Joe Iconis Wins 2007
Kleban Award

(l-r) ASCAP's Michael Kerker with Joe Iconis

ASCAP member Joe Iconis has been named the winner of this year's $100,000 Kleban Award for most promising lyricist. Iconis was honored at a private ceremony held in New York City on June 13, 2007.

Iconis is a Long Island native and a grad of the great NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program. He is the proud recipient of a 2006 Jonathan Larson Award, a Backstage Bistro Award and a 1992 Stratford Elementary School Vocal Music Award. His garage band rock musical The Black Suites (for which he wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book with Robert Maddock) will open at MCC next season, and conquer the world soon after. Things To Ruin, a concert of his tunes, has been seen at Ars Nova, NYMF and at Joe's Pub, where it will be rearing its ugly head again this summer. Joe is greatly influenced by The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton and Weezer, and is inspired by Dunkin Donuts coffee, Robert Altman movies, and the incredibly talented group of actors/musicians with whom he frequently surrounds himself. www.mrjoeiconis.com

The Kleban Awards are administered by New Dramatists on behalf of The Kleban Foundation. The Kleban Foundation was established in 1988 under the will of Edward L. Kleban, best known as the Tony and Pulitzer Prize award winner for the musical A Chorus Line. The will made provision for two annual Awards of $100,000 to be given to the most promising librettist and lyricist in American Musical Theatre. The judges making the final determination this year were Rick Elice, Carol Hall and Charles Kopelman.