On Tuesday, March 29, the American Theatre Wing presented the 2011 Jonathan Larson Grants recognizing emerging creators of musical theater at a ceremony and performance at B.B. King Blues Club.
The recipients were three writing teams: Danny Larsen and Michelle Elliott for Cloaked; Jack Lechner, Andy Monroe and Michael Zam for The Kid; and Joshua H. Cohen and Marisa Michelson for Still Life with Toe Shoes.
Jeff Blumenkrantz, Ashley Brown, and Devyn Rush were on hand to perform selections from these works and Daphne Rubin-Vega performed a number from Larson’s rarely seen musical Superbia.
Also in attendance was Michael Greif, who directed the original production of Larsen’s Rent, and as previously reported, will also be directing the musical’s Off-Broadway revival this summer. Click here for more information.
The Jonathan Larson Grants program was established 14 years ago and is awarded to artists to showcase and recognize their work with no strings attached. It is funded by the resources of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation and the Larson Family. Since its founding, over 75 composers, lyricists and librettists at the start of their careers have been supported.
