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The Patricia Birch Season Broadway USA! - New York - 1999 Patricia Birch - Guest Artistic Director |
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Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief Book by David H. Bell. Music/Lyrics by Craig Carnelia We knew him as Red Rock Brody, the ultimate TV Cowboy Hero. He rode out of the Old West and into your livingroom in 1951 and for thirteen years youngsters in America spent every Saturday morning with him. Flash forward thirty years -- to join the now aging actor who originated the role of the Cowboy Hero, and a lawyer in mid-life, who grew up watching him on TV. The Actor and the Lawyer meet in the present- as their paths unexpectedly converge, when they team up to beat the corporate Bad Guys. Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief — A new musical about looking West to find Redemption. |
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Chang & Eng Music by Stephen Hoffman. Lyrics by Mark Campbell. Book by Burton Cohen What happens when two exotic men, who are the toast of the great capitols of the world, decide to settle down with two sisters in the tiny, provincial town of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, U.S.A.? The answer can be found in a union that is both unique and universal, at the same time. Chang & Eng is a love story. Though it is between Siamese Twins and two "normal" women, it has all the passion and sweep that every true love story should have. As we follow its course, though, we realize that it is really about the conflict between our need to be emotionally attached to someone and the threat to one's independence that is caused by that attachment. |
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Democracy Music by Louis Flinn. Book/Lyrics by Joseph Sutton 1876, a year when Wall Street was king — virtue its own reward, and anything can happen to those fair of heart and not faint of diligence and ambition. Based on the Horatio Alger character of "Ragged Dick," Shine! follows the tale of Dick Hunter from penniless bootblack to budding Wall Street entrepreneur. Dick's adventures bring him face to face with scheming ex-convicts, kind benefactors, and colorful street characters in a charming rags-to-riches romp for the whole family. |
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"The commercial theatre is rife with revivals. Good revivals are wonderful, but we can't pretend that the rethinking of shows, and mounting homages is the same as making new musicals. We say that the musical, whether it be a musical comedy or a serious music theatre piece is our native, our indigenous form. This form needs nourishment and protection, and courage on the part of both creators and producers to take chances and grow. It is our mandate to try new ways of communicating within musicals. We need to be daring and good. We don't need to be perfect.
There is music all over the country of very varying style — from Cajun to Mariachi to Urban hip hop. There is no rule, saying theatre music should be one thing or another. We need to encourage people who haven't written for the theatre, but want to. We need also to to encourage daring. Yes, Paul Simon didn't get it quite right, --that doesn't mean pop, folk and rock can't work in shows. I don't believe there is a genre called theatre music per se. There is simply a craft that makes songs work in the theatre. Where are the aspiring writers of musicals? They're here, they're in Iowa, Chicago, Michigan -- they're all over. Some make their way here. Some can't. How do they get heard from? Mostly luck — Yes, our masters all are generous when introduced to new talent, but that doesn't take care of alot of people who don't know people. BroadwayUSA! is unique. It's one of the few open development situations in the musical world. The door is open, and you don't have to know somebody. The very eclectic quality of the scripts and tapes Tim sent me this year was most encouraging, because I felt I was hearing very individual attitudes, and different approaches. The musical can't be written by committee. It loses its voice if it is the result of endless creative meetings, and becomes like Hollywood action scripts. Yes, there are rules, but real originality needs to have the opportunity to both learn and break rules, to write because he or she has something to say, and wants to say it in his or her own way, not in a codified tried and traditional fashion. That's the only way we will keep developing our beloved musical form vital to both loyal and hopefully new audiences. That's why BroadwayUSA! is so important. That's why I got involved. Yes, I wish we had a rep company that could preserve our best works. I used to wish we had a place to have new ones heard and if ready and deserving, really happen... and now we do have such a place. Thank you Tim." — Patricia Birch |