More comps

In New York, it is much more of a tradition for commercial producers to provide comps for previews, so that industry professionals can keep abreast with each other's work. The Workshop thinks having this opportunity is invaluable for emerging practitioners, and we have been fortunate that the producers of 'Ghost' and 'Matilda' very generously provided free tickets for the workshop members to attend as a group, to consider, discuss and evaluate the work among themselves. We think this is invaluable, we are very grateful, and we hope to build this as a more regular practice.

Members activities, summer 2011

In June, a song by TIM SUTTON (composer/ lyricist facilitator) was presented at the MMD Lionel Bart Masterclass, for critique by Jeanine Tessori and Caroline Sheen.

In July, 'Ostrich Boys', adapted by CARL MILLER (BML librettist/ lyricist) from the novel by Keith Gray, was performed by the Young Rep Birmingham Rep.

In August, TIM SUTTON, Dougal Irving, Grant Olding and Lawrence Mark Wythe (non-members) presented an evening of their work on the Battersea Barge.

'Lend Me a Tenor' writers speak

BML composer ALAN BERLYN played in the pit for 'Tenor', and invited the writers, Peter Sham and Brad Carroll', to come and speak to the workshop about creating the musical. He was also able to arrange comps for the workshop members to see the show as a group, as an opportunity to discuss and evaluate among themselves a current piece of work.

Member activities, spring 2011

In January, 'Mass Carib', by FELIX CROSS (BML librettist/ composer) was performed at King's Place in London as a benefit for Haitian disaster relief

From March, Trestle Theatre Company toured Spain for several weeks with CARL MILLER's (BML librettist/ lyricist) adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 'Birthday of the Infanta'.

April also saw CARL MILLER's adaptation of Alexander Dumas' 'The Three Musketeers' at the Unicorn Theatre in London.

A song by RICHARD VOYCE (BML librettist), from his musical 'Rosa', was presented at the May MMD Lionel Bart Masterclass, for crit by Richard Stilgoe and Bill Rosenfield.

In May, DAVID JAMES (Librettist facilitator) travelled to New York to attend the 'Dancers Over 40' tribute to Gwen Verdon. While there, he conferred with Baayork Lee (see above) and Louise Quick (Bob Fosse's dance captain and associate choreographer for 'Cabaret' and 'Liza with a Z') about musical theatre choreography, and also attended presentations by the Second Year participants at the BMI Lehman Engel Workshop.

Throughout the year, CHRIS ASH (BML COMPOSER) has been performing regularly as an instrumentalist around the country with 'Showstoppers!: The Improvised Musical'.

MMD board appointment

TERESA HOWARD (BML librettist/ lyricist) has been selected to sit on the board of MMD.

MMD Soho review

ANDREW BRINDED (BML librettist/ composer) has been selected to prepare the libretto for the MMD/ Soho Theatre Company 'Soho Review', to be produced in the spring.

Tim Sutton podcast

Tim Sutton (composer/ lyricist facilitator) has begun an ongoing series of podcasts www.voiceofthemusical.com. These feature interviews with prominent practitioners, and the first three are with Richard Stilgoe, Peter Sham and Brad Carroll, and Charles Hart.

Musical theatre choreography programme

BML hopes to add an ongoing musical theatre choreography workshop in 2012, along the same lines as the writing workshops. To kickstart this, legendary Broadway dancer/ choreographer Baayork Lee offered two apprenticeships to work directly with her on a new production of 'A Chorus Line' for Tel Aviv, produced by Bronowski Productions, in which she recreated Michael Bennett's original staging. The two got to work directly with her for six weeks of auditions and rehearsal in September and October. In this picture, with Baayork, Marvin Hamlish and the company, are young choreographers ASHLEY NOTTINGHAM (back row, far left) and DANIEL FARROW (second row, far right). All members of the BML workshop were in invited to a gypsy run-through at Three Mill Studios. ALAN BERLYN (BML composer) also played in the pit for this run.