ALUMNI MUSICALS
a sanctuary for development of new musicals
Kirsten Childs
Bella:
An American Tall Tale
Co-world premieres at
Dallas Theatre Center 2016 & Playwrights Horizons 2017
Kennedy Prize finalist 2018.
Licensed by Concord Theatricals
“I was able to get some crucial rewriting done. Away from apartment noise and city life concerns, I was able to actually and completely focus. To my delight, I experienced a revitalization of my creativity. ~ Kirsten Childs
Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, &
Jason Williams
Broadway Bounty Hunter
RWR’s 2015 Triple R musical and
World premiere at Barrington Stage, MA, in 2016
Off-Broadway Premiere in 2019
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“My collaborators and I felt supported, appreciated, and encouraged, all of which allowed us to be amazingly productive during our stay in Rhinebeck. We found ourselves continually inspired and invigorated by our surroundings. We really felt like we were part of a family there, and that fueled us to not take the opportunity for granted and create some truly great material. We didn’t want to let our family down. It’s so rare to find a place that truly fosters new works in the way the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat does.” – Joe Iconis
Brandon James Gwinn, EllaRose Chary
TL; DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE MUSICAL
NAMT Festival 2021
Richard Rodgers Award in 2021
World Premiere production at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego in 2024
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"The writing was only one aspect of why the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat was so successful for our musical. We had to spend time together to make this show. We had to have the resources and the roof over our heads, and the wine, and the food, and the music. All of that was afforded to us by our experience at RWR and our musical isn’t just the better for it, it exists as it is because of it. " – Brandon James Gwinn
Isabella Dawis
& Tidtaya Sinutoke
Half the Sky
2021 Fred Ebb Award Winner​
2022 Kleban Award Winner
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“In the time when most places are postponing or canceling their residencies due to quarantine, Rhinebeck is one of the few that still opens the door. We got all the resources in order to be in the room (virtually) with one another and create the magic. I am extremely grateful and happy to be part of the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat this year.” - Tidtaya Sinutoke
The Lobbyists, Seth Moore,
& Liz Carlson
SeaWife
World premiere at Naked Angels in 2015,
Drama Desk nomination for outstanding music, production at White Heron Theatre on Nantucket in 2017.
“Our team is comprised of seven writers and a director, so mobilizing all of us in New York can be tricky. Being in a tranquil environment like Rhinebeck – where the focus is placed on the work and its development – and being compensated and provided for while there comprise an invaluable experience. We were able to birth our ideas and subsequently feed them.”
– Tommy Crawford
Alex Timbers and
Michael Friedman
(1975-2017)
Love’s Labour’s Lost
World premiere at
The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park, 2013
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“Rhinebeck Writers Retreat was invaluable to the development of our new musical. The time spent upstate afforded us the opportunity to write, edit, collaborate, and delve deeper into the work – in a gorgeous, relaxing environment.”
~ Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman
Sara Cooper & Lynne Shankel
PERPETUAL SUNSHINE & THE GHOST GIRLS
2022 Richard Rodgers Award Winner
Selected for NAMT Festival of New Musicals
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"Our time at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat was absolutely invaluable. We wrote three brand new songs, re-wrote chunks of others and came away with our first full draft of the whole piece. We could never have worked this fast if we weren't together, away from home and in this beautiful, secluded oasis of creativity." -Lynne Shankel
Shayok Misha Chowdhury
& Laura Grill Jaye
HOW THE WHITE GIRL GOT HER SPOTS & OTHER 90S TRIVIA
2022 Relentless Award Winner
They are the first musical that was given this award
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“We really needed time away from the hustle of our city lives to settle into the patience that writing a musical requires. Our musical asks risky questions about the pleasures and pitfalls of belonging to racial categories. Untangling those questions take time. Rhinebeck Writers Retreat was that rare gift of unfettered time.” -Shayok Misha Chowdhury
Zoe Roberts, Natasha Hodgson, David Cumming, & Felix Hagan
OPERATION MINCEMEAT
West End Debut in March 2023 at the Fortune Theatre, London UK
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"This retreat came at a very important juncture in the life of our show and gave us the time to see our work objectively, the space to envisage new songs and the tools with which to create them. We would be so much less further along if Rhinebeck had not provided their generous support.
