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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RON BARNETT. Ron is a composer living in Los Angeles, where he is Director of Music and
Sacred Arts at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale. Prior to this appointment, he was for
ten years Resident Musical Director and Composer at the Fulton Theatre, a LORT D house in
Lancaster, PA. His musical, Around The World In 80 Days, with book and lyrics by Julianne
Homokay, premiered at the Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) in March 2007. He wrote music and
lyrics for A Christmas Carol, with book by Fulton playwright-in-residence Barry Kornhauser,
which received a 2001 Red Rose Award and was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2013.
MICHAEL R. BLAHA (President) is an entertainment attorney and film and stage producer.
Formerly a Vice President of Legal Affairs at Columbia Pictures and Lorimar Telepictures, Mr.
Blaha has been a sole practitioner specializing in entertainment transactions and litigation since
1993. He has produced theater in London, New York and Los Angeles, including the New York
International Fringe Best Musical Winner, “Bukowsical!” and the Los Angeles Theater Critics and
Los Angeles Weekly Best Musical Nominee “Job: The Hip-Hopera.” Mr. Blaha has also produced
over twenty shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including the Fringe First award winner “runt”
and the Perrier Best Newcomer Nominee “Sabotage” in 2004. Mr. Blaha is also on the Board of
Directors of Filmmaker’s Alliance, a non-profit filmmaker’s collective.
NOELLE DONFELD (Secretary), lyricist and bookwriter, has had seven shows produced in the
last eight years: “Hands” at Stages 2000, Theatre Bldg. Chicago, “The Revolution of Betsy
Loring” at Casa Manana Theatre, “Twas” commissioned by NextStage Entertainment, Las Vegas
and Houston and produce by Stuart Ostrow, “Aesop” at Musical Theatre West, “Shahrazad,
Heads or Tales” for Mercury Musicals, London, and at LATC by Playwrights Arena, “Squeak”
at the Colony and Theatre Bldg. Chicago, and “Miss Vulcan 1939” at Red Mountain Theatre
(2007 and 2008). “The Spark, Hannah Senesh” is a finalist at Stages 2009 and the National
Musical Theatre Conference of the Eugene O’Neill. She is currently working on “Ghosts” for
the Lyric Theatre, Los Angeles.
KEVIN MEYER (Treasurer) has devoted his entire professional career to helping individuals
and businesses with their tax, accounting and financial planning requirements. With offices in
Pacific Palisades for over 12 years, Kevin enjoys helping his clients with a practical approach to
their "real world" issues and needs. Mr. Meyer currently serves as the Treasurer for the Board of
ANMT.
NMI/New Musicals Inc. - 5628 Vineland Ave. - North Hollywood, CA 91601
818.506.8500 - [email protected]
JOHN SPARKS (Founding Director). John was the founder/co-Director of the Lehman Engel
Musical Theatre Workshop (1979-1995) and the Artistic Director of ANMT from 1995 to the
present. He founded the Writers' Workshop at Theatre Building Chicago in 1987 and has been
its Artistic Director since 1999. Between the two workshops, John has mentored the work of
over 250 writers, including Mark Hollmann, composer/lyricist of "Urinetown" and George
Gorham and Dan Sticco, "A Change in the Heir". Nearly 100 shows written by workshop
members have been produced in theatres across the country. John’s own musicals have been
produced in Los Angeles and Chicago.
LARRY VERBIT. Larry Verbit has practiced entertainment law since 1987. He opened the
Firm in August, 2003, after having worked nine years in entertainment executive management,
eleven years as in-house counsel for public and private companies and more than five years as an
entertainment lawyer with a leading entertainment law firm. His firm represents various
production companies, businesses and individuals in production and general business activities in
the entertainment and media industries, and other businesses in retail and wholesale
environments.
STAFF
SCOTT GUY (Executive Director) Under Scott’s tenure, NMI has developed over 100 musicals
for producers across the country, and over 200 independent musicals by ANMT writers. Scott
has produced several NMI musical theatre festivals and multiple seasons of concert readings and
concerts. Scott’s current and recent writing projects include: a musical with Placido Domingo,
Jr., script consultancy with Disney for a Pirates of the Caribbean musical; book and lyrics for a
Darby O'Gill musical for McCoy-Rigby Productions, and a new musical project for Deaf West
Theatre. Television credits: Six Emmy nominations, and over 100 produced television scripts for
Warner Bros., FOX-TV, Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. www.scottguy.biz.
