Mindi Dickstein and Daniel Messe

Mindi is currently writing lyrics for three new musicals: Benny and Joon, based on the movie; Snow in August, based on the novel by Pete Hamill; and At The Beck, an original musical about the Cottingley Fairies, which was selected for residency and development at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat.  She wrote book for A Wind in The Willows Christmas, which was commissioned by the Two River Theater and played there for two seasons running in 2012 and 2013.  Based on the well-loved children’s novel by Kenneth Grahame, A Wind in The Willows Christmas, has been given a new American spin for the holidays.

Other recent projects include: book and lyrics for Trip, an original musical inspired by the tales of Washington Irving, commissioned by Playwrights Horizons and with music by long-time collaborator Daniel Messé; and book for Toy Story – The Musical, commissioned by Disney Creative Entertainment.  Other produced work includes several musicals for the nationally acclaimed Theatreworks USA, including Nate The Great and The Mystery of King Tut; book and lyrics for Beasts and Saints, a musical comedy (Boston Music Theater Project, ASCAP Workshop, MTW’s Fresh Voices), a one act contributed to an evening of short musicals under the umbrella title Notes Across a Small Pond (The Bridewell Theater, London), The Falling Man, an opera in 13 minutes (Cucaracha Theater), and The Magic Cookie, a 10-minute musical (New York Theater Workshop).  Plays include The Existential Gourmet, a tragicomedy (The Women’s Project) and Guadeloupe, a farce (Westbeth Theater Center).

Mindi’s songs have been performed widely, most notably as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook (“Hear and Now: Contemporary Lyricists”) and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  In addition to the Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, Mindi has been honored with a Massachusetts Artists Foundation Playwriting Fellowship, two Playwriting Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, ASCAP Bernice Cohen Award, Second Stage Constance Klinsky Award for Excellence in Musical Theater, and a PEN International New Playwright Award (selected by Wendy Wasserstein).  She received her MFA from New York University’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where she was an Oscar Hammerstein Fellow and where she now serves on the faculty.  Contact or follow her on Twitter @mindidickstein or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindiDickstein

Bio as of June, 2014.

Messe’s band, Hem, released its 2nd album (Eveningland) on Rounder Records October 2004. They have been featured on CNN, NPR, The New Yorker, and the New York Times. Eveningland was released in Europe on EMI. They are currently touring in support of the album.

Bio as of September, 2008.