4th Annual Festival of New Musicals

STEVEN M. ALPER composed and orchestrated the score of The Immigrant, for which he received a Drama Desk nomination (cast recording on Ghostlight Records). Other musicals include Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance, which received a National Alliance of Musical Theatre Producers grant, was developed at the New Harmony Project, and premiered at Maine State Music Theatre; The Library, which received an NEA grant, was developed at the New Harmony Project, and was produced at Stamford Theatre Works; Rappaccini’s Daughter; C’est la vie; and The Audition (which premiered at Manhattan Class Company). He has composed for the theatre, film, commercials, and award-winning educational musicals (with Karen DeMauro). He is the author of Next! Auditioning for the Musical Theatre (Heinemann Books, reprinted by Girandole Books) and has worked in theatres around the country as conductor, music director, vocal arranger and orchestrator on numerous theatrical projects.

Lyricist John Bettis was originally part of Richard and Karen CarpenterÕs band, Spectrum. He wrote the lyrics for the Carpenter classics, Top of the World, Only Yesterday, Goodbye to Love, and Yesterday Once More. Bettis many other hits include MadonnaÕs Crazy for You, Michael JacksonÕs Human Nature, The Pointer SisterÕs Slow Hand, Diana RossÕ When You Tell Me That You Love Me, Donna SummerÕs The Woman In Me, Barbara StreisandÕs Sweet Forgiveness, and Whitney HoustonÕs One Moment in Time. A two-time Emmy winner, Bettis was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Nashville SongwriterÕs Hall of Fame.

Michele Brourman is an award-winning singer/songwriter whose best-known song,

The score is composed by Steve Dorff, recently inducted into the prestigious SongwriterÕs Hall of Fame, whose career as a songwriter spans five decades and includes more than forty BMI awards, twenty Top 10 hits, twelve No. 1 hits, and an American Music Award. The Grammy and Emmy nominated Dorff has had songs recorded by more than four hundred artists from all genres of music, including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, and countless others. His chart hits include RogersÕ Through the Years, MurrayÕs I Just Fall In Love Again, and Eddie RabbitÕs Every Which Way But Loose.

ALBERT EVANS wrote the Off-Broadway hits Nite Club Confidential, The Texas Chainsaw Musical, Streakin’ thru the 70s and Pageant, (Time Magazine Ten Best). In addition to 2 off-Broadway productions, Pageant has been performed in London, Australia, and Japan. His lyrics are featured in a new performing edition of The Merry Widow, seen at NYC Opera and on PBS, Live from Lincoln Center.
Mr. Evans was Composer-in-Residence at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse where he wrote scores for Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, A Tale of Two Cities, and Mikado Inc. He is now Artistic Associate at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, where he adapted the songs of George M. Cohan for Yankee Doodle Dandy, wrote Rosie the Riveter!, and co-created new musical arrangements for Paint Your Wagon.
Evans is the writer and host of The 5th Avenue’s Show Talks with Albert Evans, pre-show chats about all things theatrical.

JOHN FORSTER (lyrics) Singer/songwriter, playwright & humorist, John is a 4-time Grammy nominee whose musicals have played on Broadway and Off, in regional theaters and even in space (where his song

The book is written by Emmy-winning comedy writer Rick Hawkins√ï whose decades-long career includes twenty-four consecutive seasons of success as a television executive producer, show runner, head writer, studio executive and international media consultant. Beginning with The Carol Burnett Show where his iconic √íWent with the Wind√ì sketch contains the longest sustained laugh in television history, Hawkins went on to pen the ABC telefilm, The Love Boat, which became the pilot for the long-running series. Hawkins√ï writing credits include landmark variety series, top rated sitcoms, and dramas for which he has earned seven Emmy nominations and five WGA Award nominations. Hawkins has penned the book for three musicals, “Lunch,” “Say Goodnight,” and “Heartland.”

Paul James studied music theatre with Stephen Sondheim during his period as Visiting Professor at Oxford University. He has written book and lyrics for the musicals NEW THINGS TO FEEL BAD ABOUT (Winner of UK Quest for New Musicals; Finalist in 1992 NAMT Festival of New Musicals), THE DEMON HEADMASTER (based on the novel by Gillian Cross; Pleasance Theatre, UK No 1 Tour), POLICE STORY (commissioned and premiered by Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts), and THE LATE SLEEPERS (commissioned by the National Youth Music Theatre; Newcastle Theatre Royal). THE BOY WHO FELL INTO A BOOK, based on the play by Alan Ayckbourn, premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough in July 2014 in an acclaimed production directed by Alan Ayckbourn. A song from the show – ‘Kaboom Kapow’ – won the Stiles and Drewe Award for best new musical theatre song of the year.

