2011-12 Schedule   The Midwest New Musicals program meets monthly in two, four-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1:45 pm. Fall Term September 24 & 25, 2011 October 22 & 23 November 19 & 20 December 17 & 18 January 21 & 22, 2012 Winter/Spring term (Fall term is a prerequisite) February 18 & 19, 2012 March 17 & 18 April 21 & 22 May 19 & 20 June 23 & 24 To discuss your experience level and receive more details about the program, call John Sparks at (323) 371-8205 or .

Writers Workshop:
Midwest New Musicals

 

If you are a composer, lyricist or playwright you are invited to learn musical theater structure with Midwest New Musicals, in association with Light Opera Works.

What it is
An intensive program that assists writers through the process of creating a new musical. Writers explore the
use of music, lyrics and dialogue through hands-on assignments that introduce them to musical theater forms and collaborative techniques.

Program Leader
Sessions are conducted by John Sparks, artistic director of the Academy for New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles, where he has taught since 1981. In 1987, he founded the musical theater writers workshop at Theatre Building Chicago, where he also served as artistic director from 1999 to 2009.

 

Who can attend
Bookwriters, composers and lyricists. To discuss your experience level and receive more details about the program, call John Sparks at (323) 371-8205 or .

 

Schedule
The Midwest New Musicals program meets monthly in
two, four-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday, 10 am
to 1:45 pm. See dates at right for Fall 2011 term and
Winter/Spring 2012 term.

Mini-Musical writing, revisions, rehearsals and performances take place from April through June, on a schedule determined by the writers, actors and directors involved.

Additionally, Music, Lyric and Book Labs are conducted online with occasional meetings on Sunday afternoons on workshop weekends at 2:15 pm. Each participant must select at least one Lab. It is not recommended to take all three labs simultaneously.

 

Location

Classes meet on Chicago’s North Shore.

 

Application Fee
Non-refundable application fee is $25, with which you submit samples of your work:

Bookwriter
Include resume, two short contrasting scenes (or 4-5 pages of prose if you have not written plays, screenplays or musicals) and a brief statement of purpose that defines your interest in writing the book of a musical.

Composer
Include a resume, a recording and piano-vocal score of two contrasting songs for instrumental music, including 3-4 pages of the piano score (or orchestration) and a brief statement of purpose that defines your interest in writing music for the theater.

Lyricist
Include a resume, a lyric sheet, and a recording (if possible) for two contrasting songs, and a brief statement of purpose that defines your interest in writing lyrics for the theater.

E-mail your samples (PDF preferred) to .

 

Course Fee/Refunds
Once your application is approved, you may register for the Fall term. Course fee is $645 per term. Fall term is a prerequisite for Winter/Spring term. Both terms are $1,200 when enrolled together. Application fee (non-refundable) is $25. 

If you must drop out, refunds are prorated at $129 per session for single-term enrollees, $120 per session for double-term enrollees. No refunds are issued for sessions missed along the way due to illness, job conflicts, etc. Students can make up sessions privately with instructor.