Blog • Maestra

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 21 (Shaina Taub)

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 21. We interviewed Shaina Taub, a songwriter and performer. She has the won the Jonathan Larson Grant, the Kleban Prize, the Fred Ebb Award, the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award and more, and is currently collaborating on many amazing projects including The Devil Wears Prada musical with Elton John.

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 20 (Angelica Chéri)

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 20. We interviewed Angelica Chéri, a playwright, musical theatre bookwriter/lyricist, screenwriter and poet. Angelica and collaborator Ross Baum received the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award for their musical Gun & Powder, which was also selected for the 30th annual NAMT Festival of New Musicals.

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 19 (Lauren Pritchard)

Women Who Wow Us: Spotlight 19. We interviewed Lauren Pritchard, known professionally as LOLO, a Composer, Singer/Songwriter, Orchestrator, and Music Producer. Her Off-Broadway musical Songbird was a New York Times Critic’s Pick, and she originated the role of Ilse in the original Broadway production of Spring Awakening.

Raising the Baton: How Dr. Joyce Brown Became a Pioneering Broadway Maestra

We are reminded of musical prodigy Dr. Joyce Brown, who went on to become Broadway’s first African-American female musical conductor of a show beginning its opening night.

New Organization MUSE Is About to Level the Playing Field for BIPOC Artists in Theatrical Music Departments

“When you’re trying to tackle something as large and tentacled as systemic bias within an entire industry, partnering with the other organizations that are doing similar work in the same space is crucial,” Stitt continues. “If someone is looking at the MUSE Directory and happens to discover the Maestra Directory, that’s only good for everyone involved. There’s truly no need to compete or to duplicate efforts. Providing opportunities for women and people of color is all part of the same work, and we’re thrilled to be doing it together.”

Arts and Activism

Whether counting Americans for the census, participating in musical protest marches, composing songs to help get out the vote, or founding new musical organizations intended to champion a more diverse group of voices, these artist-activists are using their musicals skills and knowledge to empower others and to make the world a more equitable place.