National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) has revealed the creative teams for its 36th annual Festival of New Musicals. The event will be held October 24 and 25 at New World Stages.
Directors for this year’s festival include May Adrales (Vietgone), Catie Davis (Beetlejuice), Ryan Dobrin (Merrily We Roll Along), Miranda Haymon (Resident Director, Roundabout Theater Company), Ellie Heyman (Space Dogs), Arpita Mukherjee (The Kite Runner) and Sarah Rasmussen (Artistic Director, McCarter Theatre Center).
Music directors include Simone Allen (Octet), Steven Cuevas (The Notebook, Days of Wine and Roses), Rick Edinger (The Visitor), Andrea Grody (Suffs, The Band’s Visit), Remy Kurs (Lempicka), Nehemiah Luckett (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Scottsboro Boys), Anessa Marie Scolpini (Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club) and Jacob Yates (Hadestown).
The festival will also welcome emerging artists to participate in its Line Producer Residency and Creative Assistantship, the latter of which provides artists from underrepresented groups the opportunity to join the musical theatre development process. The 2024 cohort includes Xander Browne, Kathryn Carter, DV Cortez, Mikayla Coxe, Obed De la Cruz, JuJu Jaworski, Christian Jimenez and Julia Sonya Koyfman. Mayah Lourdes Burke and Amiah McGinty will join the Festival producing team as Line Producers.
Musicals selected for this year's festival include The Brass Teapot (book by Tim Macy and Ramaa Mosley, music and lyrics by Chaz Cardigan, co-conceived by Erik Kaiko), Dear Ex (book, music, and lyrics by Be Steadwell), Helsinki (music and lyrics by Barrett Riggins, book and lyrics by Graham Techler), In Clay (music and lyrics by Jack Miles, book and lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds), Lewis Loves Clark (book and lyrics by Mike Ross, music by Dylan MarcAurele), Lighthouse (book, lyrics, and story by abs wilson, music and story by Veronica Mansour), Medusa (book, music and lyrics by Parisa Shahmir), and Proud Marys (book and lyrics by Jennifer Paz, music and lyrics by Anthony Fedorov). Casting and further details for each production will be announced at a later date.
The festival is overseen by NAMT New Works Director Frankie Dailey. The leadership team also includes producers Joey Monda and Skye Cone Ivey, and general manager Greg Kamp. The festival casting director is Michael Cassara.
The Festival of New Musicals was created to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country, and has introduced musical theatre producers to 300 musicals and 575 writers from around the world. Past festival shows include Come From Away, Lempicka, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lizard Boy, Teeth, Gun & Powder, King of Pangea, Benny & Joon, Darling Grenadine, Ordinary Days, It Shoulda Been You, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, and more.
Visit NAMT.org for more information.
