Michael Radi Creative Studio
Because We All Deserve a Welcoming Community
Affirmation, Collaboration, Education, Access & Support
Musical Theatre Writers & Collaborators: WELCOME!
Our Mission and Values
The Idea
The Musical Theatre Writing Collective is built upon the idea that anyone who writes for the musical theatre or collaborates with those writers should have access to a welcoming, affirmative, and supportive community environment in which to continuously learn, connect, and develop as both artists and individuals.
This community is based upon the ideals of:
Connection
Education
Experimentation
Collaboration
Growth
Openness
Support
Affirmation
Constructive Feedback
Communal Uplift
Equity
Inclusion
Access for All
To be a part of this community, there is no audition or lengthy application. You don’t need a resume, a current project, or to have ever written a note or word of musical theatre. You don’t even need to be a writer! All types of collaborators are welcome.
I personally extend to you the warmest and heartiest of welcomes, and look forward to meeting each and every one of you!
What Counts as Musical Theatre?
For those of you wondering whether or not you and your work would qualify for this community, here is how I would define “musical theatre” for our purposes:
“Any theatrical piece driven by story, character, or message, in which music has been incorporated into the storytelling.”
That’s it! Nice and simple. So, this would include: traditional musicals, non-traditional musicals, cabarets, one-person shows, song cycles, plays with music, and so much more!
“What a dream space and community for musical theatre writers!” - Amy Andrews
The Need
My story revealed to me a greater need far beyond my own.
2010: Feeling totally lost.
Earlier that year I had graduated from college having written my first full-length original musical - after attempting one adaptation before that - and I knew I wanted to write for musical theatre, but where and how? I didn’t know who was teaching these skills, and I needed to find other people who were asking the same questions I was asking.
2013: My people, for now.
This fall I was lucky enough to be chosen as an auditor of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop - one of the only 2 musical theatre writing educational institutions on the East Coast. Of course I learned a great deal during this year, but my biggest takeaway was having some of the closest, most trusted life-long friends and collaborators I could have imagined. Community!
2014: Twice as many.
The following fall I was accepted into the course as a Lyricist, which meant I was now lucky enough to have doubled my network of friends and writers. Well, at least for the next two years.
2016: Where is everyone?
But the big problem came when my time at BMI was over in 2016. I was not accepted into the Advanced Workshop, which left me without a regular community of fellow writers to talk to, ask questions of, get feedback from, give feedback to, or simply gather with. My close friends from the classes still gathered of course, but where was the larger community? Why don’t we have a space? And I quickly found that I wasn’t the only one asking these questions.
2020: Two unexpected lessons.
The shut down changed the world both for the better and worse in many ways - I’m not sure we could deny that. And I learned two very important lessons during this time: 1) Online communal gathering is completely viable and can be fulfilling, and 2) There are better ways to gather and curate communities that are useful, constructive, and supportive (thank you to The Spark File).
2022: And so, we gather.
A warm and welcoming community of musical theatre writers and all of their collaborators has been a dream for over a decade, and I finally decided to take steps toward creating it. Because we need it, and we need it to come without ego, competition, or kept gates. The Musical Theatre Writing Collective is a place for all who subscribe to the ideas of support, affirmation, and community as we continuously learn, connect, and develop our work and ourselves.
“The environment is as supportive and nurturing as could be.” - Andy Lebon
The Features
To start, the Community Hub is hosted on Circle and includes a variety of features, resources, and spaces available to everyone no matter membership type. There are also additional features and resources specifically for Writer Members and those currently enrolled in courses, like the flagship MT Writing Collective Course.
The Member Directory and Member Show Directory - both searchable by all kinds of tags, types of work, and geography - are hosted on my website here, meaning they are viewable by non-members as well. As a note, I’ve also been in contact with the New Play Exchange to bring our Member and Show Directories under their fold as they develop into their next technological phase.
And the best part of all of this? It’s completely online! Although in-person events may spring up or be organized by local members, the community itself is not dependent on any specific geographic location and will always include hybrid models whenever possible.
