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Musical Improv Bells and Whistles with Ashley Ward

DateOctober 6, 2024 @ 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
LocationComedy Cafe Berlin
Price75€
Register

The first rule of any style of improv is: have fun! And it’s even more so with musical improv. In this workshop, we’ll take the pressure off and simply focus on things that make things more fun and exciting for performers and audience alike. We’ll explore using emotion to motivate songs; harmonizing to give the music more depth; fun backline support like dancing and providing a chorus, as well as simple tools to improve lyrics and melody lines.

Accompaniment by Zach Marsh.

Open to intermediate to advanced long form improvisers with musical improv experience.

Instructor(s):

Ashley Ward

Ashley Ward

Ashley Ward is an actor, writer and director in Los Angeles. She’s a regular performer with Baby Wants Candy, Magic To Do and Shamilton at UCB and with Westside Comedy Story at Westside Comedy Theater.
Ashley was named Best Director of a Musical in Los Angeles by Broadway World in 2022 for the Hollywood Fringe world premiere of “Teaching a Robot to Love” and directed the Hollywood Fringe award winner and Edinburgh Fringe hit “A Shark Ate My Penis” in 2023. In addition to acting and directing Ashley teaches musical improv at UCB and Westside Comedy Theater. She has performed musical comedy at Edinburgh Fringe, The Kennedy Center, The Sydney Opera House and Off Broadway in the hit production of “50 Shades! The Original Musical Parody”, which she also co-wrote.
You can watch her on TV on Dropout’s “Play It By Ear” or on Apple’s “Hello Jack! The Kindness Show” as Delivery Delores. Ashley is also a proud Jeopardy! champion. Instagram: @ashleyjeanward

Zach Marsh

Zach Marsh is a musical theater improvising accompanist and composer from Los Angeles. He has performed with Baby Wants Candy, “Off Book: the Improvised Podcast,” with Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph on Amy Poehler’s hit podcast “Dr? Sheila,” and regularly at Upright Citizen’s Brigade in Hollywood. He can be seen performing on “Play It By Ear” on Dropout.tv and has composed music for many television series including “Pretzel and The Puppies” (Apple TV,) “Sesame Street” (HBO Max,) and “Stepping Out” (PBS.) He’s currently touring a 2-man musical comedy he wrote with John Hartman called “An Evening With Hal Brackman.” When he’s not performing our composing, he’s often hiking with his wife Rachel and their beloved greyhound Jack.