Recommended Musicals

The committee for the annual Festival of New Musicals has the challenging task of selecting only eight musicals for the Festival. However, there are a number of other submissions they feel should be shared with you. For more information, contact Skye Cone Ivey, New Works Associate.

2024

2024 Finalists

20 musicals were selected as finalists for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals. This season’s finalists also included:

2024 Festival Committee Recommendations

19 more exceptional projects have been carefully highlighted by the Festival Selection Committee, including:

2023

A MOTHER’S SONG

Book by Tania Azevedo & Finn Anderson, Music & Lyrics by Finn Anderson 

Cast Size: 1 male-identifying, 5 female-identifying

Synopsis: Originally from West Virginia, Sarah is moving into a new Brooklyn home with her girlfriend, Alix. When unpacking, she’s forced to sort through stuff left by her late Aunt Betty, including a collection of tapes Betty recorded to document their family’s ballad-singing tradition. As Betty narrates the stories of Cait and Jean, in Scotland and Ireland, Sarah learns of the brutal choices they faced around motherhood. As the ballads and the ghosts of Sarah’s ancestors consume the apartment, Sarah’s own desire for motherhood surfaces, and ultimately she must choose between having a child and saving her relationship with Alix.

For More Information: Rachel Daniels at Berlin Associates, racheld@berlinassociates.com

SIX GUNS RUNNIN’

Book, Music & Lyrics by Beaufield Berry

Cast Size: 10 Female-identifying 

Synopsis: When emancipation is announced in Galveston, Texas Bethula takes fate in her hands and demands the whereabouts of her beloved daughter, Zulieka, from her enslavers. After a bloody start, Bethula heads west on the quest of a lifetime, what she didn’t expect is the women and stories she’d meet along the way. Alongside Stagecoach Mary, Biddy Mason and Cathay William Bethula sets out on the journey of her lifetime. The world unfolds as these Black women take ownership of their lives and build bonds of sisterhood out of trauma and create joy and family against all odds.

For More Information: Beaufield Berry, eaufieldberry@gmail.com

CHARLOTTE LUCAS IS 27 & NOT DEAD

Book and Lyrics by Jessie Field and James Martinez Salem, Music by James Martinez Salem

Cast Size: 4 Males, 6 Females (10 Principals) 

Synopsis: Charlotte Lucas is 27, unwed, and surrounded by romance-obsessed twenty-year-olds in 1812’s marriage-centric society. Charlotte aspires to marriage for its practicality, but she’s not interested in romance.

She does love her best friend Elizabeth Bennet, though. A lot. So it’s unnerving when Lizzy becomes preoccupied with bachelors and Charlotte’s left alone with Lizzy’s dour sister Mary. Except, actually, Mary isn’t dour at all. She’s bright, talented and… super hot?  Set to a pop-rock score against the backdrop of Austen’s classic, an irreverent and excessively queer love story unfolds as Charlotte realizes that some romance does appeal to her after all!

For More Information: Jessie Field, jsfieldtheater@gmail.com

CRASHLIGHT

Book, Music & Lyrics by Celeste Makoff

Cast Size: 5 Males, 4 Females (9 Principals), 8 Person Ensemble 

Synopsis: Crashlight is an orchestral pop musical about the power of music as a tool of control and liberation. After a natural disaster allegedly wiped out almost all of humanity, the sole survivors have lived 100 years underground. Described as Snowpiercer meets Shen Yun set in a thinly veiled North Korean-esque world, the show follows Rian, a young composer, and her meteoric rise as the face of the society’s yearly celebration. But the more Rian learns, the more she realizes that nothing is as it seems.

For More Information: Celeste Makoff, celestemakoff@gmail.com 

CYRANO

Adaptation & Book by Matt Hawkins, Music & Lyrics by Veronica Mansour

Cast Size: 2 Males, 3 Females (5 Principals), 10 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Adapted from Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, this story follows Cyrano, a true renaissance woman (not a woman playing a man—a female actor playing a woman) as she struggles to love herself in spite of her large nose while trying to pursue Roxane, the love of her life. This version features Cyrano, sitting at a baby grand piano, singing and playing her inner thoughts as soliloquies to the audience. The action loosely follows that of the original but questions gender roles in a classical text while asking the ultimate human question: how can one be loved, without first loving one’s self?

