Theater News

Composer Peter Mills Receives Second Stage Theatre's Second Annual Donna Perret Rosen Award

The award recognizes excellence in musical theater.

Peter Mills
Composer/lyricist Peter Mills is the most recent recipient of Second Stage Theatre's Donna Perret Rosen Award, which acknowledges excellence in musical theater.

Second Stage Theatre has announced that its second annual Donna Perret Rosen Award for excellence in musical theater goes to composer/lyricist Peter Mills. This year's award recipient was chosen by musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell, actor Lonny Price, and fellow lyricist Richard Maltby Jr.

The $10,000 award was established at the off-Broadway company's 2011 gala to honor Second Stage Theatre trustee Donna Perret Rosen in recognition of her long-standing commitment to young artists and new works. The first recipient of the Donna Perret Rosen Award was composer/lyricist Adam Gwon, in 2012.

Peter Mills' work, which includes Illyria, Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, The Flood, Marco Polo, and The Taxi Cabaret, has been produced in several off-Broadway venues. The Flood was selected for the 2001 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, and Marco Polo was selected for the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in 2000. Mills is also a founding member of Prospect Theater Company. He is currently writing lyrics for the Broadway-bound musical The Honeymooners.

Second Stage Theatre produces a diverse range of premieres and new interpretations of American contemporary theater. The company aims to support artists through several programs that include residencies, fellowships, and commissions, and engages students and community members through education and outreach programs.