, 220 East 4 Street.

Barbara Walsh will star in the new off-Broadway musical Normal from October 20th through November 12th