It is designed specifically to help nurture our creativity. It pushes us to work even harder to ensure that our art is as well-crafted and finessed as it can be. Rhinebeck is a lighthouse in the stormy seas of musical making; a place of calm, reflection and craft that allows one’s creative spirit to soar."
- Zoe Roberts, Natasha Hodgson, David Cumming, & Felix Hagan
Max Vernon & Erin Courtney
The Tattooed Lady
Awarded a Project grant from
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
with the Philadelphia Theatre Company
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“The last time I was at Rhinebeck, I was by myself for the majority of the week. While that experience provided the solitude necessary to write, I found that attending this time with a team of collaborators enhanced the residency even more. Being in the same living space created a hot-box creative environment, in which we were able to both generate a ton of material for our show and actually deepen on our bond as collaborators and friends. Also, the new house is a gorgeous and ideal location in which to write."
- Max Vernon
Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza & Sam Willmott
BHANGRA NATION
Richard Rodgers Award in 2019
2020 Kleban Prize
Production at La Jolla Playhouse in March 2022
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"Walking into the house at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat feels like walking onto a blank canvas -- it's bright, welcoming, and full of possibility. Couple that with acres and acres of stunning nature (and bikes to explore it) and you've found yourself a haven that is equal parts fertile, vibrant, colorful, and safe. We walked in with a few songs and scenes, and walked out with a draft of Act I. I'm incredibly grateful for Rhinebeck -- it had such a beautiful impact on our project and our summers!" -Sam Willmott
Maggie-Kate Coleman &
Erato A. Kremmyda
Marie in
Tomorrowland
2017 Jonathan Larson grant winners
Northwestern's American Music Theatre Project in 2018
Richard Rodgers Award in 2023
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“Specifically designed to assist musical theater writing teams, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat is completely unique and fills a massive gap in the current theatrical landscape. I cannot express how invaluable it has been for us to take part in a residency designed to address our specific collaborative process.” -Maggie Kate Coleman
Itamar Moses & Gaby Alter
Nobody Loves You
Itamar Moses won 2018 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for The Band's Visit.
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Nobody Loves You had productions at The Old Globe in San Diego in 2012 and Second Stage Theater off-Broadway in 2013
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“Our musical is at a very advanced stage of development—about five years now. It can be easy to assume that rewrites will be faster at this stage. What we learned at Rhinebeck is that, if anything, rewrites at this stage require even more intense focus. The retreat provided us with the perfect environment to do just that, by eliminating distractions, providing us with a comfortable house to work and collaborate, groceries and a beautiful natural setting away from the city and our other projects.”
~ Itamar Moses and Gaby Alter
Kyle Jarrow &
Duncan Sheik
Noir
Selected for NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals,
World Premiere at Alley Theatre in 2022
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“I find that one of the toughest challenges of the writing life is shutting out the noise of the world, the distractions of the business side of things, and the mental clutter that comes from simultaneous work on multiple projects. Duncan and I were able to cloister ourselves and focus with a thoroughness that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. The result was an awesome level of productivity!.” – Kyle Jarrow
Michael Kooman &
Chris Dimond
The Noteworthy Life
of Howard Barnes
Eugene O’Neill Theater Festival,
NAMT Festival of New Musicals and
Village Theatre Festival in Issaquah, WA
Original Cast Recording available for purchase!
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“Rhinebeck Writers Retreat gave us the time, space, support, and freedom to focus on completing a draft of our script and score. Freed from the constraints of life in New York City, and removed from the pressures of product-oriented development opportunities, we were able to take a step back, see the project in a different light, and take the risks necessary to help it achieve its full potential.” ~ Chris Dimond
