Masi Asare appointed new artistic director of Northwestern’s American Music Theatre Project
Tony-nominated composer and lyricist to launch new writers workshop and advance innovation in musical theatre development
- Asare’s work spans Broadway, off-Broadway and academia with more than 115 national and international productions and a book on Black women’s voices in musical theatre
- New Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop to debut this fall, expanding support for local writers and composers
- Initiatives will emphasize inclusive storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Award-winning composer, lyricist and scholar Masi Asare has been appointed the new artistic director of Northwestern’s American Music Theatre Project (AMTP), the University’s School of Communication announced.
As artistic director, Asare will oversee AMTP’s mission to develop new musicals, foster emerging talent and provide educational experiences for Northwestern students. Under Asare’s direction, AMTP aims to further solidify its position as a leading force in music theatre development and education, emphasizing inclusive storytelling, interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to artistic excellence.
“I am delighted to step into this role, bringing professionals to campus to incubate vibrant new works and connect with Northwestern students around a pursuit I am passionate about — making new musicals,” Asare said. “Today, there is both great need and great opportunity to find innovative ways to support artists, and I am excited about the role Northwestern can play, in collaboration with forward-thinking theatres, producers, and arts leaders, to nurture the next generation of field-changing musical theatre makers.”
Launching a new writers workshop
In addition to leading AMTP’s artistic programming and producing workshops of new musicals in development, Asare has designed and will lead a new program –– AMTP’s Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop. Launching this fall, the Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop will provide Chicago-based composers, librettists and book writers with a critical opportunity to develop their practice, build community and expand their professional networks. This new initiative of AMTP is comparable to programs like the Dramatists Guild Fellowship and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York.
Respected voice in contemporary music theatre
Asare, an associate professor at Northwestern in the Departments of Theatre and Performance Studies, brings a wealth of experience in creating and developing new musicals and a strong commitment to supporting and nurturing both the national and local music theatre communities. As a lyricist, she was nominated for a Tony Award and New York Outer Critics Circle Award for her work on “Paradise Square” and her musical “Monsoon Wedding,” based on the Mira Nair film, recently played off Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse and is aimed for an upcoming London showing.
Asare is the author, lyricist and composer of “The Family Resemblance,” which was featured at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Music Theater Conference, and the composer/lyricist of “Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood: The Musical,” commissioned and licensed by Concord Theatricals.
A past Dramatists Guild Fellow, Masi’s honors include the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award for a woman composer of musicals, the Holof Lyricist Award, a grant from the Theater Hall of Fame, and inclusion on the “Women to Watch on Broadway” list. Collectively, her shows have received over 115 productions to date nationally and internationally. As a scholar, her research focuses on vocal sound and race in musical theatre history, making her a unique voice at the intersection of theory and practice. Her most recent manuscript, “Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters: Black Women, Voice, and the Musical Stage,” was published by Duke University Press in 2024.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Masi Asare into this leadership role at AMTP,” said E. Patrick Johnson, dean of the School of Communication. “Her profound artistic talent, coupled with her rigorous academic insights and dedication to nurturing new voices, makes her the ideal person to guide AMTP into its next chapter. Masi embodies the innovative spirit that defines Northwestern.”
Asare replaces Alexander Gemignani, who was AMTP’s artistic director for the last two seasons. Gemignani will continue in his role as a faculty member at Northwestern in the music theatre program.
