2016 ASCAP/DreamWorks MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP Pt I
BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO
It’s the time of year again for new musicals! The 23rd year of the ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop under the leadership of Stephen Schwartz is back. Additionally, The Wallis has partnered with the ASCAP and DreamWorks Studios to present the workshop at the beautiful Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The workshop gives selected composers and lyricists the opportunity to present selections from original musical works-in-progress for professional critique.
The first two evenings of the 3-night workshop are spent showcasing twenty-five minutes from four new musicals, two per night. Following each reading, the works are critiqued by experienced panelists in the musical theater industry. Here’s a recap of the events of this year’s Musical Theatre Workshop.
Night No. 1–TUESDAY FEBRUARY 16 2016
THE PANELIST:
Steven Bray
Bray is best known for his collaborations with Madonna. He produced 12 billboard top ten recordings including “Angel,” “Into the Groove,” “Poppa Don’t Preach,” “True Blue” and “Express Yourself”. Bray also wrote and produced music for Breakfast Club, and was one of the composers for The Color Purple the musical.
Kevin Bannerman
Bannerman is a former development executive at Walt Disney feature animation, where he assisted with story development for The Lion King, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He is co-creator of Ice Age and recently developed five animated musicals for Amazon studios. He is currently developing a live action musical with Jeff Thompson and Jordan Mann.
Stephen Schwartz
Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.
MUSICAL NO 1: Joe Schmoe Saves The World
Book, Music & Lyrics by Brett Rybeck
SUMMARY:
Set amidst the 2011 Arab Spring, Joe Schmoe Saves the World tells the parallel stories of an indie rock duo in America and a pair of Iranian students in Tehran. Raging against conformity, fear and the status quo, the two young women at the center risk everything in an attempt to change the world through their art.
THE MUSICAL at a Glance
The musical opens with a non-sung opening describing videos depicting the war-torn country Tehran, accompanied by underscoring. We hear the first song soon after performed by the fictional rock band, Jo Schmoe Saves the World, that is in rehearsal. The music is an up-tempo pop-rock number about Jo. We are then transported to Tehran to follow another story, taking us into the pop song “Disobey” that features rap moments reminiscent of Hamilton and Rent. We meet another character in Tehran who sings a poignant ballad “Smell the Jasmine.” From this we go into the hip hop duet “Wait” between the two Tehran characters.
WHAT THE PANELISTS HAVE TO SAY
Kevin Bannerman:
-Consider musicalizing the opening scene
-Opening song felt more musical theatre than Rock-n-roll
-Push the tension between Joe and Gloria
-Consider starting with the Tehran story
-The opening song is unclear
-You have to open musically (vocal music)
-Create a sense of culture musically to distinguish the American and Tehran scenes
Steven Bray:
-I enjoyed being assaulted with the multimedia world in the beginning
-Content of the first song is not clear
-Amazing energy in “Disobey”
-Make lyrics standout more in “Disobey”
-Beautiful music/melody in the Jasmine song
-The purpose of “Smell the Jasmine” should be clearer
Stephen Schwartz:
-Structure the piece so there’s constant escalation
-Clarify what the stakes are in each story
– The Tehran story is far more compelling than the American story
-Who is the hero of the story?
MUSICAL NO. 2 Gold Mountain
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jason Ma
SUMMARY
Set against the backdrop of a key moment in California and America’s history, the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, Gold Mountain celebrates the striving immigrant spirit, the redemptive power of love and the ultimate nobility of self-sacrifice.
THE MUSICAL at a Glance
The musical opens with a strong and dramatic opening number that is dark and exciting. The song describes the grueling process of the Asian-American workers building the Central Pacific Railroad and is performed beautifully by twelve men. We are introduced to our protagonist Lit who is new to working on the railroad. The other workers sing “There Are Many Ways to Die” and they convince Lit to be the fuse runner and share the dangers of this job. Our protagonist sings the poignant ballad “Back in China” revealing his desire to get home and find true love in China. The men then sing “Demoness” about the prostitutes that live near their worksite.
The cast of GOLD MOUNTAIN performing at the Wallis. Photo Credit: Alan Muraoka.
WHAT THE PANELISTS HAVE TO SAY
Kevin Bannerman:
-Rushing through so many songs
-Not developing characters enough in the book elements
-Find space in the opening number to be more specific of where the characters came from
-Lay out the characters better for the audience
-Maybe bring in a collaborator to help you
-Not specific enough in the song “Back in China”
Steven Bray:
-Fantastic use of voices in the opening
-We are immediately immersed in their world
-The opening is a little Fiddler and Sweeney at the same time
-Confused about the choice of when to sing and when to speak
-Be clearer if you want the audience to laugh in “There Are Many Ways to Die”
-Consider using the father in the solo “Back in China”
-The first mention of women is as whores and harlots
-If the song “Demoness” is meant to be funny it’s not clear
-Awesome musicality
Stephen Schwartz:
-Don’t start your story too late
-Order of events need to be adjusted to tell the story
-Characters don’t exist until they sing; the father here ceases to exist
-Over rhyming in many of the songs
-Once introduced give the characters time to develop (to meet the audience)
-I’m longing for a tune in “Back in China,” there’s too many words as it is
