THE BRIDGE IS An Innovative New Development Company for Original Musicals

We are an incubator for shows that are midway through development, project managing the next steps leading to production. The Bridge collaborates directly with artists and stakeholders so everyone is on the same page and working toward shared goals.

Each process is tailored to a show’s unique needs and The Bridge provides ongoing dramaturgical support along with resources like workshops, concerts, retreats, branding strategy, and more.

The Bridge is also exploring larger questions around development:

How do we tackle the challenge of increasing costs in new ways?

How do we promote commercial/non-profit collaboration?

How can we reimagine resource sharing with the goals of efficiency and cost-consciousness?

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW:

  • It’s extremely hard to get a new musical to production and it’s even harder to get an original new musical to production. 

  • The expense to develop new work has gotten problematically high.

  • Because it takes a long time and a lot of money to develop a new work (and there's no immediate return), theaters/producers often can’t put as much time/attention/money toward development as they would like to.

  • There are very few development programs for new musicals and we’ve lost several in recent years.

  • When moving a musical from development to production, commercial producers often need non-profit theaters, and non-profit theaters often need commercial producers.

  • Every show has unique development needs and it's never one-size-fits-all.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW (YET):

  • Can we successfully accelerate development over 1 year with strategic planning and dedicated support?

  • Can non-profit and commercial stakeholders plan earlier to make collaboration more economically and logistically beneficial for all parties?

  • Can strategic resource-sharing lower development costs?

  • Can an independent creative development organization like The Bridge serve new musicals and their stakeholders in a unique and sustainable way?

The Bridge looks forward to bringing a multiplicity of voices into these conversations, and to sharing what we learn along the way.