Kate Atkinson (Book)
Kate Atkinson has created, developed, and produced documentaries, narrative films, and live stage productions.
In addition to conceiving, co-writing, and producing Part of the Plan, Kate negotiated rights to Pope John Paul II’s poetry from the Vatican, and produced a concert of neoclassical arias performed by six opera singers and a 45-piece orchestra at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in LA. She’s also the producer of the upcoming A Very Brady Musical, based on CBS's iconic TV show The Brady Bunch and American Whore Story, an autobiographical solo show written by American Horror Story's fan favorite Naomi Grossman. On the film side, Kate's produced almost a dozen movies, from quirky comedies like Night Vet, starring James Cromwell, and Clara's Carma, starring Stephen Tobolowsky... to romantic dramedies like “McCartney's Genes,” starring Spencer Gibb, Lisa Sheridan, and Ron Livingston and "Enough Is Enough," which she also co-directed. Her first film, the documentary “Extra: In the Background of a Dream,” has been distributed both in the U.S. and internationally, and its soundtrack has been regularly featured on NPR’s This American Life. A love of music led her to music supervise a few of her films, both selecting titles and negotiating the licensing from musicians and their labels. Kate also holds the rights to Bluff Rats, a Diner meets Outsiders dramedy scripted by the late, Emmy Award-winning writer Paul Raley (David Letterman, SNL, Grace Under Fire). To nourish her passion outside of the arts, Kate's built a successful, full-service education company, having taught and mentored hundreds of students over the past 25 years. Holding an MBA from Northwestern in Marketing, Finance, and International Business, as well as undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Education, Kate is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). www.purplemountainproductions.com |
Karen Harris (Book)
Born in the UK and raised in Los Angeles, Karen has spent over three decades in American and International television as an executive producer showrunner, writer, and creator of scripted shows.
A recipient of multiple Emmy and Writers Guild of America awards, she has written and created series and movies for the major networks as well as Universal Studios, Columbia, Lorimar, Fox, and others. Her early career included live stage shows, music publicity, and variety television. Other genres encompassed daytime drama as both a Head writer and scriptwriter, syndicated action-adventure series, children’s programming, and the early days of streaming. A decade ago, Karen realized a lifelong dream when she performed a one-woman autobiographical cabaret to a sold-out house at Vitello’s. This inspired her to pursue her passion for theatre, serving with two Los Angeles non-profit theatre companies as a producer and dramaturge. Twice elected to serve on the Board of the Writers Guild of America, West, Karen taught writing at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She has been a mentor since 2013 for the Veterans Writing Program of the Writers Guild Foundation, working with military vets to help them prepare for a career in the world of TV and film. She is also a member of the Writers Guild of Canada, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Karen is thrilled to be partnered as a writer and producer with Kate Atkinson in K-Squared Entertainment, and to present their musical “Part of the Plan” as the company’s first production. |
Dan Fogelberg (Music & Lyrics)
Born in 1951 in Peoria, Illinois, premiere American singer/songwriter and composer, Dan Fogelberg recorded and released “Home Free,” his first album, in 1972 with famed Muscle Shoals producer Norbert Putnam. In 1974, Dan released his second album, “Souvenirs” with producer Joe Walsh, resulting in his first hit single, "Part of the Plan".
Over the next thirty years, Dan established a worldwide following of faithful fans, who eagerly awaited his next new album. Between 1972 and 2003, Dan delivered 13 studio albums, two live albums, two greatest hits albums and a 4-CD box set, writing 99% of the songs and playing many or all the instruments himself. His albums generated 21 hit singles and a string of gold and platinum albums. While some of his songs tackled political, spiritual and environmental issues, Dan may be most well known for the stories he wove of love, loss, and everyday life. His many fans declare that his music represents the soundtrack of their lives. "Same Old Lang Syne", inspired by a chance encounter with a former girlfriend, has become a winter holiday standard. "Leader of the Band", an emotional tribute to his father, has been embraced by generations of sons and daughters. “Run for The Roses” is the unofficial theme for the Kentucky Derby. And his biggest hit, "Longer", has been performed during wedding ceremonies for decades. Sadly, in May of 2004, Dan was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He fought valiantly, but ultimately lost his battle, dying on December 16, 2007 at home in Deer Isle, Maine, his wife Jean at his side. In 2009, Jean released “Love In Time,” the album Dan recorded and self produced over the last year of his life. In 2010 Jean, Norbert, Irving Azoff, and Chuck Morris began gathering an eclectic group of artists – both current and contemporary – to record tracks for a Dan Fogelberg tribute album, which will be released in November. On August 13th, Dan’s birthday, he will be inducted – along with Joe Walsh and Barnstorm and Caribou Ranch – into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, during a concert at Fiddler’s Green, CO, which will be filmed by PBS Soundstage. The DVD will be released in conjunction with the tribute CD on Thanksgiving week. In April of this year, Jean Fogelberg released “Dan Fogelberg ~ Live at Carnegie Hall,” a double album of Dan’s 1979 solo concert at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. And in September of this year, the world premiere of PART OF THE PLAN – a new, Broadway-bound musical featuring the songbook of Dan Fogelberg – will take place at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, in Nashville – the very city where Dan recorded his first album with Norbert Putnam 45 years ago and wrote “Part of the Plan”, his first hit single. Dan’s music is his legacy, and his legacy lives on. www.danfogelberg.com Victor Vanacore (Arranger)
