1st Prizewinner ($20,000.00) SOUTH
Book/ Music/ Lyrics: Florencia Iriondo; Music: Luis D'Elias, Federico Diaz
SOUTH is an acoustic musical performed by the writer, accompanied by a two-piece band.
It’s an unconventional and uplifting show about family, with heartfelt storytelling and evocative
South American folk-pop original music that will make you feel nostalgic for the place
—and time— called home. Following sold-out performances at Nuyorican Poets Cafe,
54 Below and development work at New York Stage & Film, and The O’Neill Theater Center,
SOUTH will have its Off-Broadway debut starting this September at Soho Playhouse.
Info: www.sohoplayhouse.com/upcoming-events/south Web: https://www.florenciairiondo.com/south
2nd Prizewinner (tie $10,000.00) FOUNTAIN
Book, Music and Lyrics by Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak
Growing up in her family’s roadside oddities shop, twelve-year-old Andi has always shared a
special bond with her grandfather, Pop, a collector of curiosities with a penchant for tall tales.
But when Pop’s memories begin to fade, Andi must brave a looming hurricane and embark on
a perilous odyssey through the oddities of Florida in search of the one thing that might cure him:
the Fountain of Youth. A raucous folk-rock celebration of the healing power of family folklore,
Fountain looks at love and loss through the eyes of a child—and encourages us all to find
the wonder in the weird.
FOUNTAIN has received residencies through New Victory LabWorks and the O’Neill Theater
Center’s Incubator program, and was named honorable Mention for the 2023 Relentless Award a
nd winner of Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “Ground Floor: Making Musicals” series in 2020, which
culminated in a 29-hour reading at the theater in 2022. FOUNTAIN will be one of three new
musicals presented at the O’Neill’s 2023 National Music Theater Conference (NMTC).
FOUNTAIN will be presented at the O’Neill NMTC on July 22, 25 and 28, 2023. FOUNTAIN
will also be presented at NAMT in October, 2023.
2nd Prizewinner (tie $10,000.00) HILLS ON FIRE
Book by Keaton Wooden, Music & Lyrics by Coyote Joe Stevens & Keaton Wooden
HILLS ON FIRE is an Appalachian ghost story about the opioid crisis, and follows Kelsey Stray,
a young woman who is the last survivor of Perdue, Pennsylvania, a town that has been on fire
for the last fifty years. Told in a series of flashbacks and folk tales, Kelsey's family and the ghosts
of Perdue recount the cycles of addiction, poverty, abuse, bad luck, calamity, and downright
curses that led to the town's demise, and Kelsey's journey to find hope for the next generation.
Created by the award-winning team behind “Albert Cashier” – trans singer-songwriter
Coyote Joe Stevens and Emmy-nominated writer/composer Keaton Wooden. HILLS was a
Finalist for the 2023 Relentless Award and has been featured in residencies at University of
Florida, Columbia College Chicago, and features a diverse, original American myth
reminiscent of Broadway classics such as HADESTOWN, COME FROM AWAY, or
OH, BROTHER, WHERE, ART THOU. HILLS is also a proud partner with overdose
prevention non-profits in Appalachia and beyond to create a lasting impact in the community.
https://hillsonfiremusical.com/. HILLS had a public concert on October 3. 2023 at 54 Below.
Pipeline plans to more than double the prize money for 2024 and is currently investigating the creation of an artistic relationship with a theater company that shares their love of moving original musical theatre forward to provide greater exposure and support to award winners. Applications for 2024 will open in Fall 2023. Artists can sign up to be notified when the submission window opens at https://pipelinearts.org.
About the PIPELINE ARTS FOUNDATION: With dwindling options for original musical theatre works to get to the stage, the Pipeline Arts Foundation was created to move musical theatre forward. Pipeline is a not-for-profit organization focused on supporting the development of innovative work by emerging and mid-career theatre makers.
