Hermitage to Present 'Musical Storytelling' with Tony Award Winner Jeanine Tesori

Tony Award-winning stage and film composer Jeanine Tesori will present a free Hermitage community program, "Musical Storytelling: A Conversation with Jeanine Tesori," at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Friday, March 25 at 6pm. Tesori has written four Tony Award-nominated scores for Broadway, including Twelfth Night (Lincoln Center); Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change; and Shrek the Musical. She won a Tony Award for Fun Home and recently served as supervising vocal producer on Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated adaptation of West Side Story. Her newest musical, Kimberly Akimbo, opened to critical acclaim Off-Broadway earlier this season and has just announced that it will be transferring to Broadway this fall. She has also twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, for her musicals Fun Home (written with Lisa Kron) and Soft Power (written with David Henry Hwang).

"We are honored to welcome Jeanine Tesori to host this special program for our Gulf Coast community," said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, who will be moderating the conversation. "I had a 'very Tesori weekend' when I last returned to New York, seeing a matinee of her beautiful musical Kimberly Akimbo, followed by an evening screening of West Side Story. Jeanine is one of the most influential theater artists of our time. She is a brilliant composer, passionate theater-maker, and inspiring educator with a list of impressive accolades throughout her career. This promises to be an exciting conversation on the Hermitage Beach and an exciting opportunity for the members of our community to meet one of the true musical theater greats."

Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, and Obie Awards, and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Tesori has also composed the music for The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Brecht's Mother Courage, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, as well as the film adaptation of Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Her opera commissions include Met/LCT Opera/Theater and Glimmerglass Opera. She is on the council of the Dramatists Guild and teaches musical theater composition at Yale University. She has collaborated with numerous previous Hermitage Fellows throughout her distinguished career.

Jeanine Tesori's Hermitage Residency is generously sponsored by Carole Crosby and Larry Wickless.

Hermitage outdoor programs like this one are free and open to the public with a $5/person registration fee. Due to capacity limitations and social distancing, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

The program description:

"Musical Storytelling: A Conversation with Jeanine Tesori," Friday, March 25, 6pm: Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori joins Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg for a conversation on the Hermitage Beach about her creative work and experience with acclaimed stage and film projects, including a Q&A session with the audience. Tesori has written four Tony-nominated scores for Broadway, including Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change; and Shrek the Musical. She won a Tony Award for Fun Home and served as supervising vocal producer on Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated adaptation of West Side Story. Her musical Soft Power was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and her newest musical, Kimberly Akimbo, is set to open on Broadway this fall. Jeanine Tesori's Hermitage Residency generously sponsored by Carole Crosby & Larry Wickless. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). The Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, Florida 34223.

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