Curtain Call is proud to announce the return of the American Harmony Prize, an annual award that acquaints Fairfield County, CT, audiences with diverse new works of musical theater. The goal of the American Harmony Prize is to showcase new musicals that explore our country’s many ethnic, religious and gender identifications.
In 2007, the inaugural award was given to “Jip: His Story,” by Danny Duncan (Book) and Emily Klion (Music & Lyrics), a family-friendly musical that focused on the history of Black Americans. In the second and third years the award went to “Love, NY,” by Robert Rokicki (Music & Lyrics) and Michael Ruby (Book & Lyrics) and “Buddy’s Tavern,” by Raymond De Felitta (Book), Alison Hubbard (Lyrics) and Kim Oler (Music) for musicals that focused on the experiences of Jewish and Italian Americans.
The fourth annual American Harmony Prize will showcase a new musical that dramatizes an aspect of the experience of Americans with Disabilities. From “Porgy and Bess” to the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Next to Normal,” the struggles of disabled Americans have been at the heart of some of the musical theater’s most affecting works. This year the American Harmony Prize hopes to shine the spotlight on a new musical that illuminates the lives of those that are so often overlooked by the rest of society.
In addition to a cash award of $250.00, a sixty-minute concert reading of highlights from the winning musical will be performed on
the main stage of Curtain Call’s Kweskin Theater in February of 2011.
In order to qualify for consideration, a musical cannot have been professionally produced (Equity Dinner, LORT, Production,
Special Production, SPT, Stock, etc...) or published. It may have been performed in readings, concerts, workshops and nonprofessional
productions.
Submissions will be accepted via mail from Monday, September 20, 2010 until Saturday, October 16, 2010. Submissions
postmarked after Saturday, October 16, 2010, will ineligible for consideration. We are not able to receive electronic submissions
at this time. Your submission should include:
1. A plot synopsis of no more than 800 words (or roughly two pages).
2. The first 10 pages of the libretto (with all dialogue, lyrics and stage directions included).
3. A cd that demonstrates as much of the musical’s score as has been recorded to date (it needn’t be of studio quality).
4. One sample of the sheet music for a song from the show’s piano / vocal score.
5. A self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish to have your materials returned. (If not, they will be recycled after the
judging.)
6. Note: there is no submission / reading fee.
Submissions should be mailed to:
Curtain Call, Inc.
1349 Newfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06905
Attn. American Harmony Prize
Short-listed applicants will be asked to submit additional materials after Monday, November 1, 2010. Additional materials
postmarked after Saturday, November 13, 2010, will ineligible for final consideration. The winner of the American Harmony
Prize 2009 will be announced Monday, January 3, 2011, at www.CurtainCallinc.com.