Example view of the member hub on circle
All Members (Writers & Collaborators) have access to:
The searchable Member Directory and Show Directory.
The Bi-Weekly Labs (more information below).
The Reading Series (more information below)
Discussion space for any and all topics related to musical theatre.
Ask A Question space to utilize the communal knowledge base.
Find A Collaborator space to find that perfect person to fulfill any role on your projects.
Announcement space for anything upcoming that you may want to announce or attend.
The library of Musical Theatre Writer Guy videos.
Anything else we come up with to fulfill a need - this is a living, growing community after all!
Writer Members also have access to:
Resources, Tools & Tips space for a growing library of useful resources and partners.
Workshops & Events which will be planned once-per-month to begin.
Offers & Opportunities as they are created and offered out (courses, programs with partners, download-ables, etc.).
Application to the Reading Series (more information below)
Mentorship Match to continue the learning process through our collective experiences and knowledge.
Anything else our Writer Members find they require.
Anyone enrolled in a course will also have access to:
Chat space for course members.
Recordings of the classes.
Weekly Resources from each class.
A space to upload work for feedback and sharing (class-dependent).
The Bi-Weekly Labs are a central feature of membership:
These labs take place at a scheduled time every other week on Zoom (the platform may later change) and they offer three standard options:
The Writing Workshop for presentations of work and feedback through our Feedback Process.
The Writer's Room for silent work, accountability, and focus.
The Chat Room as a space to gather and chat with fellow writers, planned or unplanned.
Labs are open to all Members, and Writers can sign up in advance to share in the Writing Workshop, either in one 25-minute share slot or two consecutive share slots (total 50 minutes). These slots are to share some work or ideas, and either receive feedback or facilitate discussion.
All other Members attending the Writing Workshop are there to listen, provide feedback and support, and can also participate by reading or performing writers’ work.
Labs are currently scheduled for Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm (EST) for up to two and a half hours, though this may change to or alternate with another day and time to accommodate schedules for those who are engaged on weekday evenings and for our friends from different time zones.
“Lead with Heart, Open Minds, and Unlock One’s Greatest Potential.”
“Michael gets all the credit for creating a space where we could all show up as our truest and best selves to learn and grow into a strong community. This is the very beginning of MTWC, and I cannot wait to see what it becomes. What a dream space and community for musical theatre writers!”
“The environment is as nurturing and supportive as could be. I developed trust and comfort with Michael and my peers very quickly. Therefore, I was able to be vulnerable and accept complements/critique with an open mind.”
The Reading Series is a New Writer Member Staple:
Writer members can apply at any time to have a reading done within the Musical Theatre Writing Collective at no extra cost beyond membership.
Readings began in early 2023 and have been taking place monthly or bi-monthly, depending on scheduling and demand for reading slots. All readings can be as casual or professional as the writers require for their current goals with the show, and can be done either fully online or hybrid.
The writers work in conjunction with Michael on putting the readings together, which includes:
A 1-on-1 Preparation Session in which we talk about the format you want, your goals, and make a plan to make it all happen.
The Reading and Feedback with everyone involved in the reading itself, as well as any Collective members who are in attendance.
A 1-on-1 Post-Reading Feedback Session with Michael to discuss the show more in depth and speak about next steps for the musical.
Readings are open to all Members to attend, and Writers can apply for a slot by filling out our application form in the online community.
Information about the MT Writing Collective Course
“A community that will grow along with me for the rest of my career” - Sadie Bowman
The Details
Writer Membership:
$15/month or $120/year ($10/month) on the annual plan.
This is the fullest membership to the entire Musical Theatre Writing Collective, and includes everything listed in the above information, with the exception of private class spaces.
Collaborator Membership:
$5/month or $50/year (saving $10/year) on the annual plan.
This membership is for those who collaborate with musical theatre writers in the creation and development processes. Collaborators are those who want to be a part of our community, but do not feel they need to have access to all of the resources. Collaborators might include: performers, directors, designers, producers, and many more.
