Jon Kimbell, longtime Artistic Director and Executive Producer at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly has announced that he will be assuming the new role of Artistic Director Emeritus beginning in the season of 2008. 

In this new position, Kimbell (left) will transition the day-to-day artistic responsibilities to a new Artistic Director, affording Kimbell the opportunity to focus on the development of new works, an area of musical theater to which he has dedicated himself during his 25 year tenure at the Theatre. 

In a prepared statement, he commented, “It has always been my vision to establish North Shore Music Theatre as a leading institution in the development of new musicals. After 25 years, I have seen many of my goals come to fruition and now it’s time for me to take on a larger national role in finding new talent and helping to further develop the musical theater art form.” 

According to Kimbell, he will be very involved in the search for a new Artistic Director and will work closely with the NSMT Board of Trustees and staff to ensure a smooth transition. 

“It is crucial that we initiate the search immediately because planning for our 2008 season has already begun and the Artistic Director will play an integral role in determining the artistic choices for next season,” he explained.

During his career, Mr. Kimbell has directed or produced most major musicals, much of the Shakespeare canon and, as a passionate believer in the development of new theater works, the premieres of 41 plays and musicals. In addition, he has co-authored and directed the most popular production in NSMT’s history, "A Christmas Carol," which in 2007 will celebrate its 19th season. 

Among his many accomplishments, he received Salem State College’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the New England Theater Conference’s (NETC) Major Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theater.  Kimbell is also a two-time recipient of the Annual Moss Hart Award for his direction and musical adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," and for his 2005 production of the new musical "Abyssinia."  He also received NETC’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to New England Theater in 2005, as well as the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston’s Award for Arts Management Excellence. 

Among his credits, he: is a founding member of the National Alliance for Musical Theater, which was created in 1986 to encourage the development of new musicals; served for several years on the Selection Committee for the Alliance's Festival of New Musicals; currently serves on the Boards of the National Music Theatre Network, concentrating on the New York Music Theatre Festival, and the Bow Street Trust; is a member of SpeakEasy Stage Company’s Board of Visitors; and serves as president and treasurer of the Council of Stock Theaters (COST), a national organization which functions as a bargaining collective for theaters operating under common union affiliations.

It was also announced that John La Rock, Associate Producer at NSMT, has been named Producer, overseeing the daily and long-range programming and production of all staged events and programs at NSMT. 

With NSMT since 1998, La Rock has been responsible for supervising the seven-show subscription musical season, new musical development commissioning and programs, mainstage education productions in conjunction with the Education Director, programming of the Celebrity Concert Series and, in collaboration with Kimbell, long-range artistic programming. 
 
La Rock is a founding member of the Boston-based New Opera and Musical Theater Initiative (NOMTI), and serves on the board of StageSource, the greater Boston alliance of theatre artists and producers.  Before joining NSMT, he spent ten years at the Houston Grand Opera, where he helped produce more than seventy operas. 

-- OnStage Boston