National Alliance for Musical Theatre
Announces 2024 Fall Conference
“Reboot & Regroup”
The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
October 22-23, 2024
Plus the Lineup for
Songwriters Showcase & Festival Roadtrip
At the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals
New World Stages
October 24-25, 2024
New York: National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is proud to announce the Conference Agenda for the Fall Conference titled “Reboot & Regroup,” which takes place on Tuesday, October 22 and Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College in NYC (524 West 59th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues).
One of the most important musical theatre networking events of the year, the NAMT Fall Conference, “Reboot and Regroup,” explores the most pressing issues around new work production and development, as well as the state of the industry more broadly. Just as importantly, it provides a community for leaders of theatres from all over the country and the world to share best practices, brainstorm and support one another.
“At this time of great change in our industry, it’s vital for our members to come together and share what is and isn’t working, and how we can continue to innovate and support this beloved art form,” states Betsy King Militello. “In good and not-so-good times, members of the NAMT community inspire and support one another, sharing best practices and advice, and collaborating to ensure that musical theatre remains a vibrant, relevant and evolving art form for future generations.”
The 2024 Fall Conference will feature sessions including: “Regroup & Reframe,” a chance for all attendees to share their personal views of the state of the field; “Models of Producing,” where members will share nuts and bolts of how they make theatre and collaborate with their communities; “Opening the Gates,” a look at how to balance the desire to open our doors to new work and new voices with the realities of budget and bandwidth; “Risk…and Reward?” exploring the relative nature of risk in programming and how to bring today’s audiences along for the ride; alongside many more sessions. Conference attendees will also get a sneak peek of the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals at a special Meet-the-Writers panel and have many opportunities for networking and real connection over breakfasts & lunches as well as a member-favorite cocktail party at Broadway mainstay Glass House Tavern. Most Conference sessions will also be livestreamed for members who are unable to join us in person.
The 2024 Fall Conference is open to NAMT members and sponsors only and is available in-person and in-part online. For more about the benefits of membership, all of NAMT’s programs and services, and how to join NAMT as a theatrical producer or producing/presenting organization, visit namt.org/member.
Speakers and panelists currently confirmed for the 2024 Fall Conference include: Elissa Adams, Theater Latté Da (MN); Marsha S. Brooks, Brooks & Distler (NY); Jenny Case, Diversionary Theatre (CA); Katie Chambers, Aurora Theatre (GA); Kwofe Coleman, The Muny (MO); Snehal Desai, Center Theatre Group (CA); Taneisha Duggan, Octopus Theatricals (NY); Michael Detroit, Playhouse on the Square (TN); Sharon Fallon, Sharon Fallon Productions (NY); Hillary Hart, Theatre Under The Stars (TX); Branden Huldeen, Barrington Stage Company (MA); Adam Immerwahr, Village Theatre (WA); Katie Pelkey, Aurora Theatre (GA); Donya K Washington, McCarter Theatre Center (NJ). More panelists and a keynote speaker will be announced soon.
More details about the Fall Conference, including a current list of attendees, is available at namt.org/conference.
NAMT’s 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals follows the Fall Conference on October 24 & 25 at New World Stages in New York City. Free General/Standby Registration for industry members is now open at www.namt.org/festival.
NAMT’s SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE features innovative music from three new musical projects currently in development, this year highlighting grantee projects through the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals Writers Residency Grant program. This year’s Songwriters Showcase will include:
BLACK GIRL IN PARIS
Book & Lyrics by AriDy Nox
Music by Jacinth Greywoode (Fest ’19)
Frank Young Fund Grantee at Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY)
BUILT FOR THIS
Music & Lyrics by Kira Stone
Book by Lauren Gunderson
Frank Young Fund Grantee at Olney Theatre Center (Olney, MD)
ZAPATA: A Folklórico Superhero Musical
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jesse J. Sanchez
Frank Young Fund Grantee at ZACH Theatre (Austin, TX)
A new event at the Festival, NAMT’s FESTIVAL ROADTRIP will highlight new musical theatre festivals at NAMT Member Organizations from across the country, offering a unique opportunity for a sneak peek into the vibrant musical theatre scene happening nationwide. This year’s Festival Roadtrip will include:
Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Festival
Minneapolis, MN
Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals
Issaquah, WA
Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Musicals
East Haddam, CT
Red Mountain Theatre’s Human Rights Festival
Birmingham, AL
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. Its mission is to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development, production, innovation and collaboration. Their 150 organizational members and 60 individual members, located throughout 31 states and eight countries abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers. Among the 300 musicals launched by NAMT’s Annual Festival of New Musicals areCome 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, among many others, representing 575 writers. This year, nearly 150 students from 33 states participated in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with NAMT. Discover more at namt.org.
