ANDREW WRIGHT JOINS BML FACILITATOR TEAM

As you know, we are hoping to initiate an ongoing musical theatre choreography workshop early in 2013. Award-winning choreographer Andrew Wright ('Singing in the Rain') has agreed to lead the project sessions of this new programme.

SUCCESS FOR BML CHOREOGRAPHERS

Two of the young choreographers whom BML placed to work with Baayork Lee over the past year, REBECCA GIACOPAZZI and ASHLEY NOTTINGHAM, have landed the posts of Dance Captain and Assistant Dance Captain on the upcoming production of 'A Chorus Line', which will open at the Palladium in February, 2013.

MORE 'ROSA'

Students at The MTA will do a sing-through of act one of 'Rosa' (book, music and lyrics by RICHARD VOYCE) at the school on Sunday, 2 December.

'THE SALSA SISTERS' MOVES ON

'The Salsa Sisters' (book by LINDA WALTON, music and lyrics by Tarek Merchant [non BML member]), originally workshopped by Youth Music Theatre last summer, has been re-commissioned by YMT to be developed into a full-length piece for production at the Riverside Studios in August, 2013.

A segment from the show will be performed in the YMT Christmas review, 'Let It Snow', to be presented on 22 December. Please check the YMT website (www.ymt.org.uk) for ticket information.

Autumn MMD Lionel Bart Masterclasses

At the MMD Lionel Bart Masterclass of 15 November, with crit from John Bucchino, BML members presented 'Gold' (music by JOSEPH FINLEY and lyrics by RAPHAEL SMITH) and 'No Ma Is a Island' (music by ED BELL and lyrics by RICHARD VOYCE).

At the MMD Lionel Bart Masterclass of 25 September, with crit from Grant Olding, we presented 'Helen' (music by MARC FOLAN and lyrics by ADEY GRUMMET) and 'I Dared to Dream' (music and lyrics by Felix Cross).

Great news! BML gets charity status

Yesterday, we received word that BML has been designated a registered charity, after several months of ongoing work. this will be a huge boon to us in funding, enabling us to apply to larger foundations which only consider applications charities. The founding trustees are Mark Annear (Head of Outreach for the Royal Ballet School), John Carlin (composer, Partner at Bell Davies and international trade advisor), Felix Cross (composer. writer, director, Artistic Director of NITRO, BML member and incipient OBE), Adey Grummet (performer, teacher, lyricist and BML member) and Carl Miller (playwright, director, former literary manager at the Unicorn, lyricist and BML member). David James remains as workshop programme director. Special thanks to John for spearheading the application process.

At the ballet

At the recent 'Chorus Line' auditions, Baayork commented on the what appeared to be a lack of ballet technique among the auditioning performers. It was pointed out to her that many dancers simply cannot afford to go to class between jobs. Or even when they are working: the basic salary for the performers in 'Chicago' at the Garrick (one of the smaller West End houses) was £450 per week for 8 performances, out of which they have to pay their agent's commission, their national insurance, their tax, their transport, acting, singing and performance classes, shoes, etc etc. After that, an extra 8 or 10 quid for a ballet class can take very careful consideration. With Rebecca Giacopazzi, BML is exploring the possibility of finding a room to set up a regular scratch class, which they could lead themselves to keep up their technique.

BML choreographers work with Baayork

Legendary Broadway performer and choreographer Baayork Lee, who is an incredible supporter of our plans to develop an ongoing musical theatre choreography workshop along the lines of the current writing workshops, invited BML to recommend emerging choreographers to shadow and assist her on the recent auditions for the upcoming West End production of 'A Chorus Line'. Rebecca Giacopazzi, Grant Murphy and Tim Jackson worked with her and her associate, Michael Gorman, for two weeks, including an 'open call' at The Palladium, where they saw 700 young dancers. Rebecca and Grant will be working with her further next month when she and director Bob Avian conduct callbacks. (Tim will be in rehearsals at the Chocolate Factory, where he is choreographing 'Merrily We Roll Along', which is being directed by Maria Friedman.)

MEMBERS' SPRING ACTIVITIES

I wrote this earlier, but somehow, it got lost. Apologies and damn!

TIM SUTTON (Facilitator) composed 'Unplugged: Winning the Clay' with Cape Farewell producer Vicky Long (non-BML member), which was performed at the Eden Project on 3/4 June,  a site-wide acoustic musical event and the first 'Slow Art' project to enter the public programme at Eden. It has since been shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Awards. Tim's 'The Seven Joys' was also nominated for the 'Making Music Award' in the most recent British Composers Awards.

JASON CARR (Facilitator) composed additional music and created arrangements for the Hampstead Theatre production of 'Chariots of Fire', which continues playing at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End.

'Gary of the Antarctic', a short musical with book, music and lyrics by EDWARD BELL, was produced at the Royal College of Music in May, as part of their 'Great Expectations', a showcase of new works produced in collaboration with Tete a Tete. It was directed by Bill Bankes-Jones.

MEMBERS' SUMMER ACTIVITIES

JASON CARR (Facilitator) wrote the score for the production of George Bernard Shaw's 'Heartbreak House', currently running at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

TIM SUTTON (Facilitator/composer) and Ian McMillan (writer/ non-BML member) created 'Cycle Song' performed at the Brumby Hall Grounds in Scunthorpe on 14/15 July with a community cast of over 1,200.

