(SARASOTA, FL)  – Asolo Rep is proud to announce that the winning new musical in its GROUND FLOOR: MAKING MUSICALS series is FOUNTAIN, with book, music and lyrics by Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak. The winner was announced in a live, online Awards Ceremony on Thursday, July 30, culminating the series that previewed four new musicals on the theatre’s Facebook and YouTube pages between May 21 and July 23, 2020. The winner was determined by a public vote and will receive a full staged reading at Asolo Rep.

In addition, the theatre announced that its GROUND FLOOR Series will continue in the coming months with the development of a new play by Ty Greenwood, a recent MFA graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. Greenwood’s work focuses on telling stories that are not damaging to the identity, existence and bodies of Black people, but are rather empowering, unapologetic and radical in nature.

“MAKING MUSICALS is a wonderful compliment to Asolo Rep’s strong focus as an incubator where great musicals are born,” said Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. “In the past fourteen seasons, Asolo Rep has produced seven musicals which have been new to the American stage. Presenting new musicals is a potential risk, but has strengthened our mission, generated new relationships in the artistic community, and established Asolo Rep as a company dedicated to fostering new work while reenvisioning classics.”

“It has been such an honor to work with these brilliant emerging musical theatre artists,” said Celine Rosenthal, Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director, who serves as the Director of the Ground Floor Series and also directed all four musicals. “I'm so pleased that we could bring something joyful and hopeful to our audience during this uncertain time. I’m thrilled for Chris and Jared and very much look forward to working with them on FOUNTAIN in the future."

“We are so honored that our Florida adventure was included in a series with such poignant and original musicals,” said FOUNTAIN creators Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak. “During such uncertain times, it has been a great source of hope and joy tuning into every one of our peers’ presentations. We are so excited for the opportunity to further develop this tale of love and loss, and we can’t wait to share more.”

Fountain Creative Team Bios

Christopher Anselmo is a songwriter whose work has been heard across the country and internationally. His musicals include ATLANTIC (Edinburgh Festival, American Music Theatre Project / Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); FABLE (NYMF); HAUNTED TRAIN (TNC); and the New York Times Critic’s Pick adaptation of the best-selling children’s series, THE POUT-POUT FISH (TheatreWorksUSA / The New Victory Theater). By day, he works for composer Jeanine Tesori. Member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild and the BMI Advanced Workshop. Northwestern ’16. christopheranselmo.com

Jared Corak is a writer and performer originally from sunny South Florida. He has written the New York Times Critic’s Pick adaptation of THE POUT-POUT FISH (TheaterWorks USA / The New Victory Theater), as well as countless musicals as a teaching artist with the Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts. When he is not writing musicals, he works on the CBS TV show FBI. Proud member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and Northwestern alum.