New World Stages, October 24-25, 2024
New York: National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is proud to announce the directors & music directors for the 36th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which is slated to take place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25, 2024, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).
Now in its 36th year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is an industry-only professional development event offering the chance to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute concert presentations over two days to hundreds of producers, presenters artistic & executive directors, investors, donors, developers and creative administrators in Regional Theatre, Broadway, Music, Film & TV from all around the globe. As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions which underwrite all production costs.
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS
Directors for this year’s Festival include May Adrales (Off-Broadway/Regional: Vietgone), Catie Davis (Broadway/Tour: Beetlejuice), Ryan Dobrin (Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along), Miranda Haymon (Resident Director, Roundabout Theater Company), Ellie Heyman (MCC: Space Dogs), Arpita Mukherjee (Broadway: The Kite Runner) and Sarah Rasmussen (Artistic Director, McCarter Theatre Center).
FESTIVAL MUSIC DIRECTORS
Music Directors for this year’s Festival include Simone Allen (Off-Broadway/Regional: Octet), Steven Cuevas (Broadway: The Notebook, Days of Wine and Roses), Rick Edinger (Off-Broadway: The Visitor), Andrea Grody (Broadway: Suffs, The Band’s Visit), Remy Kurs (Broadway: Lempicka), Nehemiah Luckett (Broadway: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Scottsboro Boys), Anessa Marie Scolpini (Broadway: Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club) and Jacob Yates (Broadway/Tour: Hadestown).
FESTIVAL EMERGING ARTISTS
The Festival will also welcome participants to the Festival Emerging Artist Programs: the Festival Line Producer Residency and the Festival Creative Assistantship. The Creative Assistantship provides artists from underrepresented groups the opportunity to join the musical theatre development process through each step of building a staged reading presentation and focuses on three categories: Directing, Script and Music. 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.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which was created to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country, has introduced musical theatre producers to 300 musicals and 575 writers from around the world. More than 85% have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours; been licensed; and/or recorded on cast albums as a direct result of the Festival. 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, among many others.
Registration for industry members is now open at www.namt.org/festival. All industry members must select a professional affiliation (i.e. NAMT, the Broadway League, TCG, many more) to register. Industry members may upgrade their Festival passes for priority admission and access to supplemental events, including the Festival Closing Night Party, through a donation to NAMT. Free General Standby passes are available to industry members only and may provide seating at Festival presentations on a first-come, first-served basis as available after all other passholders have entered.
This year, a committee of 23 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 583 submissions—marking a record-breaking submission season for the second year in a row. The musicals chosen for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals are:
The Brass Teapot (Book by Tim Macy & Ramaa Mosley, Music & Lyrics by Chaz Cardigan, Co-conceived by Erik Kaiko), Dear Ex (Book, Music & Lyrics by Be Steadwell), Helsinki (Music & Lyrics by Barrett Riggins, Book & Lyrics by Graham Techler), In Clay (Book & Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds, Music & Lyrics by Jack Miles), Lewis Loves Clark (Book and Lyrics by Mike Ross, Music by Dylan MarcAurele), LIGHTHOUSE (Book, Lyrics & Story by abs wilson, Music & Story by Veronica Mansour), Medusa (Book, Music & Lyrics by Parisa Shahmir), Proud Marys (Book and Lyrics by Jennifer Paz, Music & Lyrics by Anthony Fedorov).
Casting for each musical and further programming details will be announced soon.
The Brass Teapot
Book by Tim Macy & Ramaa Mosley
Music & Lyrics by Chaz Cardigan
Co-conceived by Erik Kaiko
Director: Catie Davis
Music Director: Rick Edinger
Creative Assistant: Julia Sonya Koyfman
Line Producer: Amiah McGinty
Based on the 2012 indie cult film, The Brass Teapot is a magical, mischievous, dark musical comedy with a driving alt-pop-rock score that asks: how far would you go to hurt the ones you love, if it meant you and they would want for nothing?