'White Suit' by HELEN CHADWICK (composer) and CARL MILLER (librettist) was performed by the Helen Chadwick Song Theatre at the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival on 23/24 June, and at the Stockton International Arts Festival on 4/5 August. It will be performed again at the Mintfest in Kendal from 31 August through 2 September.

After a two week developmental workshop, 'The Salsa Sisters' was presented by YMT at the Barbican in Plymouth on 14/15 August. The creative team is LINDA WALTON (librettist), Tarek Merchant (composer-lyricist/ non-BML member), Stephen Dexter (director) and Miriam Faura (choreographer). Linda first developed the project in the BML Librettist workshop and then pitched it to YMT director John Bromwich after meeting him at a BML workshop.

'Love Bytes: A Virtual Romance' by TAMSIN COLLISON (lyricist) and Cheryl Frances Hoad (composer/ non-BML member), commissioned by the 2012 Tete a Tete Festival, had its first performance at the Riverside Studios on 9 August. It will be developed and continue performances through 19 August.

'Mass Carib' by FELIX CROSS (composer-lyricist), first performed in 1987, will have a special performance, re-scored by Felix for a steel band, on 22 August at the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Village at the Tricycle Theatre, London, to mark the 50th anniversary of independence for Trinidad & Tobago. Admission is free but tickets must be booked: http://trinbagovillage.com/events/classical-concert-3

CLASS PICNIC

We held a picnic for all the BML members on Saturday, 21 July, to mark the end of the spring term. It was held in the gardens St. Matthew's Parish Vicarage in Bethnel Green, and hosted by BML member ADEY GRUMMET. And the weather held!

FELIX CROSS AWARED MBE

Belated congratulations to FELIX CROSS, who was awarded and MBE for services to musical theatre in the most recent Queen's Birthday Honours List. After an extensive career in musical theatre, he became the Artistic Director of NITRO in 1996. He has been a loyal and dedicated member of BML since its inception in 2010, firstly as a librettist and now as a composer/ lyricist as well. He is also currently under commission at the Royal National Theatre to create a musical (which he is developing in the BML second year composer/ lyricist workshop). It will be tried out in their Studio in the autumn.

A Song Cycle for Soho

The MMD 'A Song Cycle for Soho' will be performed all next week at the Soho Theatre Company, and BML members TIM SUTTON (workshop facilitator), CHRIS ASH, ANDREW BRINDED and CARL MILLER all have work in the review.

Please come along if you can. Check the Soho website (http://sohotheatre.com/whats-on/soho-song-cycle) for tickets.

Bateman and Evans win Iris Theatre 'Workin Progress' Award

BML composer LUKE BATEMAN and Mary Evans (non-member) won the Iris Theatre: Workin Progress Musical Theatre Award 2012  last night at St. Paul's Church for their song 'My Sexual'. Other BML writers with work in the competition were KATY DARBY, NOAM GALPERIN, BLANCHE GIROUARD, CARL MILLER and JAY RICHARDS. The judging panel was made up of Michael Bruce, Louise Gold, Simon Greiff, Nigel Lilley and Tom Sutton.

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Felix Cross (BML composer/ librettist) has been commissioned by the National Theatre and is writing the score for Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, a new play by Errol John, directed by Michael Buffong. It will be performed at the Cottesloe Theatre, with previews beginning 7 March and press night on 14 March.

The Whore's Asylum

The Whore's Asylum, a new novel by Katy Darby (BML librettist) was launched last week, published by Penguin. It's now available in fine bookstores everywhere. Take a look.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2012

BML is now accepting applications for this year’s First Year Composer/ Lyricist Workshop, to be facilitated by Tim Sutton and Jason Carr, and Librettists Workshop, to be facilitated by David James.

Please check the ‘Applying/ contact’ section of the website for specific application criteria. Deadline for applying is 24 February, and auditions for the composer/ lyricist group will be 10 or 11 March.

The 2012 workshops will run over 32 weeks, split into two terms. The Composer/ lyricists will hold their first session from 3:30-5-30 on Monday, 25 March and the Librettists will first meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 2 March, both in Central London. The fee is £160 per term, but concessions may be available.

Email all applications to david@bookmusicandlyrics.com

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty to be BML's first Patrons

Lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty have agreed to be BML's first Patrons. They met and first worked together in the BMI Lehman Engel Workshop in New York, and they wrote and developed their first musical, 'Lucky 'Stiff', in the workshop. Their subsequent work together includes 'Once on this Island', 'My Favorite Year', the Grammy-nominated 'Seussical', 'Ragtime' for which they won the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award, 'A Man of No Importance', 'Dessa Rose', 'Chita Rivera -- a Dancer's Life', 'The Glorious Ones', and the film 'Anastasia', which received 2 Oscar nominations and 2 Golden Globe nominations.

'Ragtime' had a well received revival at the Landor last autumn, and will be the major musical revival next summer in Regent's Park.

'Butterfly Hero' goes on sale

'BUTTERFLY HERO' (book by BML member Linda Walton, music and lyrics by Sam Chaplin) will be performed on 1 and 2 March, 2012, by the students of St Paul's CE Primary School at the Lyric Hammersmith, London, W6. January 9-15 is 'priority booking week', so you can book either by calling 0871 22 117 29 or visiting the ticket office of the Lyric Hammersmith and quoting 'VIP'.

1001 Arabian Nights

On 10 December, '1001 Arabian Nights' (book and lyrics by BML member Graham Whitlock and music by Wayne Roberts) was presented by DreamArts for two performances at the Cockpit Theatre, and there were additional performances at several schools the following week.