The 2024 Fall Conference is overseen by NAMT Member Services Director Adam Grosswirth, with a committee of NAMT members comprised of the Member Resources Committee, chaired by Mark Fleischer, Pittsburgh CLO (PA); with Kate Galvin, Constellation Stage & Screen (IN); Susanna Gellert, Weston Theater Company (VT); Andrew Kuhlman, Stages St. Louis (MO); Dan Murphy, Broadway Rose Theatre (OR); and the 2024 Fall Conference Committee: Michael Detroit, Playhouse on the Square (TN); Snehal Desai, Center Theatre Group (CA); Julie Dubiner, McCarter Theatre Center (NJ); Branden Huldeen, Barrington Stage Company (MA); Randall Kramer, MusicalFare Theatre (NY); and Katie Pelkey, Aurora Theatre (GA).
The 36th ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is overseen by NAMT New Works Director Frankie Dailey. The Festival leadership team also includes Festival Producers Joey Monda, Skye Cone Ivey and General Manager Greg Kamp. The Festival Casting Director is Michael Cassara, CSA. The 2024 Festival Committee is co-chaired by Sharon Fallon of Sharon Fallon Productions, Inc. (NY) and Matt Morrow of Center Repertory Company (CA), with Chair Emerite Brannon Bowers of American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University (IL). 2024 Committee members include: Elissa Adams, Theater Latté Da (MN); Dev Bondarin, Prospect Musicals (NY); Anika Chapin, Signature Theatre (VA); Maggie-Kate Coleman, Polyphone Festival of New and Emerging Musicals (PA), Rick Edinger, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama (PA); Michael Fling, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Branden Huldeen, Barrington Stage Company (MA); Adam Immerwahr, Village Theatre (WA); Nicole LaFountaine, Straighten Your Crown Productions (NY), Monique Midgette, Director, Playwright, Casting Director, Producer (MD); Tom Morrissey, Theatre Now New York (NY); Tegan Summer, Tegan Summer Theatricals (NY/UK); Alexander Tom, Montclair State University (NJ), Claudia de Vasco, Miller Outdoor Theatre (TX); Emily Wells, Human Race Theatre Company (OH); Brad Willcuts, Michigan State University (MI); Neen Williams-Teramachi, The 5th Avenue Theatre (WA); Kathleen Wrinn, Syracuse University (NY); Chris Youstra, Olney Theatre Center (MD); and Jill Abramovitz (Alumni Writer Representative: The Pack fka The Dogs of Pripyat, Fest ’11).
The 2024 Fall Conference and 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals are made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors. Presenting Sponsor: Concord Theatricals; Platinum Sponsor: Theatrical Rights Worldwide; Producing Sponsors: National Foundation for Musical Theatre and Pearl Studios; Gold Sponsors: Barbara Whitman Productions, Break-Away Tours, Broadway Licensing Global, Cinevative, Disney Theatrical Group, Goodspeed Musicals, The Hollywood Pantages, Ken Davenport, Korea Arts Management Services, The Muny, Music Theatre International, Ogunquit Playhouse, Theatre Under the Stars and Universal Theatrical Group; Silver Sponsors: Paper Mill Playhouse; Partners: Junkyard Dog Productions; and Exhibitors: Kaplan Insurance Agency, Leap Event Technology, Live Design Group, and Spektrix.
NAMT thanks the following foundations, government agencies and organizations for their ongoing support of our programs:The Alhadeff Family Charitable Fund, ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, BMI Foundation, Capdevilla Gillespie Foundation (Wendy Gillespie), The Giving Bee Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Hollywood Pantages, Lucille Lortel Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Pearl Studios, Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Ted Snowdon Foundation, and Anonymous donors.