Arthur Kopit

Writer Arthur Kopit's "Nine" (starring Antonio Banderas) recently won a 2003 Tony award for Best Revival of a Musical. His current project, "LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical," is in development. In an unusual move, selected scenes and songs from the unfinished work are being used in a Theatre Outreach project that will hosted by a consortium of non profit theaters across the country (lead by The Lark in NYC and supported by the NEA), providing the impetus for informal panel discussions with the author. "LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical" was commissioned by Providence Productions in Los Angeles, and the cross-country Theatre Outreach presentations are administered by The Lark Theatre Company in New York City. The first of these at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage sold out in two hours. Los Angeles-based composer Donald Alan Siegal provides the music and lyrics, while Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, Associate Artistic Director of The Lark, directs and choreographs.

Photos from the June 20, 2003

Photos from the early discussions

Sample News Article

Fact Sheet

(right click once on the photo and choose "Save Target As..."
to download the large, print quality file)

June 20, 2003, West LA Community College
Sponsored by the Academy for New Musical Theater:



June 27, 2003, at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
Sponsored by Native Voices at the Autry

CAST LIST:
STUART BIRD Cherokee GIL BIRMINGHAM Comanche MICHAEL G. HAWKINS KOI HOWARD Chickasaw/Cherokee BOB LAUDER, JR.
DALLIN MAYBEE N Arapaho/Seneca ROBB MCKINDLES Comanche KYLE PUCCIA KALANI QUEYPO Hawaiian/Blackfoot ANDREW ROA Shasta/Aztec
SEAN SMITH JOE SOUZA MICHAEL WISE Cherokee MICHELLE ROUSSELL Stage Manager  

REHEARSAL PHOTOS:


PEOPLE LINING UP TO GET IN:


PERFORMANCE NIGHT:
Randy Reinholz (Choctaw), Artistic Project Director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, Director Donald Allen Siegel, Composer & Lyricist Arthur Kopit, Writer

Miscellaneous photos of early discussions:




For more information, visit:

Providence Productions

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage

SAMPLE ARTICLE:
Tony Winner Arthur Kopit Discusses His New Musical: LEWIS & CLARK
by Michael Benedict

Arthur Kopit, writer of the Broadway musical “Nine” starring Antonio Banderas, has something new besides his 2003 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. His current project, “LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical,” was commissioned by Providence Productions in Los Angeles. LA-based composer Donald Alan Siegal is working on the music and lyrics while Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, Associate Artistic Director of The Lark Theatre in New York, is slated to be director and choreographer.

"The story of ‘LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical’ is a story of exploration,” Arthur Kopit explains. “An exploration of culture clash that pays appropriate attention to various cultures. Discovering something about the Plains Indians won't help you when you get to the West Coast. We are also exploring working together, telling one story from two perspectives. It will have its own form, presenting a form of myth...for everyone.”

“Native Voices at the Autry,” a group associated with the Autry Museum of Western Heritage that fosters the work of Native American playwrights, actors, and directors, is pleased that Mr. Kopit is taking the time to learn the perspective of Native Americans across the country as he writes the new project. It’s rare that so much effort is made in the beginning to seek input that may shape the direction of a project like this. Kopit says, “We plan to use the actual languages of several tribes and we want to make sure we get it right…and remain sensitive in our portrayal.” He received thunderous applause from the audience at the Autry when he explained, "We decided early on that all Native American roles would only be played by Native Americans."

“LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical” will offer prominent roles to Native Americans including a soprano role for Sacagawea, whose image is featured on the golden US one dollar coin. Thanks to the success of “The Lion King,” producers and the public are more open to cultural themes than ever before. The original musical, “Cesar and Ruben: The Cesar Chavez Story,” recently broke records at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre and its run was extended. Writer / director / producer Ed Begley, Jr. (of “St. Elsewhere” fame) has hopes of an off-Broadway run with the largely Latino cast.

The timing for “LEWIS & CLARK” seems perfect in other ways as well. Kopit is riding high from his recent Tony award for “Nine,” the book on Lewis & Clark by Stephen Ambrose, “Undaunted Courage,” is a top seller with stellar reviews, and 2003 marks the start of the 3-year bicentennial of the adventurers’ journey. Over 25 million people are expected to travel at least part of the explorers’ trail over the next 3 years. President Jefferson intended the original expedition as a fact-finding mission that would make peaceful alliances with the native population, and instructed Lewis to ask detailed questions to learn about their cultures.

FACT LIST:
  • On Friday, June 20, the authors spoke at the West LA Community College to an audience of students and members of the Academy for New Musical Theater
  • The authors are doing their best to research a respectful portrayal of key characters and incidents, and believe the best way to discover what is accurate and entertaining at the same time is to face public opinion
  • “LEWIS & CLARK - The Musical” will offer prominent roles to Native Americans including a soprano role for Sacagawea, whose image is featured on the golden US one dollar coin.
  • The unique Theatre Outreach project includes a presentation of select scenes from “LEWIS & CLARK: The Musical,” followed by an open discussion and audience Q&A with the author and composer in various non-profit theatres and universities throughout the country
  • On Friday, June 27th, the first of these presentations, held at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles and sponsored by "Native Voices at the Autry," sold out in only two hours with very little publicity
  • The series of presentations is hosted by a consortium of non profit theaters lead by The Lark in NYC and supported by the NEA
  • The authors will spend two weeks teaching classes and appearing on panel discussions with historians and American Indian leaders as part of the presentation in each city
  • July 15 through August 10 at the Chicago Theatre Building with participation from Red Path Theater Company and the American Indian Center
  • In October at the Lark Theater in New York City
  • January at The Good Speed Opera House
  • May 2004 at Theaterworks in Palo Alto
  • “Undaunted Courage,” the book on Lewis & Clark by Stephen Ambrose, is a top seller with stellar reviews
  • 2003 begins the 3-year bicentennial of Lewis & Clark’s journey (see www.lewisandclark200.org)
  • Over 25 million people are expected to travel at least part of the explorers’ trail over the next 3 years
    •

For more information, contact Stephen Polk with Providence Productions at
(323) 876-6547 or on the web at www.providenceproductions.com.
For information on the Gene Autry Museum and Native Voices at the Autry, visit www.autry-museum.org.

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