News

Updates about TRW and our musicals

6 Tips For First Time Theatre Teachers

A college professor once told me to write the following in my notebook at the beginning of our very first class: “There is no such thing as a child who hates music. But there are plenty who hate music teachers.” He then said if that is the only thing I remember from his class, it will be enough. Forty years later, it is the only thing I remember from that class. But its wisdom guided much of what I accomplished as a teacher and director.

Below are a few things I picked up from my forty years of teaching that I hope will help you succeed in your career as a teacher.

Whether you are more comfortable with a structured, linear rehearsal process or a more improvised, spontaneous approach, children, young and old, will sense if you are unprepared, stressed and/or ill-equipped for the task ahead.

TRW’s 2018-2019 Season Planner

We’re here to help you every step of the way in choosing your next show with the best collection of contemporary Broadway and West End musicals in the business. From our New York City Headquarters to our London Office to every corner of the world, TRW’s knowledgeable and friendly licensing agents are ready to serve your production needs.

Our catalogue of major musicals continued to grow with the addition of several blockbusters in 2017. New titles will be announced throughout 2018, along with the lifting of restrictions on some titles. New for 2018-19 are BRIGHT STAR, a new Tony Award-winning edition of THE COLOR PURPLE, FLASHDANCE, and the West End’s THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. For the U.K., GREASE has been released from restrictions and is now fully available!

Titles

Taking a closer look at our musicals

TRW - Addams Family Musical

Favorite “Pulled” Performances

Who doesn’t love Wednesday Addams? I was smitten from the moment she ruined the summer camp play in Addams Family Values. When the Addams clan made the jump to the theatrical stage, Andrew Lippa’s song of teenage emotional blossoming rocketed from Chicago, to Broadway, to any mix-belters’ repertoire book you could find in any audition holding room. “Pulled” is a very difficult song to sing. I think much of the role is difficult to sing, but that’s exactly what makes a great performance all the more delicious. The most climatic moments of the song lie right on the female passaggio (or break between chest voice/head voice) which means it takes not only a brassy belt or a gorgeous head voice but a marriage of the two. But musicals are about so much more than a great voice singing a song on stage.

The Making of Young@Part®

The Young@Part® collection is comprised of 45 to 75 minute adaptations of popular musicals from the TRW catalogue designed to provide a rich dramatic and musical experience for elementary and middle-school aged kids. On the verge of launching two new Young@Part® titles, we sat down with Fred Stuart, Chief Creative Officer at TRW, to learn about the thoughtful development process that goes into each carefully crafted show.

Authors

Profiles, interviews, & news about the creative minds that make our musicals possible

Land a Big Catch with Daniel Wallace at Your Production of BIG FISH!

TRW is proud to offer the exciting opportunity to have Daniel Wallace, the author of the novel BIG FISH, at your production. He is the only person who has been involved in the story since its inception: from the book, to the film, to the Broadway production. His insights are sure to provide a unique perspective for your theatre. If you are interested in having Daniel Wallace at your production, please email Trinity at info@tuesdayagency.com for booking details. We hope that you will jump on this opportunity to share a truly memorable experience with your patrons and audience members alike.

Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, BIG FISH centers on Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest… and then some!

Writing From the Heart with Sonia Manzano!

Sonia Manzano may not have known it, but she has been preparing to write a musical her whole life! Manzano has played the beloved character Maria on Sesame Street for over 30 years. It seems just a few golden years ago that I used to watch her character come to life each day. Her still youthful appearance matches her infectious energy, especially when discussing her new Theatre for Young Audiences musical, NO DOGS ALLOWED! Her experience with the masterful musical theatre monsters of Muppet land may have accidentally prepared her for her career’s latest incarnation: Musical Theatre book writer!

The journey from page to stage has been a rewarding one for Manzano. After winning 15 writing Emmys® at Sesame Street, she penned the brilliant source material for the musical, NO DOGS ALLOWED!

TRW On Location

Worldwide and we mean it

54 Sings Curtains

Last night we kicked off our first of many nights at Feinsteins/54 Below with 54 Sings Curtains. Not only was it a wonderful evening full of familiar faces, but the perfect reminder of what a gem this show is. The evening was introduced by bookwriter Rupert Holmes, who gave us an abridged story of how CURTAINS was created. The cast assembled was led by the quirky and hilarious Richard Kind, who so graciously stepped into the leading role of Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, and brought his own comedic flair to the role originated by David Hyde Pierce. Other notable cast members included the always superb Karen Ziemba as the songwriter turned star Georgia Hendricks, Noah Racey as leading man Bobby Pepper, Megan Sikora as Bambi, Erin Davie, who replaced in the original production, as ingenue Niki Harris, and a host of other Broadway veterans.

54 Sings Memphis

Last night we returned to Feinsteins/54 Below for 54 Sings Memphis and what an absolute treat it was. Several original Broadway cast members returned with some new talent and what transpired was nothing short of a celebration. This Tony Award®-winning Best Musical remains poignant today, as we follow the cultural friction of Memphis’ underground dance clubs in the 1950’s as radio jockey Huey Calhoun falls for singer Felicia Farrell in a time when their interracial relationship was hardly celebrated. Tony nominee Chad Kimball returned to the role he created and Huey still fits like a glove. Felicia Boswell, who starred in the First National Tour, was Felicia Farrell and original Broadway cast member Cass Morgan brought Mama back to life.