Paul Libman and Dave Hudson are the first creative team to ever win the annual Richard Rodgers Development Award for New Musicals for two separate shows. They are also one of the few teams to win this award without any presence in New York or connections to this city. They did it all from Chicago, with Paul composing the scores and Dave contributing book and lyrics.
The two men began working together in 2002, right after Paul left a successful advertising jingle career for, as he puts it, “The much more lucrative and reliable world of musical theatre.” Less than three months later, they landed their first professional contract with American Folklore Theatre, where their initial collaboration, Muskie Love, played for two summers. In 2004 they created Dust and Dreams, which won the 2005 Richard Rodgers Award and was also presented at Chicago’s Stages Festival of New Musicals. Their next effort, Main-Travelled Roads, was selected for the 2006 Stages Festival, was featured twice in the Madison Rep’s Festival of New Plays, and was the winner of the 2007 Richard Rodgers Award. Produced at AFT in the fall of 2007, this show was presented at the New York Barrow Street Theatre in March 2008. Paul and Dave’s musical, A Cabin with a View, was commissioned by AFT and played to full houses there in the summers of 2007 and 2008. Their latest show, Cheeseheads, the Musical, is slated to play at AFT this summer.
Their experiences at these institutions in the Midwest and New York have all been different, but each was helpful in terms of the development of their work. “Theatre Building Chicago utilizes non-Equity Chicago actors who are generally good is sort of a M.A.S.H. unit of musical theatre,” says Dave. “The focus is simply to get the show up and see what’s there as quickly and efficiently as possible. In Wisconsin, AFT has what amounts to a resident company, so we have the joy of working with actors we know and writing characters for them. The biggest thing AFT gives us is productions. We’ve learned that nothing helps one learn this craft like the pressure-cooker of getting a show ready for a real, paying audience. In New York, the stunning aspect is the depth of talent. You know your work will be seen in the best light possible, even in a staged reading.”
Paul believes that the main themes in their shows involve optimism, sincerity and emotion. “We’re not fond of ironic and self-referential work,” he states. “We like to come straight at the audience to create the greatest emotional impact. We also like tuneful, concise songs. Most of our songs are in the two to two and a half minute range.”
And even though Paul has recently moved to Brooklyn, and Dave still lives in Chicago, both men claim their working relationship hasn’t changed a bit. “We’ve always collaborated via e-mail,” explains Paul, “Even when Dave’s office was two blocks from my apartment.”
Chicago
by Douglas Post
Paul Libman and Dave Hudson are the first creative team to ever win the annual Richard Rodgers Development Award for New Musicals for two separate shows. They are also one of the few teams to win this award without any presence in New York or connections to this city. They did it all from Chicago, with Paul composing the scores and Dave contributing book and lyrics.
The two men began working together in 2002, right after Paul left a successful advertising jingle career for, as he puts it, “The much more lucrative and reliable world of musical theatre.” Less than three months later, they landed their first professional contract with American Folklore Theatre, where their initial collaboration, Muskie Love, played for two summers. In 2004 they created Dust and Dreams, which won the 2005 Richard Rodgers Award and was also presented at Chicago’s Stages Festival of New Musicals. Their next effort, Main-Travelled Roads, was selected for the 2006 Stages Festival, was featured twice in the Madison Rep’s Festival of New Plays, and was the winner of the 2007 Richard Rodgers Award. Produced at AFT in the fall of 2007, this show was presented at the New York Barrow Street Theatre in March 2008. Paul and Dave’s musical, A Cabin with a View, was commissioned by AFT and played to full houses there in the summers of 2007 and 2008. Their latest show, Cheeseheads, the Musical, is slated to play at AFT this summer.
Their experiences at these institutions in the Midwest and New York have all been different, but each was helpful in terms of the development of their work. “Theatre Building Chicago utilizes non-Equity Chicago actors who are generally good is sort of a M.A.S.H. unit of musical theatre,” says Dave. “The focus is simply to get the show up and see what’s there as quickly and efficiently as possible. In Wisconsin, AFT has what amounts to a resident company, so we have the joy of working with actors we know and writing characters for them. The biggest thing AFT gives us is productions. We’ve learned that nothing helps one learn this craft like the pressure-cooker of getting a show ready for a real, paying audience. In New York, the stunning aspect is the depth of talent. You know your work will be seen in the best light possible, even in a staged reading.”
Paul believes that the main themes in their shows involve optimism, sincerity and emotion. “We’re not fond of ironic and self-referential work,” he states. “We like to come straight at the audience to create the greatest emotional impact. We also like tuneful, concise songs. Most of our songs are in the two to two and a half minute range.”
And even though Paul has recently moved to Brooklyn, and Dave still lives in Chicago, both men claim their working relationship hasn’t changed a bit. “We’ve always collaborated via e-mail,” explains Paul, “Even when Dave’s office was two blocks from my apartment.”
dpost@dramatistsguild.com