13th Annual Festival of New Musicals

His work in Chicago Theatre, where he is associated with the Marriott Theatre (over 30 Productions) and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (The Three Musketeers, Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Comedy of  Errors), has earned him 35 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations (winning the coveted award 10 times) and 2 After Dark Awards. David served as the Artistic Director of Historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and Associate Artistic Director of Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. David’s work has earned him 4 Carbonall nominations (Florida), a Dramalogue Award (L.A), 5 AJC Awards (Atlanta), an Atlanta Circle of Dramatic Critics Award, a Laurence Olivier Nomination (London), 2 National Endowment Awards, 3 Helen Hayes nominations (winning 1), (Washington D.C.), The Mac and Bistro Awards (NYC), and several National and International writing awards for creating Hot Mikado. He has worked On Broadway, Off Broadway, London, Paris, Berlin, Carnegie Hall, National and International tours, The Kennedy Center, Long Wharf Theatre, and, done the Atlanta sequence of the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.  David is currently a professor of Music Theatre at Northwestern University.

ROBERT CARY (lyrics) is the co-writer of GREASE LIVE (dir. Tommy Kail) and A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE for Fox Television, the co-author of the book for SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL on Broadway (NAACP Theatre Award Nomination for Best Playwright), and revised the book for the 2015 Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN. He is also the co-writer and co-lyricist of FLASHDANCE (West End, US National Tour, international productions) and the lyricist and co-writer of PALM BEACH (La Jolla Playhouse, Des McAnuff, dir). He is the director of the feature films IRA AND ABBY (Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Favorite Award), SAVE ME and ANYTHING BUT LOVE, and the co-writer of the upcoming musical THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY AND JUNE, written with Des McAnuff, as well as TAKE THE LEAD, based on the New Line film and directed by Chris Gattelli.

David Feinstein, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and a pioneer in developing innovative therapeutic approaches, leading to nine national awards for his books on consciousness, mythology, and energy healing. He has served on the faculties of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Antioch College. He is a recipient of the Marquis WhoÄö’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award and the U.S.A. Book News Best Psychology/Mental Health Book Award of 2007 (for Personal Mythology). He and his wife, Donna Eden, have built the world’s largest and most vibrant organization teaching energy medicine. Their latest book, The Energies of Love, achieved best-seller status on the NY Times Relationship List. To learn more, visit www.EnergyPsychEd.com.

Benjamin Feldman wrote Danny and Faye (produced w/Tovah Feldshuh), and co-wrote NAMT Festival 2001 show Palm Beach.  Also an Entertainment Attorney — clients from Rabbit Hole (upcoming, w/Nicole Kidman) to Memphis (B’way, winner Best Musical Tony Award), Ars Nova, and many theaters, producers and artists in television, theater and film.    Published in the CTI Guide to Producing.  Producer credits:  Mae West’s Sex, Trouble in Paradise and The Stand In on stage; Film: The Cutting Room, Another Gay Movie, Another Gay Sequel and The Understudy.  Yale grad.  Boards: The Hourglass Group, the Chase Brock Experience.

DAVID GURSKY (music) is the composer of PALM BEACH (NAMT 2001), which had its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in June 2005, directed by Des McAnuff. David is also the composer of musical stage adaptations of the MGM films HEARTBREAKERS (NAMT 2010, Christopher Ashley, dir.) and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, both commissioned by MGM On Stage. On Broadway, David was the Music Director of DAMES AT SEA and THE NANCE, and has led the orchestras of THE PRODUCERS, ANYTHING GOES, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, WHITE CHRISTMAS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, and JANE EYRE. His other NYC credits include DAME EDNA: THE ROYAL TOUR, INTO THE WOODS (Broadway, 2022), FOREVER PLAID, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, and over twenty Encores! productions at New York City Center. National tours: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE PRODUCERS, and BIG. Regional: A FUNNY THNGĶFORUM (St. Louis Muny). Film: IRA & ABBY. Television: THE WONDER PETS. Education: Yale University.

Ed Henderson has composed scores for CBC, CTV, Bravo, Knowledge, Vision Networks and others; Theatrical scores for The Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theater, Arts Club Theatre and others; commissions for Vancouver Chamber Choir, Elektra Women’s Choir, The Dance Centre, Canadian Music Centre, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, musica intima, Hamilton Symphony, Tapestry Music Theatre and others. He has collaborated with Ann Mortifee on several large theatrical works (When the Rains Come, Into the Heart of the Sangoma, The Mysteries).
Ed works extensively in the music community across Canada and performs with Chilliwack, Diane Tell, Tangissimo, Ann Mortifee, Vancouver Symphony and many others.
His choral works are widely recorded, presented and published by Schirmer/Hal Leonard, Cypress, earthsongs, Santa Barbara and self-publishing.
Ed has recorded three original solo guitar CDs: Intimate, guitarwall and Winter Child and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, along with the other members of Chilliwack.

