Two emerging creators who are making a big splash in the musical theater world.
ABOUT THE EVENING
Join two rising musical theater writers for an intimate evening of songs and stories, including a sneak peak of their newest musical ALMOST HEAVEN. After meeting in 2013, Oliver and Hunter have created two musicals together and are currently working on their third while in residence for a week at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center. Their work has been developed and produced at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Village Theater, The Other Palace Theater in London, the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, the National Alliance for Musical Theater, the “Bound for Broadway” Concert at the Kaufman Center, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the New York Fringe Festival, and the Fringe Festival “Encore” Series at the SoHo Playhouse. Oliver and Hunter are alumni of the Dramatist Guild Fellows Program, the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals.
Oliver Houser is a New York-based singer-songwriter and musical theatre artist. A recent Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow and winner of the inaugural Stephen Schwartz Award, the ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award and a SongSpace Grant, Oliver’s work has been performed and developed at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Village Theatre, the Annual National Alliance for Musical Theatre Conference (NAMT), the SoHo Playhouse, the New York Musical Festival, the New York International Fringe Festival, the Other Palace Theatre in the UK and other venues across the United States. Oliver has headlined at the Kennedy Center and performs his work throughout New York City. He has developed work at the Ucross Foundation, the KHN Center for the Arts, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Johnny Mercer Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. Oliver’s work was a finalist for the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and he was selected for Jeanine Tesori’s Front & Center Master Class. He is an alum of the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop and the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project. Oliver is a proud member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild. www.oliverhouser.com
Hunter Bird (Book, Director) is Brooklyn-based theatre maker of new plays and musicals. He has directed and developed new work at Ars Nova, Roundabout Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Skylight Theatre, The McKittrick Hotel, Signature Theatre with Columbia University, The Getty Villa, 59E59, Lincoln Center Education, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Musical Theatre Factory and 54 Below. Currently developing new work with Nikko Benson, Andrea Daly, Kate Douglas, Scott Gilmour & Claire McKenzie, Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich, Oliver Houser, Madeline Myers, Angela Sclafani, and Zack Zadek. Writing credits include The Starry Messenger with Madeline Myers and Held Momentarily with Oliver Houser and James Zeebooker. Associate & assistant directing work on Broadway and across the country with Lynne Meadow, Des McAnuff, Pam MacKinnon, Doug Hughes, Graciela Daniele, Eve Ensler, and the National Theatre of Scotland. Civilians R&D Group (18/19), Line Producer of ANT Fest 2018 at Ars Nova, and the Colony Coordinator of the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals from 2014 – 2016. www.hunter-bird.com
Big Sky Theater Workshop, The Last Five Years, [title of show]