SARAH KNAPP appeared on Broadway in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Among her Off-Broadway credits are Nunsense, Smoke on the Mountain, The “No- Frills” Revue, Godspell, and Gifts of the Magi. She has appeared regionally in productions at The Alley Theatre (Houston), Asolo Theatre (Sarasota, FL), Cincinnati Playhouse, Coconut Grove Playhouse (Miami), North Shore Music Theatre (MA), Goodspeed Opera House and Seven Angels (CT), and many others, and toured Europe in Richard Foreman’s Africanis Instructus. She has appeared in several Law and Order and L&O:SVU episodes and numerous recordings. As bookwriter/lyricist she works with her husband, composer Steven M. Alper. Their produced musicals include The Library, Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance, and The Immigrant—which garnered two Drama Desk nominations off- Broadway and has been produced across the United States and Canada. It is published by Samuel French and is available on Ghostlight Records.

Sherry Landrum has penned two musicals with collaborator, George S. Clinton, THAT OTHER WOMANÕS CHILD, (book, music and lyrics) and SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUITE (book). The former was a NYMF honoree in 2008, and the latter was presented at New York Festivals of New Musicals (1992). She collaborated with husband Rex Knowles on THE NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS CAROL. Her improvised full-length musical, LUCK OF THE DRAW has been performed in New York City and regionally. Sherry served on the faculty of the New Actors Workshop; has won two ÒBest DirectorÓ awards from Los Angeles Drama Critics and a ÒBest DirectorÓ award from the Tennessee Theatre Association. Regional directing credits: Oxford Shakespeare Festival (Mississippi), American Heartland Theatre (Kansas City), Pioneer Square Theatre (Seattle), Stephens College (Missouri), Cumberland County Playhouse (Tennessee), and Chattanooga Theatre Centre. Sherry founded and co-directed the Professional Actor Training Program at Chattanooga State Community College, which she led until 2022.

Amanda McBroom’s name came to the attention of the public when Bette Midler’s version of Amanda’s song, “The Rose” hit number one on the charts. Her songs have been recorded by Barbara Cook, Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Barry Manilow, and Reba McEntyre.
She received a Golden Globe, a Grammy nomination, the Johnny Mercer Songwriter of the Year Award, and the Mabel Mercer Lifetime Achievement Award.
She has written lyrics for 16 Universal Animation features, including the Land Before Time series. She was a featured lyricist for the TV classic series, Cop Rock.
She has written two musicals, Heartbeats, and A Woman of Will, and is lyricist for Dangerous Beauty, which had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Her 9th CD of original songs, “Voices,” has just been released on her label, Gecko Records and went to #1 on Amazon.com in its first week.

Gerald Sternbach (Music Ð Dawid Rubinowicz) has earned thirteen Ovation nominations and seven LADCC nominations (honored in 2007, 2008 and 2012). One Night Only with Mel Brooks, performed in London and in LA at the Geffen Playhouse Ð filmed for HBO. Carrie FisherÕs one-woman show, Wishful Drinking. Other credits: LA Philharmonic debut (Hollywood Bowl 2005), pianist for Stephen SondheimÕs 75th Birthday Concert, conducting 20 shows for REPRISE, Grey Gardens, (associate conductor-LA premiere-Ahmanson), Sondheim on Sondheim (Southern California premiere, an ASCAP event honoring Stephen Schwartz at the Wallis Annenberg, featuring Idina Menzel, Megan Hilty, Liz Callaway, Jordan Fisher and Andrea Martin. Other credits: associate conductor for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Merlin, and The Tap Dance Kid (Broadway), Les Miserables (LA premiere company), An Evening with Groucho (with Frank Ferrante). Musicals: Heartbeats (with Amanda McBroom), Club Mom and A Very Cherry Christmas (with Elin Hampton) and Biting Broadway! (with Jordan Beck).

THOMAS TIERNEY (music) composed ELEANOR – An American Love Story at Ford’s Theatre and many other U.S. theaters (as well as NAMT Festival) – and NARNIA (London and New York) based on