Catie Davis (Director) (she/her) is the associate director of Beetlejuice worldwide, and worked on Moulin Rouge, Company, “Baby J” and “Ben Platt Live from Radio City” (Netflix). Recent directing: Ghost of John McCain (Off-Broadway) as well as world premieres of Indigo (Human Race Theatre Company) and The Magnificent Seven (Flint Rep). catie-davis.com
Rick Edinger (Music Director) (he/they) The Visitor (The Public Theater), Trading Places (Alliance Theatre), The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), Joy (George Street Playhouse), In the Mood (Kenny Leon, dir.). Board of Directors: NAMT, Theatre Gap Initiative. Faculty: Chair of Acting/Music Theater at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. @rickedingernyc. www.rickedinger.com
Julia Sonya Koyfman (Creative Assistant) (she/her) is a librettist, filmmaker and comedian. Select Credits Include: Featured Lyricist NAMT Festival of New Musicals Midday Cabaret (2023), Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project (2023), Seattle Opera’s Creation Lab (2021), First Prize NMI’s Search for New Musicals (2021). She graduated from the Musical Creators’ Institute and SUNY Purchase. juliaisnotfunny.com @julia_isnotfunny_koyfman
Amiah McGinty (Line Producer) (she/her) is a producer, director, arts administrator and performer hailing from Augusta, Georgia. Amiah left her hometown to attend the illustrious Howard University, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Acting. Her tenure at Howard exposed her to passions beyond performance, leading to the unearthing of excitement and adeptness for new work development, artistic programming, community engagement and curating. This fiery newly found passion led Amiah to enriching opportunities and collaborations including serving as the Podcast Development Intern at Monkeypaw Productions, New York Theatre Workshop’s 2023-2024 Artistic Workshop Fellow, Directing Fellow for Broadway’s Hell’s Kitchen and Co-Producer of the HBCU Sing Series in collaboration with Black Girls Do Theater and 54 Below. As an emerging theatre-maker, Amiah is tenacious in her mission to create work and cultivate spaces that authentically represent the multitexture lives of Black folks, celebrating Black culture and highlighting our multitudes. Simply put, Amiah aims to create dope work with dope Black people.
Dear Ex
Book, Music & Lyrics by Be Steadwell
Director: Miranda Haymon
Music Director: Nehemiah Luckett
Creative Assistant: Xander Browne
Line Producer: Amiah McGinty
Dear Ex is all about the big break up. In Dear Ex, the protagonist Be writes letters to her ex as she stumbles through the stages of breakup grief. This Black, queer falling-out-of-love story comes to life through the pop and soul music of musician Be Steadwell. Featuring an all BIPOC, queer and trans cast, Be Steadwell’s musical tells the story of heartbreak in a series of letters, scenes and songs. Dear Ex explores self-love, addiction, twerking, sex, life and death through the lens of a heartbroken, queer Black woman.
Miranda Haymon (Director) is a Princess Grace Award-winning director and writer. In the commercial directing sphere, Miranda has directed projects with e.l.f., Progressive, Gucci, Garage Magazine, Dunkin’ and Spectrum. As a writer, Miranda most recently wrote Dylan Mulvaney’s 365 Days of Girlhood Live! at the Rainbow Room. Currently, Miranda is a Resident Director at Roundabout Theatre Company.
Nehemiah Luckett (Music Director) (he/him) is a composer working on the edges of sacred and secular; writing music that ranges from pop songs to operas. Works include Hamlet: Prince of Funk, Brick by Brick, jazz singer, A Burning Church, Triple Threats and Adia and Clora Snatch Joy. Visit NehemiahLuckett.com for more info.
Xander Browne (Creative Assistant) (he/they) is a queer, Black writer and music director who has recently worked with The Public Theater, The Flea, 5th Climate Change Theatre Action Festival, New York Theater Workshop, Adelphi University, Roundabout’s Director’s Group and Live & In Color. xanderbrowne.com
Helsinki
Music & Lyrics by Barrett Riggins
Book & Lyrics by Graham Techler
Director: Marshall Pailet
Music Director: Andrea Grody
Creative Assistant: Mikayla Coxe
Line Producer: Mayah Lourdes Burke
A down-on-her-luck waitress and down-on-his-luck factory worker spark a shy love affair that’s put to the ultimate test by the economically (and emotionally!) depressed landscape of 1990s Finland. Helsinki is an absurdly deadpan, achingly romantic dark comedy that asks if life’s losers can find (and keep!) the love they deserve.
