Dates, Participating Authors and Creative Team Announced for All Together Now!

Dates, Participating Authors and Creative Team Announced for All Together Now!

MTI is thrilled to announce updates to All Together Now!: A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre, in which schools and theatres around the world are empowered to produce and perform locally an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from MTI's beloved shows over the weekend of 12th November 2021.

MTI's All Together Now! will be entirely free-of-charge to license with no royalty or rental fees. Participating organisations may license MTI's All Together Now! as a fundraiser for their theatre - and perform it live, streamed, or a combination of both over a four-day period between 12th and 15th November 2021.

Many renowned MTI authors, their estates and rightsholders are contributing songs from their iconic musicals to the revue including:  Stephen Schwartz; Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty; Cameron Mackintosh; Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg & Herbert Kretzmer; Disney Theatrical Group; Frank Loesser; Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe; Tim Minchin; Jonathan Larson; Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman; Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley; Leslie Bricusse & Frank Wildhorn; Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin; Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich; and many more to be announced.

Further details on licensing and how groups can participate in this worldwide event will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please visit http://www.alltogethernowmti.co.uk for a list of Frequently Asked Questions, an email sign-up and more.

"None of this would be possible without the support of the authors we represent," stated MTI's President and CEO, Drew Cohen. "We are fortunate that so many of these composers, lyricists and rightsholders are embracing the idea of All Together Now!. I know that theatres around the world are eager to see the full list of songs featured in this new revue and we are working hard behind-the-scenes to create a memorable and inspiring show. We will be making more announcements in the very near future, but we encourage everyone to visit the event website as authors and their songs are added."

The brand new musical revue is being put together by a renowned creative team that includes librettist Timothy Allen McDonald ( James and the Giant Peach, Between the Lines, Breathe!), director, choreographer and Associate Artistic Director of the York Theatre,Gerry McIntyre (Berkshire Theatre Group's Godspell, The York's Hallelujah, Baby!), director and choreographer Racky Plews (American Idiot West End, UK & International Tour, Thoroughly Modern Millie UK and Canadian Tour), director Jeff Calhoun (9 to 5, Savoy Theatre, UK tour; Disney's Newsies on Broadway, Tony Award Nomination for Best Director), and Music Theatre International's Chief Operating Officer and Director of Education & Development, John Prignano.

"One of our goals in creating this revue is to not only showcase some of the most beloved songs in the musical theatre catalogue, but to also allow local theatres to make this show their own," said the members of the creative team. "We're dividing the revue into sections where we hope to have a couple of different approved song options. We are also creating different moments in the script where organizations can feature remarks from their leadership, local luminaries and public officials. The idea is for every group to put their own stamp on All Together Now! so it resonates with their audiences."

"I've been blown away by the response from theatres so far," said John Prignano. "Many theatrical organizations across the globe have already expressed their enthusiasm for the event and committed to performing the revue in their communities. Unlike some of our shows that may have geographical licensing restrictions, we hope that if there are multiple theatres in a certain area that they get together, pool their resources and potentially perform the revue as a fundraiser for all the groups involved. That's one of the reasons the show is only available for performance from November 12th through the 15th - we want everyone to experience the magic of musical theatre together as a community."

In the United Kingdom,a passion for a return to live theatre is running high. Pamela Mackie of the Rubber Chicken Theatre in Dunblane, Scotland remarked, "We've kept really busy theatrically over lockdown - virtual shows, online rehearsals, remotely filmed showpieces etc., but there is nothing in the world that compares with coming together, live on stage to rehearse and perform musical theatre. To have the chance to celebrate the return of musical theatre not only with each other and our audience locally, but with our theatre family across Scotland, the UK and the world is just incredible. To give our performers young and old the chance to be a part of such amazing songs and musicals, and to know that so many people driven by the same passion for theatre are performing the same songs at the same time will be a special moment. We can't wait."

Gary Redpath of the Belfast Operatic Society and AIMS Northern Region Chairman in Northern Ireland also can't wait to get in on the act, "Committees all across the province are taking brave decisions in order to get non-professional performers back to doing what they love. Through lockdown, music has been proven to provide a welcome release for participants mental health. Incentives like MTI's All Together Now! will help to restore confidence in the performing arts and events industry for audiences in a post-Covid world, helping to kick start the industry. As performance rights are being provided free-of-charge, committees are able to participate at a reduced risk to themselves, allowing more societies to get involved in what will be a landmark weekend for the performing arts."

Partners

Music Theatre International is grateful for the support of our partners in this endeavor: American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) , American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) , Broadway Media,BroadwayWorld, Disney Theatrical Group, Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) , Funk Studios,Hal Leonard, iHeartRadio Broadway, National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Playbill , Subplot Studio, TYA/USA.