Grow A Show Program

The ASCAP The ASCAP Foundation Foundation and and Lied Center Lied Center for for Performing Performing Arts Arts Present Present

A S Sh ho wA ow ow w ro Gr G

AMusical Theatre AMusical Theatre Development Program Development Program September September 15-16, 2026 15-16, 2026 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

“The ASCAP Foundation is thrilled to partner with the Lied Center on this exciting new venture to support the development of new musical theater works and nurture the talented artists who bring them to life.”

- Patricia Leonard, Executive Director, ASCAP Foundation

Grow A Grow A Show Show Building on the success of Grow a Show™, a signature Lied Center initiative first launched in 2015, the Lied Center is embarking on an exciting new chapter of the program through a new partnership with The ASCAP Foundation. The expanded Grow a Show™ initiative will feature two original musicals with potential Broadway trajectories, presented as staged readings for a panel of industry professionals. This enhanced iteration builds on the program’s successful history of developing and showcasing new musical theatre while creating new opportunities for emerging artists and original works to connect with leading voices from the professional theater industry.

Program Panelists Program Panelists STEPHEN BRAY Stephen Bray is a Recording Artist, Music Producer, Songwriter, and Composer whose 40-year career has earned Gold, Platinum, and Diamond records, Grammy and Tony Awards, and eight top ten hits. His work with Madonna from 1980 to 1990 helped launch her career and established a sound that continues to influence artists and producers to this day. Bray cowrote and produced many of Madonna's classic hits, including Into the Groove, Express Yourself, Papa Don't Preach, True Blue, and Causing a Commotion. Bray was also a member of the Grammy-nominated band The Breakfast Club, writing their top ten hit, Right on Track. His other notable collaborations include Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Gladys Knight, The Jets, Debra Harry, and Kylie Minogue. As composer/lyricist of The Color Purple, Bray received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score and later a Grammy win for Best Musical Theater Album for the revival cast recording.

Film credits include Beverly Hills Cop II, Desperately Seeking Susan, Who's That Girl, Earth Girls Are Easy, Respect, and The Color Purple (2023). Bray continues to develop musical theater projects while dedicating himself to mentoring the next generation of artists through the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters' Workshop and Los Angeles High School music programs.

MARCY HEISLER Marcy Heisler is an author, lyricist, educator, performer, and Drama Desk-nominated writer whose work spans musical theatre, television, film, recordings, concerts, and arts education. Best known for her longstanding collaboration with composer Zina Goldrich, she is the recipient of the Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyrics and, with Goldrich, the Fred Ebb Award. Her Off-Broadway credits include Dear Edwina, Junie B. Jones, and Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School for TheatreWorks USA. Other projects include Ever After, The Great American Mousical, Auntie Claus, Williamsburg (with Tom Kitt and Jason Katims), the Apple podcast musical Little Did I Know, and The Pianist, for which she served as a contributing lyricist. Heisler is also known for the songs Taylor, the Latte Boy, Alto's Lament, and Joseph's Lullaby. Her screen credits include The Middle (ABC), Julie's Greenroom (Netflix), and Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Channel), and she has contributed to Disney KIDS stage adaptations of The Jungle Book, Cinderella, 101 Dalmatians, and Sleeping Beauty. A graduate of New York University, Heisler has taught at the Dramatists Guild Institute and BerkleeNYC and is a member of both ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.

KEVIN BANNERMAN Kevin joined Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1991, doing story development for The Lion King, Pocahontas and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, among others. He also helped establish their New Songwriters Program. For 20th Century Fox, Kevin oversaw all aspects of development and production for Anastasia, which earned two Oscar nominations. Other projects he developed include Ice Age and Ever After: A Cinderella Story. As an independent producer his credits include the film version of Forever Plaid as well as developing five animated musical features for Amazon Studios. Currently Kevin is the co-host of Squash And Stretch, a podcast about feature animation currently available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube as well as an instructor along with Stephen Bray for a high school workshop on Songwriting for Musical Theatre.

Lillyville Lillyville

Book, Music Book, Music & & Lyrics Lyrics by by Antonius Nazareth Antonius Nazareth Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 7:30 P.M. Lied Center Johnny Carson Theater

Lillyville is a new musical that follows Lilly, a grieving teenager who escapes into a virtual world of her own creation where life is perfect, her mother is still alive, and even love can be programmed. But when the inhabitants of Lillyville begin to gain consciousness, the fantasy starts to unravel. As the simulated world collapses and its inhabitants confront the unsettling truth of their existence, Lilly and her manufactured soulmate Sam embark on a desperate mission to save her from being consumed by her obsession. Blending science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age drama, Lillyville explores grief, identity, artificial consciousness, and the difficult beauty of embracing life’s imperfections.

Content Disclosure: Please be advised that Lillyville includes profanity and themes dealing with grief and the passing of a parent.

Antonius Nazareth is an Indian-German musician, composer, and writer based in Los Angeles. Born in Verona, Italy, into a family of musicians, including his father, the noted Indian conductor Daniel Nazareth, his early musical education allowed him to study with teachers across Europe. It was upon arriving in New York that Antonius began composing his own music while studying piano performance and music composition at the Manhattan School of Music, followed by further composition studies at New York University. In 2012 Antonius launched AVbyte, a YouTube channel featuring original musical comedy. Often commenting on pop/internet culture, his channel has resonated globally, garnering over a million subscribers and nearly two billion views. Currently, Antonius serves on the music faculty at both UCLA and AMDA Los Angeles. He continues to actively pursue conducting alongside his various multidisciplinary projects, driven by a lifelong goal of bringing music to all.