Marshall Pailet (Director) is a two-time NAMT alumni writer and ALSO A DIRECTOR?!?! Too bad he’s not also a doctor (says his grandmother). Select: 2021 NAMT Festival Musical Private Jones (Signature, Goodspeed); Marcel on the Train (Williamstown); Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat (Alchemation); Who’s Your Baghdaddy; Loch Ness; Regina Comet; Triassic Parq. marshallpailet.com
Andrea Grody (Music Director) (she/her) Broadway: Suffs, The Band’s Visit, Tootsie. Select Off-Broadway/Regional: Public Works’ As You Like It and The Tempest, The Great Immensity, Fortress of Solitude (The Public Theater), Assassins (Yale Rep), Robin Hood as Composer/MD (Williamstown). As writer/composer: Strange Faces. Olivier & Drama Desk nominee. B.A. Princeton University, M.A. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Mikayla Coxe (Creative Assistant) (she/her/they) is so excited to be a part of the NAMT Festival this year! Most recently worked on the Off-Broadway presentation of Fowl Play written by Billy Recce and Yoni Weiss and the 29-hour reading of Heartbeats by Emma Ashford. @mikaylacoxe
Mayah “My” Lourdes Burke (Line Producer) (she/her) is a Queer Caribbean-American artist born and raised in NYC. She is a multi-hyphenate dedicated to exploring the intersections of culture, identity and mental well-being through film and theater. Her commitment to accessibility and mentorship aims to spark meaningful conversations about inclusivity, mental health and wellness, striving to create works that inspire, heal and uplift those who need it most. Producing: Bethesda (short film, executive producer); The Ghost Writers Festival (new works festival, lead producer); 54 Sings Jessie J at 54 Below (cabaret, lead producer); Magical Girl Play by Emmy Kupershmid (play reading, co-producer). Fellowships: Observer under Anne Kauffman for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry; Directing Observer under Roger Ellis for Get Out Alive in NAMT’s 34th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Directing: The Pitfalls of Exaggerated Swagger by Cris Eli Blak; Motherless… by Cherise Kimoy; Good Grief: A Best Friend Play by Ngozi Anyanwu; We are Proud to Present…by Jackie Sibblies Drury; Funnyhouse of a Negro by Adrienne Kennedy. Performance: Rent (Joanne), A Year With Frog and Toad (Toad), Company (Marta), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Missy). Original works: Survival Mode (short play), Too Late (short play), From the Heart (poem collection) & 4SZNS (short play). She is a graduate of the College of Staten Island with both her Associate Degree and Bachelor’s in Dramatic Arts. Brooklyn Music School, Staten Island Playhouse, El Barrio’s Artspace, and Teatro LATEA have produced her work. Mayah is a frequent performer and producer at 54 Below and The Green Room 42. Awards: Howard Gilman Performance Art Residency Cohort Grant recipient; Staten Island Youth Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture. Member: MTEAF, the Maker’s Ensemble, SDC, and the Dramatist’s Guild. Mayah is exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to be here and would love to give thanks to God and all the people who have supported her along the way. @mayahlourdes
In Clay
Book & Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds
Music & Lyrics by Jack Miles
Director: Ellie Heyman
Music Director: Jacob Yates
Creative Assistant: Obed De la Cruz
Line Producer: Mayah Lourdes Burke
Based on a true story, In Clay is a one-woman musical told from a Parisian apartment in 1938. Ceramist Marie Cazin awaits her estranged childhood friend, and now celebrated artist, Henrietta Tirman. Her imminent arrival pushes Marie to reflect on the joys and sorrows of a life devoted to making art.