Ann Mortifee is known by many to be a truly Renaissance woman: a unique and passionate performing artist, composer and librettist, narrator, workshop facilitator, author, and keynote speaker. Her albums, books, one woman shows, musicals, ballets and her deep work with people have won her, among many awards, the prestigious Order of Canada and YMCA Woman of Distinction Award. She has been Chair of the BC Arts Council, travelled the world, worked with the dying, dined with the Queen, spent time with the head Sangoma of the Zulu Nation, worked in Calcutta with Mother Teresa, and co-founded The Trust for Sustainable Forestry, a model for conservation and Ecosystem Based forestry and The Somerset Foundation, with her brother, Peter, to support social innovation and well-being.

DAVID SIMPATICO is a playwright, librettist and performance artist whose work has been presented at major theatres around the globe, including London’s Hammersmith Apollo, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the New York Shakespeare Festival. Career highlights include: the stage adaptation of High School Musical (Disney Theatricals); the full length opera, The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing (Justine Chen, composer; commissioned by American Lyric Theatre); the sung-thru music drama, The Screams of Kitty Genovese (Will Todd, composer; Edinburgh Fringe Festival); and the libretto for Pulitzer Prize-winner Aaron J. Kernis’ Garden Of Light (NY Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, conducted by Kurt Masur). David earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the MountainView Writers at SNHU. His thesis project, Wilde About Whitman, was chosen for publication by the Idaho Review. David is an alumnus of the Composer Librettist Development Program at American Lyric Theater, and a graduate of Northwestern University.

Will Todd’s theatre works include The Screams of Kitty Genovese, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Migrations for Welsh National Opera and The Blackened Man, a prizewinner in the International Verdi Opera Competition. Will has had a fruitful collaboration with the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae with whom he has made the two highly acclaimed albums The Call of Wisdom and Lux et Veritas; the latter was voted one of the top 20 albums of 2014 by Classic FM. Will’s love of choral music is reflected in a large output including masses, anthems and larger sacred concert works including Mass in Blue, which has been performed hundreds of times around the world since its 2003 premiere. His carol My Lord Has Come has become a worldwide favorite since it was included in Oxford University Press’s Carols for Choirs Five in 2012.

Michael Weiner & Alan Zachary wrote songs for Broadway’s First Date, which ran at the Longacre Theatre after a sold-out run at Seattle’s 5th Avenue/ACT Theatres. The show can now be seen in productions across the U.S. and around the world. Recently, Zachary and Weiner penned songs for the acclaimed musical episode of Once Upon a Time on ABC. The team wrote the score for a musical adaptation of the film Secondhand Lions (book by Rupert Holmes) which premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Upcoming musical projects include: 17 Again directed by Adam Shankman and 13 Going on 30 directed by Andy Fickman. For Universal Studios, the duo wrote songs with J.K. Rowling for Celestina Warbeck & the Banshees playing at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Currently, Zachary and Weiner are developing a TV series with Universal Television starring Kristin Chenoweth and have created shows for ABC, FOX, Disney Channel, Disney Animation and Disney Parks around the globe. Zachary and Weiner are recipients of the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. www.zacharyandweiner.com

Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner wrote songs for Broadway’s First Date, which ran at the Longacre Theatre after a sold-out run at Seattle’s 5th Avenue/ACT Theatres. The show can now be seen in productions across the U.S. and around the world. Recently, Zachary and Weiner penned songs for the acclaimed musical episode of Once Upon a Time on ABC. The team wrote the score for a musical adaptation of the film Secondhand Lions (book by Rupert Holmes) which premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Upcoming musical projects include: 17 Again directed by Adam Shankman and 13 Going on 30 directed by Andy Fickman. For Universal Studios, the duo wrote songs with J.K. Rowling for Celestina Warbeck & the Banshees playing at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Currently, Zachary and Weiner are developing a TV series with Universal Television starring Kristin Chenoweth and have created shows for ABC, FOX, Disney Channel, Disney Animation and Disney Parks around the globe. Zachary and Weiner are recipients of the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. www.zacharyandweiner.com