On March 31 the American Theatre Wing held a concert reception at Joe's Pub honoring the 2024 winners of the Jonathan Larson Grant, named for the late composer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent.
Each recipient performed an original song, accompanied by a live band led by music director Ben Rauhala. Emcee Larry Owens, a 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient and 2024 panelist, also performed 鈥淩eal Life鈥� from Larson鈥檚 tick, tick鈥� BOOM! Larson's sister, Julie Larson, was among those in attendance.
The 2024 recipients of the American Theatre Wing鈥檚 Jonathan Larson Grant, awarded to exceptional emerging musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, include Fred Ebb Award-winning song and book-writing duo Cheeyang Ng (The Phoenix, Maya) and Eric Sorrels (The Phoenix, Maya); composer and lyricist Joriah Kwam茅 (Little Miss Perfect); Richard Rodgers Award-winning composer Dylan MarcAurele (Pop Off, Michelangelo!); award-winning composer and lyricist Kate Douglas (The Apiary, Centuries); and song and book-writing duo Shannon Burkett (The Female Pope) and Obie-winning composer Heather Christian (The Female Pope, Oratorio for Living Things).
Check out photos from the celebration in the gallery below:
Zhailon Levingston
Heather Hitchens, Julie Larson, and Jonathan Larson Grant recipients
Jonathan Larson Grant recipients
Heather Hitchens
Cheeyang Ng
Joriah Kwame虂
Dylan MarcAurele
Kate Douglas
Heather Christian and Shannon Burkett
Larry Owens
Ben Rauhala and band members
Julie Larson and Michael Greif
Julie Larson
Larry Owens
Heather Hitchens
Shannon Burkett and Heather Christian
Kate Douglas
Cheeyang Ng
Eric Sorrels
Dylan MarcAurele
Joriah Kwame虂
Larry Owens
Ben Rauhala
Each winner receives a $16,000 unrestricted grant in addition to a $2,500 Saw Island Foundation Recording Grant to support the production of new demo recordings that better represent the artist鈥檚 vision.
The 2024 recipients were selected by a panel consisting of Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; talent and literary agent Kevin Lin; Obie-, Drama Desk-, and Outer Critics Circle Award鈥搘inning actor and comedian Owens; and Grammy-nominated composer and lyricist and past Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Rona Siddiqui.
Previous grant recipients also include Grace McLean (In the Green), Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Prom, Elf), Shaina Taub (Suffs), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), Laurence O鈥橩eefe (Legally Blonde: The Musical), Joe Iconis (Be More Chill), Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop), and more.