Ellie Heyman (Director) (she/her) is a director of theater and film. Credits include: THE GREAT WORK BEGINS, w/ Glenn Close, Paul Dano and Patti LuPone (Drama League Award); SPACE DOGS (MCC); (STILL) ASKING FOR IT (Public Theater); TATTOOED LADY (PTC); BEARDO (Drama Desk Nom), ORBITING HUMAN CIRCUS (OF THE AIR), #1 Apple Podcasts and downloaded 5 million+ times. Ellieheyman.com.
Jacob Yates (Music Director) (he/him) is a classically trained Cellist and Music Director. His favorite Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Wicked, Les Misérables, Spring Awakening, Alice By Heart, Hadestown (Tour/Broadway), Only Gold, Rock of Ages and currently Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club. In addition to his Broadway career, Jacob has toured with Disney’s DISNEY PRINCESS The Concert as well as performed all over the world with Broadway and Television Stars. He will also be seen in the upcoming feature film, On A String. Upcoming musical projects include Hard Road, 5 and Dime and When We Touch.
Obed De la Cruz (Creative Assistant) (he/him) is a Puerto Rican-Dominican director, playwright, composer and actor based in Brooklyn, New York. He currently works at ATG Entertainment as the Broadway Programming Associate and has developed work with Bed Stuy Art House, Pipeline Theatre, The Shed, The Orchard Project and Latiné Musical Theatre Lab. His original musical Monster on the Lawn received top prize as part of NAMT’s 15-Minute Musical Challenge in 2020.
Lewis Loves Clark
Book & Lyrics by Mike Ross
Music by Dylan MarcAurele
Director: Ryan Dobrin
Music Director: Simone Allen
Creative Assistant: Christian Jimenez
Line Producer: Amiah McGinty
Lewis Loves Clark is a funny, fast-paced epic about the famous Corps of Discovery expedition. Combining bluegrass, folk and pop, this tragicomedy follows Meriwether Lewis (a depressed closeted alcoholic), William Clark (just breathtakingly oblivious), Sacagawea (permanently exasperated), and York (would rather be birdwatching) as they grapple with the not-so-great unknown.
Ryan Dobrin (Director) (he/him) is one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of The Movement Theatre Company. Recent: The Voices in Your Head (Egg & Spoon), you don’t have to do anything (HERE), Merrily We Roll Along (Associate Director, Broadway, NYTW, film), Geraldine Realigned… (The Brick). Fellowships/affiliations include The Drama League, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Directors Group. ryandobrin.com
Simone Allen (Music Director) (she/her) is a music director and writer based in Brooklyn. Credits: Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT3); Octet (Signature/BRT); Sweeney Todd (Hangar); Cornelia Street (Atlantic); Kill The Whale (Joe’s Pub); Assisted (Rhinebeck); Another Rose (Virgin Voyages); Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat (Alchemation); The 24 Hour Musicals.
Christian Jimenez (Creative Assistant) (he/they) is a theatre storyteller who is thrilled to be working on Lewis Loves Clark as a Creative Assistant. Developing new work takes a village, and he is thankful that you are taking time to support that process. Current active projects include: Heroine: A Mothers Folktale and “Chasing Paper Skies.” @Christianbjim
LIGHTHOUSE
Book, Lyrics & Story by abs wilson
Music & Story by Veronica Mansour
Director: Sarah Rasmussen
Music Director: Remy Kurs
Creative Assistant: Kathryn Carter
Line Producer: Amiah McGinty
With graduation in the rearview mirror, Bus is desperate to run away from her Minnesota hometown and everyone in it. The only problem? She can’t outrun herself. LIGHTHOUSE is a sweeping pop-country musical that celebrates the idea that maybe, just maybe, every version of yourself is worth being.
Sarah Rasmussen (Director) (she/her) Artistic Director at McCarter in Princeton, NJ. Fan of new musicals and comedy. Member of BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle. Recent work: Ride the Cyclone (Arena Stage), Choice (a new comedy by Winnie Holzman at McCarter).