Production Team & Cast Hank Stratton Suna Gunther Micah Leary Savannah Stermer

Director Music Director Accompanist Stage Manager

Nevaeh R. Kee Bryson Cole Jack Welstead Emerson Mattson Lauren Silverman Durban Matthew A. Works Grady Mathews

Lilly Alex Sam Tori Mom Dad/Harlan Stage Directions

Killer Widows Killer Widows of of Willow Grove Willow Grove

Music & Music & Lyrics Lyrics by

by Kira Kira Stone Stone Book by Book

by Matthew Matthew Greene Greene Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 7:30 PM Lied Center Johnny Carson Theater Killer Widows of Willow Grove is a darkly comic new musical set in the picture-perfect 1950s suburb of Willow Grove, where lawns are freshly cut, clothes are immaculately pressed, and deadly secrets are bubbling just beneath the surface. After the sudden death of her husband, Bonnie Bennett finds herself drawn into a clandestine sisterhood of widows who have been quietly ridding their community of abusive and oppressive men. What begins as a journey through grief becomes an awakening to rage as Bonnie confronts the suffocating expectations placed on women and discovers the power of collective resistance. Blending sharp humor, suspense, and a pop-infused score, Killer Widows of Willow Grove is a bold and provocative exploration of female solidarity, justice, and what happens when women stop asking for permission and start taking control of their own destinies.

Content Disclosure: Killer Widows of Willow Grove contains mature content, including profanity, emotional abuse, depictions of violence and murder, and themes of domestic violence.

Kira Stone is a composer, lyricist, songwriter, playwright, performer, and music producer blending pop music with theatrical storytelling. Her musicals include Salem, Built for This (w/ Lauren Gunderson), Widows (w/ Matthew Greene), Pride & Prejudice (w/ Lauren Gunderson, commissioned by Concord Theatricals), Madhouse, and Revival. Her work centers complex female perspectives and has been developed at Playwrights Horizons, ASCAP, NAMT, The Orchard Project, Goodspeed, Circle in the Square, The Wallis, and New York Stage & Film. She is the first woman to win the ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award, with additional honors from NAMT, the Vanguard Arts Award, and residencies including Vineyard Arts Project and Chateau Orquevaux in France. Her pop music has 700k+ streams. kirabethstone.com/@itskirastone Matthew Greene Plays include Thousand Pines (Westport Country Playhouse directed by Austin Pendleton), Good Standing (United Solo Theatre Festival, Theater Row), Gregorian (Working Artists Theatre Project), Adam and Steve and the Empty Sea (Plan B Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival), #Mormoninchief (New York International Fringe Festival). Musicals have been developed by the Jerome Robbins Foundation Project Springboard, Vineyard Arts Project, LiveRead, Apples and Oranges Arts, and the Working Artists Theatre Project, and he is the recipient of the Stiles + Drew Prize for a musical in progress. Films include Tamerlane, a feature coming soon from Mystery Box Films. His first novel - There's No Murder Like Show Murder - is available from Crooked Lane Books. www.matthewgreenewrites.com | @matthewinstagreene | Represented by Mark Orsini

Production Team & Cast Ann Marie Pollard Kristen Works Emma Jorgenson

Director Music Director Stage Manager

Reagan Gausman Piper Monson Lindsey Oelling Lauren Bazan Julie Enersen Ren DeFor Carson Doss Sean Flattery Emerson Mattson

Bonnie Harriet Cora Margie / Linda Jo Joyce Pearl Alvin Tom / Everett/Wes Stage Directions Special Thanks

Malaika Alvaro from the ASCAP Foundation, and Amanda Shoffner from ASCAP, Nicole Gibson, Andrea Fabiano, Raymond Guern, Melanie Rudy, Bethany Blackman, Jillian Stewart, and the rest of the Lied Staff that helped make this event possible, Christine Cottam and the Lincoln Community Playhouse for use of their rehearsal space, Ann Marie Pollard for connecting Grow a Show with Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film students and the professors who welcomed us to their classrooms.

Executive Producers: William K. Stephan, Patricia Leonard, and Michael Kerker Producer: Jane Schiermeyer Hansen Associate Producer: Sasha Dobson

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT LIEDCENTER.ORG

Resources & Resources & Support Support Some of the themes in these productions may be difficult or personal for audience members. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, grief, loss, or emotional distress, support is available.

VOICES OF HOPE Domestic Violence Support voicesofhopelincoln.org Crisis Line: (402) 475-7273

MOURNING HOPE Grief & Loss Support mourninghope.org

CARE AT UNL Student Advocacy & Support care.unl.edu Speak with an Advocate: (402) 472-3553

CAPS AT UNL Mental Health Counseling caps.unl.edu Crisis Line: (402) 472-7450

Program Support Program Support ENDOWMENT FUND

Kosmet Klub Kosmet Klub Lied Lied Center Center Student Student Internship Internship Fund Fund ro Gr G ow we r r e er tte rs n n s C e e C C Ciir rc d d clle e e i i e L L

Diane & Diane & Michael Michael Nolan Nolan Art & Art & Chris Chris Zygielbaum Zygielbaum Additional Support: Additional Support: Rich & Rich & Jeanne Jeanne Kern Kern Dr. Leslie Dr. Leslie & & Denise Denise Spry Spry