Michael Kooman
MICHAEL KOOMAN (music) and Christopher Dimond (book & lyrics) met while students at Carnegie Mellon University. Their most recent musical, Golden Gate, premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Their musical Dani Girl has been workshopped at the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices Festival, American Conservatory Theatre, the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theater Workshop, CAP-21, and was awarded the KC/ACTF Musical Theatre Award. Junior Claus, a family-friendly holiday musical, debuted in Minneapolis this winter, and is slated for a midwest tour next year. The duo's song cycle Homemade Fusion has been produced at CMU, the Pittsburgh CLO's Late Night Cabaret, the Zipper Theater, Monday Night New Voices: Chicago, and has been featured in several NAMT showcases. Michael and Chris are 2009-2010 Dramatists Guild Fellows, were recently Fellows at the O'Neill Music Theater Conference, and were finalists for the 2009 Fred Ebb Award. They have been invited to perform a concert of their music at the Kennedy Center as part of the Broadway: Today and Tomorrow celebration. Last August, they attended the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Workshop with mentors Andrew Lippa and Craig Carnelia. They are proud members of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, and are currently working on a CD to be released later this year. In addition to his work with Christopher Dimond, Michael Kooman received the 2009 Burton Lane award from the Theater Hall of Fame. His incidental musical scores have included the Carnegie Mellon Productions of The Glass Menagerie, House of Blue Leaves, Ghosts, and Brecht's Man is Man. Also active in the concert world, Michael was commissioned to write a piece for the 80th Anniversary season of the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, and his orchestral overture "Two Precepts" was premiered and recorded by the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. He is currently a member of the Tony Honored BMI Musical Theater Workshop. As a pianist, Michael accompanies at New York University, and Rosie's Broadway Kids. Bio as of January, 2010. American Theatre Wing programs, interviews and/or credits include: American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant Recipient - 2010 Website: www.koomandimond.com