Remy Kurs (Music Director) (he/him) Credits include music supervision and arrangements for Lempicka (Broadway & La Jolla), We’re Gonna Die (Second Stage), Witness Uganda (Wallis & ART), Invisible Thread (Second Stage), The Honeymooners (Paper Mill). As music director: A Christmas Carol (1st National Tour), Book of Mormon (1st National Tour), Ride the Cyclone (MCC). As music producer: OBCR of Lempicka and Witness Uganda (Sony Masterworks).
Kathryn Carter (Creative Assistant) (she/her) is a Toronto & NYC-based actor & creator. With a foundation of 20 years as a dancer, she is a proud graduate of Wright State University’s BFA Acting program, a recipient of the Alexander Alumni Legacy Scholarship and assistant with Michael Cassara Casting. Kathryn is driven to create feminist-focused theatre and push the genre forward. @kathrynashtoncarter
Medusa
Book, Music & Lyrics by Parisa Shahmir
Director: Arpita Mukherjee
Music Director: Anessa Marie Scolpini
Creative Assistant: JuJu Jaworski
Line Producer: Mayah Lourdes Burke
This folk-inspired, musical retelling of the Greek myth reclaims the narrative and gives Medusa the space to be the heroine of her own story. Medusa is a reclamation of our voices, our stories, our sisterhood. So, step out of the shadows, scream it at the top of your lungs, and let your story be heard.
Arpita Mukherjee (Director) (any pronouns) Recent credits include The Kite Runner (Broadway, Resident Director), Bollywood Kitchen (Geffen Playhouse), House of Joy (San Diego Rep) and Eh Dah? Questions for my Father (New York Theatre Workshop). Arpita is the Co-Book Writer of Monsoon Wedding (St. Ann’s Warehouse). Arpita directed the award-winning short film “Running” and won the Filmfare Award in 2023.
Anessa Marie Scopini (Music Director) (she/her) is a music director, composer, orchestrator and pianist based in the NYC area. She is currently serving as Associate Conductor for the Broadway revival of Cabaret. Broadway: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Moulin Rouge, Aladdin, Chicago. Off-Broadway/Regional: White Girl In Danger, A Beautiful Noise, The Griswold’s Broadway Vacation, Joy, The Office Musical Parody, Far From Canterbury.
JuJu Jaworski (Creative Assistant) (she/they) is a director, playwright and producer from Massachusetts and based in New York City. Directing: The Practice Room (Fordham Theatre), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Fordham Theatre), HARBOR (Short Film). Producing: 54 Sings The Princess Diaries (54 Below). Playwriting: The Practice Room (Fordham Theatre). JuJu is honored to be a part of NAMT and the Medusa team!
Proud Marys
Book & Lyrics by Jennifer Paz
Music & Lyrics by Anthony Fedorov
Director: May Adrales
Music Director: Steven Cuevas
Creative Assistant: DV Cortez
Line Producer: Mayah Lourdes Burke
Three daughters shake up the strict traditions of their religious Filipino-American family when they all get knocked up out of wedlock at the same time. Proud Marys is a seriocomedy that busts wide open the myth of the model minority Asian-American family, one pop song at a time. It’s SIX meets a Fil-Am Fiddler on the Roof.
May Adrales (Director) (she/her) is a director, teacher and artistic leader who has directed over 30 world premieres at nationally renowned theaters such as MTC, 2nd Stage, LCT and The Public. She has held leadership roles at The Public, Milwaukee Rep and The Lark, and currently serves as Assistant Professor and Director of the Theatre Program at Fordham University.
Steven Cuevas (Music Director) (he/him) is a Filipino-American music director, musician, orchestrator and arranger based in NYC. Broadway: The Notebook; Tommy; Days of Wine and Roses; New York, New York; Dancin’; & Juliet; Moulin Rouge!; Tina; Once On This Island; Anastasia; Kinky Boots. Select Off-Broadway: The Connector, Hell’s Kitchen, Little Shop of Horrors. Moo! @StevenMCuevas
DV Cortez (Creative Assistant) (he/him) is a director and writer from Quezon City, Philippines. Credits include directing and producing Songs I Never Thought I’d Sing at The Green Room 42. He can almost always be found with a coffee in hand. If he has no coffee, check on his wellbeing.
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).