Johnny Cash’s 80th Birthday Highlight His Permanent Cool Status

That Johnny Cash remains a superstar almost ten years after his death in 2003 is proof-positive that he has achieved a level of ‘cool’ that is nearly unmatched in the history of popular music. He is revered by artists from across the spectrum of musical styles. On what would have been his 80th birthday, February 26, 2012, there were scores of musical celebrations around the world to mark this milestone of the Man in Black. From Brooklyn to Bakersfield and beyond, thousands of Country & Western fans, hipsters, rockabilly hepcats and musical theatre fans gathered to honor one of the greatest recording and performing musicians of all time.

Way out west, to honor the legend who’d ‘been everywhere, man,’ the Fender Guitar museum in Corona, CA, at the Fender® Center, presented an exceptional, one-of-a-kind exhibit…

TRW is Proud to Announce the Release of THE COLOR PURPLE

Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) is proud to announce the immediate availability of Stock & Amateur rights for THE COLOR PURPLE. TRW is the exclusive representative of The Color Purple’s musical adaptation, which was nominated for eleven Tony® Awards and played 910 performances in its two and a half year run on Broadway.

Now, theatre organizations, schools, choirs and performing arts groups of all kinds can present this inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who—through love—finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world.

After a hugely successful four year national tour, this glorious musical journey is poised to change the landscape of school and community theatre forever.

Writing From the Heart with Sonia Manzano!

Sonia Manzano may not have known it, but she has been preparing to write a musical her whole life! Manzano has played the beloved character Maria on Sesame Street for over 30 years. It seems just a few golden years ago that I used to watch her character come to life each day. Her still youthful appearance matches her infectious energy, especially when discussing her new Theatre for Young Audiences musical, NO DOGS ALLOWED! Her experience with the masterful musical theatre monsters of Muppet land may have accidentally prepared her for her career’s latest incarnation: Musical Theatre book writer!

The journey from page to stage has been a rewarding one for Manzano. After winning 15 writing Emmys® at Sesame Street, she penned the brilliant source material for the musical, NO DOGS ALLOWED!

A New Addition to Our TYA Collection: HOW I BECAME A PIRATE!

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE is now available for licensing! Based on Melinda Long’s hugely popular children’s book of the same name, this magnificent tale is a musical treasure chest that brings to the stage the tale of young Jeremy Jacob’s high seas adventure. Jeremy meets Captain Braid Beard and his mates one day, and is recruited to help find the perfect digging spot for their treasure!

With book, music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, HOW I BECAME A PIRATE is ideal for theatre organizations that are looking for an easy to cast and stage musical that will do big biz at the box office!

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE connects with young audiences by capturing their sense of imagination and letting it soar as they come to know and love Jeremy and each and every endearingly crusty pirate…

TRW is Proud to Announce our TYA Acquisition: NO DOGS ALLOWED!

Theatrical Rights Worldwide is proud to announce our latest Family Theatre acquisition: NO DOGS ALLOWED! This super cool new musical is based on the hugely popular children’s book by Sonia Manzano, perhaps better known as Maria from Sesame Street. Manzano adapted her own book and legendary composer Stephen Lawrence wrote the music, with renowned lyricist Billy Aronson completing the team. The show is Manzano’s semi-autobiographical tale of a young girl growing up in the Bronx and what happens on the day the family takes a trip to a state park. It’s a beautifully crafted, eloquently told story that speaks to families everywhere.

NO DOGS ALLOWED! features a tuneful, upbeat score by Stephen Lawrence. Stephen has composed over 250 songs and scores for Sesame Street resulting in three Emmy awards…

Hillcrest HS’ CURTAINS a First Class Production!

Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah presented the Utah high school premiere of CURTAINS, November 18-21. TRW’s Broadway blockbuster features a book by Rupert Holmes, based on a concept by Peter Stone, with a classic score from the legendary Kander and Ebb. Theaters throughout the world are now getting their chance to produce this phenomenal show!

CURTAINS played over 500 performances on Broadway, and received eight 2007 Tony® Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor (A Winner for David Hyde Pierce), Best Actress, Best Featured Actress, Best Direction and Best Choreography. Kander and Ebb’s amazing score is perfectly woven into the fabric of the unfailingly clever book.

CURTAINS is set in the brassy, bright, and promising year of 1959…

TRW’s 2009 in Review

2009 brought exciting new shows, products and theatrical licensing news from around the globe. As always, this past year saw thousands of productions of Theatrical Rights Worldwide titles. And, TRW continued to lead the industry with innovative, customer service-oriented practices that have revolutionized the Musical Theatre Licensing business. Here’s a look back at some of the top stories from the TRW Newsletter and Blog archives.

SPAMALOT closed its five year run on Broadway on January 11th, 2009 after an incredible 1575 performances! Housed at the Shubert Theatre, the TRW tuner was a smash hit throughout its half-decade engagement and saw a bevy of Broadway’s best known stars in the cast. Hank Azaria, Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Clay Aiken and Marin Mazzie were just a few of the stars…