Grammy winner Victor Vanacore has been at the nexus of popular music for more than 25 years, with a long history of collaborations with some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Victor served as conductor, keyboardist and musical arranger for the Jackson Five as well as conductor and arranger for the Fifth Dimension. Before long, Johnny Mathis hired him as musical director for his world tour. He joined Barry Manilow for 5 years in the same capacity, receiving album credits including “If I Should Love Again,” “Barry Live in Britain,” “Barry,” and “The Greatest Hits.” More recent recording projects have included collaborations with Natalie Cole, Teena Marie, George Benson and Dave Koz. Victor enjoyed a close relationship with musical icon Ray Charles, whom he met in 1990. They remained colleagues and friends until Mr. Charles’ passing in 2004, during which time he served as his musical director, arranger, and opening act. Ray Charles’ only platinum album, “Genius Loves Company,” features his arrangements of Ray’s duets with Willie Nelson, Elton John, and Michael McDonald. Victor won a GRAMMY® for his arrangement of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Ray's duet with Johnny Mathis. Victor’s latest musical incarnation is that of a symphony pops conductor. He has worked with many orchestras, including the Los Angeles, Calgary, London, Belgrade, and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Symphony Orchestras of Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, and Sydney. Victor studied at the Berklee College of Music, from which he recently received an Alumnus Recognition Award as “one of the top 50 Alumni.” He is a member of ASCAP, AFTRA, National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, The Society of Composers and Lyricists, and the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. www.victorvanacore.com |
Laurence Juber (Arranger)
Grammy winner Laurence Juber became active as a studio guitarist while studying music at London University in the 1970's. His playing is featured on recordings by artists as diverse as The Alan Parsons Project, Cleo Laine, Rosemary Clooney, Charles Aznavour and the Marvin Hamlisch-composed score to the OSCAR®-nominated Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.
In 1978 Paul McCartney picked him to become Wings’ lead guitarist. He spent three years recording and touring with the band, winning a Best Rock Instrumental GRAMMY® for “Rockestra” from the Wings album Back To The Egg. After Wings folded, Juber established himself as a studio musician in Los Angeles, performing on the soundtracks to hundreds of TV shows and movies including "Home Improvement," "Seventh Heaven,” and the scores to such OSCAR®-winning movies as Dirty Dancing, Pocahontas and Good Will Hunting, as well as many hit records. He embarked on a career as a solo recording artist, concert performer, composer, arranger, and producer developing a reputation as a world-class solo guitar virtuoso, and being voted '#1' by Fingerstyle Guitar magazine. His more than 20 acclaimed solo albums include celebrated arrangements of songs by The Beatles and Harold Arlen. His performance of "The Pink Panther Theme" won him a second GRAMMY®. Laurence has also written music for television (A Very Brady Xmas, Tarzan), movies (World Gone Wild), documentaries (NBC's Children Of the Harvest), video games (Diablo 3), and with his wife Hope, he has composed the stage musicals Gilligan's Island: The Musical, A Very Brady Musical, and It’s The Housewives! www.laurencejuber.com K-Squared Entertainment (Producer)
K-Squared Entertainment combines the talents of independent film writer/producer Kate Atkinson and Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Karen Harris. Their Broadway-aimed new musical Part of the Plan, an original story told with the music of the late, celebrated singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, marks K-Squared's first endeavor. Part of the Plan's World Premiere in Nashville - opening Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Broadway series - swept the Regional Broadway World Awards, winning across all 15 categories including Best New Work and Best New Musical in 2018. The musical was slated to continue its development under the direction of Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical) at the Tony-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, in 2020, with a production sometime soon thereafter when Covid-19 closed the theater industry for almost three years. Part of the Plan will be coming to a theater in the U.K. this summer (Official Announcement soon!). Other projects include the Olivier Award and Tony-nominated, The Inheritance, Funny Girl, now on Broadway, the upcoming national tour of A Very Brady Musical, and two new projects - one play, one musical - both in development.
www.ksquaredentertainment.com Tennessee Performing Arts Center
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