*New Members will have the opportunity to schedule a 20-minute, 1-on-1 video meeting with Michael to introduce yourself, give a bit about your story, and see how Michael may be able to direct you or help you toward your goals!
Feeling ready? JOIN TODAY!
One important note about pricing:
It is my personal philosophy that finances should not be a kept gate to education or community. If you are unable to afford the prices listed at this time, there are full and partial scholarships available for Annual memberships. You are very welcome in this community, no matter your current financial situation!
Anyone can also help fund scholarships for those who need them by adding to their membership order or clicking the link below. I will match all gifts toward membership scholarships.
“I’m really thrilled that the class is also paired with the Musical Theatre Writing Collective as a community, so that we can continue connecting and supporting each others’ work into the future.”
Who is Michael Radi?
Hi there! Welcome to the community! You may be wondering to yourself: “who is this Michael Radi?”
In addition to being a musical theatre composer, lyricist, librettist, performer, musical director, vocal coach, and educator, I am a firm believer in life-long education of all varieties. Formally, I was trained in musical theatre writing through the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, which was a transformational experience at that time and provided a solid foundation for my knowledge.
My informal training, however, has been extensive and includes such experiences as having worked for Pasek and Paul, classes in text analysis, composition, orchestration, and history, practical experience writing multiple musicals and being produced, hands-on analysis as a performer, musical director, and vocal coach, as well as a continued practice of self-directed learning through books, seminars, and masterclasses.
Professionally, I’ve seen my work performed in venues across NYC including the Gershwin Theater and Feinstein’s/54 Below, as well as two world premiere productions at the Bristol Valley Theater - The King’s Legacy in 2019 and ‘S Wonderful: An Evening With George Gershwin in 2021. I’ve worked with an incredible array of artists, including such wonderful human beings as: Jackie Burns, Teal Wicks, Libby Servais, Betsy Struxness, Paul Staroba, and Jen Wineman, just to name a few.
From all of my artistic experiences, I have formed a set of beliefs that I feel helps all artists to create their most extraordinary work, and forms an environment that cultivates that work to become the best it can be.
These beliefs are the foundation of my coaching and educational practice: 1) The more information you have available to you, the greater your chance of success, 2) Community and support can not be overvalued in the success formula, and 3) Every person, situation, and day are unique, and therefore all constructive feedback should be individually tailored to reflect this individuality.
We all learn differently, which is beautiful. We deserve a space where we feel safe to try new things and experiment, knowing that we will be supported and celebrated as we continue to grow our work, and ourselves.
I welcome you to this community with a big, open heart! I so hope you will join me!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have experience writing musical theatre in order to be a Writer Member?
Nope! If you have an interested in learning or community and you are just starting out, that’s great! Come give it a try!
What if I can’t attend every Lab?
Not a problem in the least! You are under no obligation to show up for every - or really any - event. The freedom of choice is yours!
Can I upgrade or downgrade my membership?
Yep! We can figure out what works best for you and adjust if needed.
Will there be information on how to use the online platform?
Totally! It’s built right into the Member Hub, so you can learn what you need to know before you begin tooling around.
Can Theaters and Theater Companies join as Collaborators?
As of now, they can! Whoever would be in charge of that account would schedule the chat to see if a membership makes sense for your organization.
Will there be more to the community?
Oh yes. Definitely! This is just the beginning. This Collective is meant to be a forever community, living and growing over time with opportunities, education, and events for writers at all stages. And it all starts here!
Does Circle have an app?
They do indeed, and it’s great! Currently the app is only for iOS, but the Android app is in development right now and a desktop app will be available soon. One of the main reasons I decided to use Circle was because of how robust and functional the iOS mobile app feels.
Is there a trial period?
There is a 7-day trial on your Membership Plan when you sign up, and you can cancel anytime during that period without charge if you are unsatisfied. The only thing I would ask is to hear how I can better serve your needs before you go!
What if I can’t afford the listed price?
Full and partial scholarships are available, and we will do our best to figure out what works for you. Education and community are the big goals here, and we can work something out until you are in a better financial place. Finances should not be a gatekeeper!
