'Fred Ebb Award,' to recognise aspiring musical theatre songwriters

The Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company are to inaugurate the Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters. The award is named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb.

The Fred Ebb Award will recognize excellence in musical theatre songwriting, by a lyricist, composer, or songwriting team that has not yet achieved significant commercial success. The award is meant to encourage and support aspiring songwriters to create new works for the musical theatre. The prize includes a $50,000 award. Applications can be obtained through the official website at www.FredEbbFoundation.org as well as further information about the Award.

Submissions will be accepted between the 1 May and the 30 Jun 2005. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in November 2005.

The judges will be Broadway director Scott Ellis; lyricist, writer and composer Sheldon Harnick; playwright and producer Tim Pinckney and theatre producer Arthur Whitelaw.

Due to the longstanding relationship between Mr. Ebb and the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Roundabout will provide creative and administrative guidance. In its six-year run, Roundabout�s Tony Award-winning production of 'John Kander' and Fred Ebb�s 'Cabaret' became the theatre company�s most successful production, creating the opportunity for Roundabout to make Studio 54 its permanent home for musical theatre.

As a writer, lyricist, composer and director, Fred Ebb made incalculable contributions to the New York theatrical community. Mr. Ebb is a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier and Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award winning recipient.