ELISE DEWSBERRY (Artistic Director) Elise has been involved in the development of new
works for over twenty years: as an actor/singer, as a director, as a dramaturge, and as a writer.
While living in Toronto, Elise served as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Muskoka Festival;
the Co-Ordinator of the festival’s annual Musical Theatre Writer’s Colony, the Associate
Dramaturge of the Canadian Stage Company; the Resident Dramaturge of the Smile Theatre
Company; and was the co-founder of Toronto’s Script Lab. Elise spent many years touring
Canada with NINE MONTHS – a one-woman musical which she commissioned from writers
Carl Ritchie and Stephen Woodjetts. Elise and Carl also co-wrote ANY BODY HOME?, which
was produced by the Cordova Bay Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia, and published by
Dramatic Publishing. Elise joined ANMT as Associate Artistic Director in 2003, and joined
Founding Artistic Director John Sparks as Co-Artistic Director in 2010. Elise also serves as a
member of the Selection Committee for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s annual
Festival of New Works, and as a Los Angeles Ovation Award Voter. Elise is also the author and
evaluator of the Book Lab and the Outlining Lab, offered online through
www.writingmusicaltheatre.com
Support Staff
JOSHUA FINKEL. Director, Performers' Workshop. Joshua Finkel has directed everything
from Industrial Video and Plays, to Musical Theater and Cabaret. His 2013 unique production of
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum for Panic! Productions has received rave
reviews for its ingenious concept and clever staging. His 2012 production of A Ring In Brooklyn
at the Noho Arts garnered 4 Scenie awards. In 2011 Joshua directed the original musical Tsarina
at the Grove Theater in Upland. In 2010 he assisted Richard Jay Alexander as the Dance Captain
for Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition his 2010 version of Into The Woods
received a great deal of acclaim. In 2004 production of the Los Angeles Premiere of The Spitfire
Grill at the Actors Co-op Theater in Hollywood received the La Times Critics' Pick. One of his
other ongoing shows, Hollywood Revisited is scheduled to play many top corporate and private
events, including cruises to Tokyo, New Zealand and Monte Carlo as well as symphony and
convention dates around the country. Among his several acting credits, Joshua starred on
Broadway opposite Chita Rivera and Vanessa Williams as Molina the Window Dresser in the
Original Cast of Kiss Of The Spider Woman.
JAKE ANTHONY. Director, Perpetual Surrey; Music Director, Performers' Workshop. Jake
works as a composer, vocal coach, and Music Director in the L.A. area. After receiving an MM
in Vocal Performance and Opera Coaching at the University of North Texas, Jake turned towards
musical theatre, serving as Music Director for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Cabaret,
Kiss Me Kate, and Side By Side by Sondheim for Dallas area theatres, and Once Upon A
Mattress and The Importance Of Being Earnest for UNT Theatre. Jake's L.A. theater work
includes Snoopy! at the McCadden Place Theater, as well as the West Coast premieres of
Splendora and Songs From An Unmade Bed at Celebration Theatre. As a composer, Jake cowrote the 15 minute musical Oh God, We're Gonna Die! with Jeff Marx (co-author of Avenue
Q), and the musical, Now And Then A Hero, with book and lyrics by Larry Johnson. Jake is
thrilled to be part of the NMI team, and their constant commitment to the development of new
works.
ROSS KÄLLING. Director Of Music Curriculum. Ross Källing is an award winning musical
director and pianist. He received Dramalogue awards for his musical direction of FATE's
productions of Marat/Sade and Threepenny Opera, and was also pianist/M.D. for the revival of
Liz Swados' Nightclub Cantata at the Odyssey Theatre; and produced the song It Don't Make A
Difference In The Dark for the movie Relative Strangers, coaxing respectable vocal
performances out of the stars, Danny Devito and Kathy Bates. He was Musical Director at the
prestigious Beverly Hills Playhouse for fifteen years, where he worked with such stars as Doris
Roberts, Dorothy Lyman, and Jeffrey Tambor; and such directors as Gene Reynolds and the late
Milton Katselas. He was also founding Director of Music Curriculum at the Academy for New
Musical Theatre. He can be seen performing around town in various cabaret or jazz venues, or
with his classical trio Cayenne.