Broadway’s JULIA MURNEY, MAJOR ATTAWAY, GRACE MCLEAN, MAMIE PARRIS, TAYLOR IMAN JONES, DANNY KORNFELD, STORM LEVER, DESI OAKLEY, JON-MICHAEL REESE and More
Included in Additional Casting for the
National Alliance for Musical Theatre
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 thrilled to share additional casting and final details about the lineup for the 36th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes 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.
Additional FESTIVAL CASTING
The cast for the 36th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS includes Reanne Acasio (Hamilton), Stephanie Adumatioge (NYTF: Underground), Renee Albulario (Here Lies Love), Joan Almedilla (Miss Saigon), Cameron Amandus (The Lion King), Major Attaway (Disney’s Aladdin), Ava Olivia Barnett, Julie Benko (Harmony), Will Blum (Beetlejuice), Emily Borromeo (School of Rock), TyNia René Brandon (The Heart of Rock and Roll), Jane Bruce (Jagged Little Pill), Sydney Carmona (Hangar Theatre: Ragtime), Gabi Carrubba (Dear Evan Hansen), Adante Carter (Off-Broadway: Here We Are), Manik Choksi (…The Great Comet of 1812), Emy Coligado (FOX: Malcolm in the Middle), Red Concepcion (Chicago), Bobby Conte (A Bronx Tale), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Andrew Faria (The Met: Dead Man Walking), Michael Samarie George (The Muny: Mamma Mia), Stephanie Gibson (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jessica Hendy (Cats), Diana Huey (Tour: Disney’s The Little Mermaid), Amy Jo Jackson (Off-Broadway: Dirty Laundry), Taylor Iman Jones (Six: The Musical), Kiana Kabeary (Off-Broadway: Empire: The Musical), Danny Kornfeld (Harmony), Elizabeth Ward Land (Scandalous), Storm Lever (Six: The Musical), Jaygee Macapugay (Suffs), Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages), Elijah Matson, Jordan Leigh McCaskill (Tour: Jagged Little Pill), Grace McLean (Suffs), TJ Newton (Tour: Spamilton), Desi Oakley (Waitress), Mamie Parris (Cats), Kevin Trinio Perdido (Once Upon a One More Time), David Scott Purdy (Merrily We Roll Along), Aaron Michael Ray (Off-Broadway: Ghost of John McCain), Jon-Michael Reese (A Strange Loop), Nathan Salstone (Sweeney Todd), Molly Samson (Tour: Come From Away), Allie Seibold (Tour: Footloose), Graham Stevens (Spamalot), Reuben Uy (Cleveland Playhouse: The Great Leap), Natalie Walker (Off-Broadway: The Big Gay Jamboree), Akron Watson (The Color Purple), Tatiana Wechsler (Mr. Saturday Night), Sarin Monae West (The Skin of Our Teeth), Maria Wirries (Tour: Dear Evan Hansen).
The casting director for the Festival of New Musicals is Michael Cassara, CSA.
SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE CASTING & LINEUP
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 lineup 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)
Featuring performances by Arica Jackson & Andrew O’Shanick
BUILT FOR THIS
Music & Lyrics by Kira Stone
Book by Lauren Gunderson
Frank Young Fund Grantee at Olney Theatre Center (Olney, MD)
Featuring performances by Naomi Serrano and Alyssa Wray
ZAPATA: A Folklórico Superhero Musical
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jesse J. Sanchez
Frank Young Fund Grantee at ZACH Theatre (Austin, TX)
Featuring performances by Alysia N. Beltran & Kris Carrasco
FESTIVAL ROADTRIP UPDATE
Julia Murney will join the set for Red Mountain Theatre’s Human Rights Festival presentation of songs from Love Somebody Now by Andrew Lippa (Fests ’05 & ’06), Nathan Brewer & Matt Webster, replacing previously announced Kate Baldwin.
Cat Brindisi will join the set for Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Festival presentation of songs from musicals by David Darrow (Fest ’19), Michael Holland and The Kilbanes.
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).
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 are 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, 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.
MICHAEL CASSARA, CSA (Festival Casting Director) is thrilled to be returning to NAMT for a 13th year. Recent credits: American Eclipse (by Michael John LaChiusa, dir. Bill Rauch), Mr. Holland’s Opus (BD Wong/Wayne Barker – Ogunquit Playhouse world premiere), Punk Rock Girl! (Joe Iconis/Rob Rokicki – Argyle Theatre world premiere), An American In Paris (international tour, dir. Christopher Wheeldon), Spamilton: An American Parody (Off-Broadway/Chicago/Pittsburgh CLO/cast album/current tour), Forbidden Broadway (four editions/cast albums), Enter Laughing (York Theatre), Gigantic (Vineyard Theatre, dir. Scott Schwartz), The 12 (Denver Center/world premiere), and regional productions at Gulfshore Playhouse, Weston Theater Company, Hangar Theatre, Argyle Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Asolo Rep, and dozens of other companies. From 2007 to 2019, Michael served as the resident casting director for the New York Musical Festival (NYMF). Native Clevelander, BFA graduate of Otterbein University / adjunct faculty, Wright State University, and guest instructor at dozens of top training programs. Member, Casting Society of America and three-time Artios Award nominee. www.michaelcassara.net / @michaelcassara
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, PRG Audio, Theatre Under The Stars and Universal Theatrical Group; Silver Sponsors: Apples and Oranges Arts and Paper Mill Playhouse; Partners: Ghost Light Global, Junkyard Dog Productions, Music Theatre Wichita and Red Mountain Theatre Company; Gold Exhibitor: beon. Entertainment; and Exhibitors: Kaplan Insurance Agency, Leap Event Technology, Live Design Group, Michael Cassel Group, Spektrix and TRG Arts.
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), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Group, The Giving Bee Family Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Hollywood Pantages, Lucille Lortel Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation, Pearl Studios, Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Ted Snowdon Foundation, and Anonymous donors.