I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying this group for the past year. Grace and Spiritus has a commendable record of new music commissions, and it’s an honor to be included among them.

The 13-minute piece for mixed choir and piano sets a Mexican-American girl’s fifteenth birthday fiesta, an important, often elaborate celebration marking her transition from childhood to womanhood. In the US, the fiesta incorporates European, Native, Middle Eastern, and even Hollywood narratives. Above all, it’s a great party that brings a girl’s family, extended family, and community together.

More performances of the work May 18th and 20th!

The Bridge Project is a co-production of London’s The Old Vic, Brooklyn’s BAM and Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions.

Richard III opens at The Old Vic and tours Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Spain’s Centro Niemeyer, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Singapore Repertory Theatre (more locations TBA), finally arriving at BAM’s Harvey Theater in Brooklyn January 2012.

Sam Mendes directs. Sound design is by Gareth Fry. Associate sound designer Ross McRoss. Set by Tom Piper, lighting by Paul Pyant, costumes by Catherine Zuber, and projection by Jon Driscoll.

Starring Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones, and Boyd Gaines, this is the first-ever Broadway production of Alfred Uhry’s iconic play.

David Esbjornson directs. Sound design is by Christopher Cronin.  The creative team also includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design) and Wendall K. Harrington (projection design).

I join the first play of this NYC summer tradition as rehearsal pianist and vocal coach for a star-studded cast, including Anne Hathaway as Viola, Audra McDonald as Olivia, Raúl Esparza as Orsino, and David Pittu as dear Feste.

Daniel Sullivan directs and music is by NYC folk-rock band Hem.

I join composer Mark Bennett (Coast of Utopia, The Bridge Project) as associate composer and co-arranger on Christopher Durang’s new comedy, Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them, premiering at The Public Theater on April 6.

Nicholas Martin directs, sound design by Drew Levy, scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Gabriel Berry, and lighting design by Ben Stanton.

UPDATE: Extended thru May 3rd!

This is a first for me – costumes, props, spoken lines, acting.  It’s fabulous fun, and icing on the cake after the intense rehearsal and prep period.

The show is getting great reviews & looks to be in the running for several Tonys.  Kathie Edmonds took my score and generated the most beautiful parts I’ve ever seen.  Meanwhile we continue to rehearse understudies & subs and prepare for the awards season.

If you’re in town, come see our Rock Show at the Belasco!

Founded by CSO bassist Michael Hovnanian and David Cardon (aka my better half), Discordia is taking its bestsellers into second editions and relaunching its website soon.

Of course, music is no longer engraved on waxed metal plates with a stylus – software like Score and Finale changed all that for the better.  But we still aim for the highest levels of quality, clarity, and practicality.

Book & lyrics are by Stew, music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald.  Onstage with the fabulous cast are Christian Cassan on drums, Jon Spurney (Hedwig, The Daily Show) on keys and guitar, and Christian Gibbs (Lucinda Black Bear) on guitar.

While preparing a full score and recreating the orchestration, I’ll also facilitate the rehearsal process and work with individual musicians, actors, coaches as a general consultant for matters musical.

Katharine Edmonds at Emily Grishman Music Preparation will be copyist.  Everything I know about skilled music prep I learned by reading their charts over the years.  And now we’re working together.

This is a new kind of show.  I’m so excited to be a part of it.

My friend Curtis Moore and I are doing synth programming for The Nutcracker, December 18-23 at the Kennedy Center.

Just when I thought it was safe to sell my SCSI CD-ROM drives…