Thrill of Le Chase

Composer ANDY CHUKERMAN receives a top honor for his score at the Rhode Island International Film Festival

Starting out as a developing idea in the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop, Andy Chukerman's The Princess and the Black- Eyed Pea blossomed into a soulful musical reinterpretation of a Hans Christian Andersen tale with performances this past fall at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. The musical, with lyrics co-written by another ASCAP member, Karole Foreman, starred Tony-winner Lillias White and earned rave critical reviews. Previously, the show won the Richard Rodgers Award and the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award and enjoyed symphonic commissions at Carnegie Hall, the Danish Radio Concert Orchestra and Madison Square Garden.

This past year, Chukerman has also been honored for "Best Score" for the Tori Spelling executive- produced film, Le Chase, at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, one of the top film festivals in the country. His score also earned a "Best Sound/Score" win at the Reel Heart Film Festival in Toronto and premiered at the 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

"Winning the 'Best Score' Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival for Le Chase means a great deal to me," said Chukerman. "As this is a uniquely-stylized original 'French new wave' film, this was an atypical assignment, requiring the score to be featured prominently as an integral component to the storytelling. It thereby allowed me virtually wall-to-wall lush, thematic writing within a variety of styles and presented a richly creative opportunity. I couldn't be happier that this score has garnered some noteworthy attention."

The Le Chase score has been released as an original motion picture soundtrack by Big Noise Records, as well as recognized in six different Grammy Award categories for 2007 consideration.

Chukerman is a longtime composer, songwriter, orchestrator and keyboardist, whose catalogue spans film, television, symphonic and concert, musical theatre, pop, R&B, country, jazz, Latin and gospel. His work includes music for TV's Frasier, Charmed, Murphy Brown, The Wonder Years, Even Stevens (currently on ABC and Disney Channel) and the feature film, Tombstone.

— Jin Moon


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