This is the first post of what I hope are many chronicling the progress of The Very Last, One and Only Highly Endangered Mountain Lion in Pennsylvania, a new musical comedy I’m hoping to bring to life in the next year or two. I’m heading Sunday to the New Musical, Inc. “Business of the Business” conference, to try out my pitch on several producers and artistic directors, and to rub elbows with writers and performers further along in this process. This is the official beginning of a quest that really started over ten years ago with the first song, but has not left my studio/office until now. Fourteen songs, ten years and countless script drafts later, the show is complete (though very likely to change), and I’m ready to enlist the help of others and try to get the show off the ground.
NMI’s conference runs three days, but I am officiating at my best friend’s wedding tonight (Saturday) after entertaining wedding guests all day, and will be hopping on a plane late to be in LA in the morning, presumably awake and functioning for the pitch sessions. I have about 8 hours of Sunday in a room full of folks with serious chops producing musicals, to meet who I can and hope to intrigue some of them into taking a look at the show. I’m approaching this as a golden opportunity to learn from everyone . . . water, meet sponge! My intention is to show intention–I will be developing this play and would love some help. I’ll report back here on what happens.
I should be clear that I have had some help already–in preparation for the conference, I enrolled in a 5-hour pitch boot camp taught by Scott Guy of NMI, who has been immensely helpful with critiques, encouragement and sage advice. Not only that, he’s a genuinely nice guy–giving me hope that the showbiz stereotypes in my head may not be entirely accurate. We’ll start to find out tomorrow!
The Very Last One and Only Highly Endangered Mountain Lion in Pennsylvania 