06 Jul Artists of Choice Awards 2017: USA Recipients
Dance
Monica Bill Barnes & Company - One Night Only
Known for bringing dance where it doesn’t belong, Monica Bill Barnes & Company will make its Off-Broadway debut with One Night Only, a hilarious and heartbreaking new show celebrating the ephemeral nature of everything, including our own abilities. Monica Bill Barnes & Company is a NYC based company that creates and produces each work entirely from its own rulebook – dancing to radio interviews on the biggest stages in the world, hosting a weekly show in a crowded office party, or leading a choreographed exercise routine in an art museum. The company consists of a team of collaborators – Monica Bill Barnes (Artistic Director/Choreographer/Performer); Anna Bass (Associate Artistic Director/Performer); Robbie Saenz de Viteri (Creative Producing Director/Performer); and designers Kelly Hanson (Set/Costume) and Jane Cox (Lighting). Together, this team creates the most unlikely experiences for every kind of audience.
Musical Theatre
Artie Sievers and Michael Bradley - The Goree All-Girl String Band
Texas. 1938. The Goree All-Girl String Band is the biggest new radio sensation in the state. They also happen to be convicted criminals.
This new musical tells the true story of six women who teach themselves music behind bars and earn a slot on a prison-based radio program. Their goal? To gain enough fame to earn a pardon for their crimes. And against all odds, it works. Through sisterhood, determination, and a little bit of luck, these women work (and play) together to fiddle their way to freedom.
Inspired by a true story, The Goree All-Girl String Band is a tale of camaraderie and redemption that features an ensemble of actor-musicians performing a brand new country score by Artie Sievers and Michael Bradley. These extraordinary six women will come to life in a fully-staged Next Link Production at the 2017 New York Musical Festival.
Film
Kimberly Hwang - Houndgirl
Houndgirl is a comedic short film that follows 14-year old Penelope Wang’s extravagant search for her own version of Elvis on the first day of high school.
Kimberly Hwang is a producer and director from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and NBCUniversal’s Page Program. She has produced content for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toyota, DreamworksTV, Lionsgate and Nickelodeon. In 2015, she was a Film Independent Project Involve Producing Fellow and received the Barbara Boyle Scholarship. She previously worked in the TV Development Departments at Universal Cable Productions and Syfy.