For More Information: Matthew Hawkins, mhawkin2@nd.edu

FALLING FORWARD

Book by Emily Fink, Music & Lyrics by Karl Amundson

Cast Size: 3 Males, 4 Females, 3 Gender-Non-Specific, (10 Principals), 6 Person Ensemble 

Synopsis: Meghan, a queer 27-year-old sculptor, is packing up her NYC apartment after the worst year of her life. She will be moving back in with her mom in Michigan, effectively giving up her life as a struggling artist. However, packing her apartment proves to be a noisy affair, as her belongings — a Bong, a Self-Help Book, a Family Portrait, a Vibrator, and more —come to life, forcing Meghan to reckon with her role in the events of her shitty year. Falling Forward is a send-up of Gen-Z culture today, packing a punch of heart and raucous theatricality as Meghan second-guesses herself through a fumbling search for security in our decidedly uncertain world.

For More Information: Karl Amundson, amundson.karl@gmail.com

GREENWOOD: THE BLACK WALLSTREET MUSICAL

Book by Ronvé O’Daniel & J Kyle Manzay, Music by Ronvé O’Daniel & Jevares Myrick, Lyrics by Ronvé O’Daniel

Cast Size: 4 Males, 2 Females (6 Principals), 18 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Greenwood tells the story of a prosperous all-black community in the Greenwood district of Tulsa from the perspective of different characters: Cyrus, a war vet looking to galvanize his community; Richard Lloyd, a struggling white newspaper editor backed by the KKK; Judges and Amy, an entrepreneurial couple hoping to pass their legacy down to their twelve year old daughter Olivia, who dreams of being a pilot; and Dick Rowland, the free spirited young black man accused of assaulting a white woman. We explore how an entire community was destroyed by hate and jealousy, but was revitalized by love and resilience.

For More Information: Ronvé O’Daniel, ronve.odaniel@gmail.com 

HERE AND THEIR 

Book by Jasmine Joshua, Music & Lyrics by Heather Ragusa 

Cast Size: 1 Male, 1 Female, 8 Person Ensemble 

Synopsis: Samantha O’Malley, 100% female human woman, lives happily in Butte, Montana. Engaged to David and running the family restaurant, everything in Sam’s life seems perfect until a carefully guarded family secret is unearthed. Not only does Sam have an estranged aunt no one has ever mentioned, but it turns out she’s lesbian punk rock icon Vikki Vektor! While online stalking, er, researching, Sam stumbles across the term “nonbinary” and digs deeper into a world that is simultaneously completely unknown and innately familiar. When Sam goes on a journey to find Vikki, they discover more than they bargained for.

For More Information: Jasmine Joshua, jasminejoshua@gmail.com | Heather Ragusa, ragusachick@gmail.com 

JOHNNY & THE DEVIL’S BOX

Book, Music & Lyrics by Douglas Waterbury-Tieman

Cast Size: 9 Principals, 3 Actor Musicians 

Synopsis: Johnny Baker is the best fiddler in Georgia, and he aims to prove it. But his boasting attracts the attention of another fiddler – the Devil himself – who shows up with a plan for Johnny’s destruction. With fame, fortune and love tempting him at every turn, Johnny must find his true path and the strength to win a battle of the bows with the

highest possible stakes. It’s a jubilant new musical with one foot in the Georgia mountains, one foot in the Grand Ole Opry, and music that will stir your soul.

For More Information: Max Grossman at Abrams Artist Agency, max.grossman@a3artistsagency.com.

LIGHTHOUSE

Book & Lyrics by abs Wilson, Music by Veronica Mansour

Cast Size: 6 Female-Identifying 

Synopsis: LIGHTHOUSE is a 6-women, fourth-wall-breaking pop country musical following our unreliable narrator Bus, an 18 year old girl who wants nothing more than to escape her small Minnesota town. But what Bus really wants to escape? Herself and everything she fears she could become. LIGHTHOUSE explores women’s mental health with anxiety and OCD, the lives of women of all ages in rural communities, and what it means to be yourself for the rest of your life. Ultimately, LIGHTHOUSE celebrates the idea that maybe— just maybe— every version of yourself is worth being.

For More Information: abs wilson, agw7013@nyu.edu 

SAFE HANDS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen

Cast Size: 4 Males, 5 Females

Synopsis: Safe Hands is a bold new musical that takes an honest look at life before Roe. v. Wade. In a quiet town in 1956 New Jersey, newlywed Lydia is struggling to become a perfect housewife like her neighbor Bunnie. But when she learns of Bunnie’s recent abortion at an underground clinic on the far side of town, she is pulled into a secret that threatens to shatter her carefully crafted life. Set against a soaring folk rock score, Safe Hands is a thrilling and heartfelt look at the communities women forge behind closed doors.

For More Information: Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen, magritteandrosen@gmail.com 

SIMON AND HIS SHOES

Book & Lyrics by Laurel Haines, Book & Music by Stephanie Singer

Cast Size: 1 Male, 5 Females (6 Principals), 5 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Simon and His Shoes is an original musical about a pair of shoes, Bud & Beedle, who walk out on their owner, Simon, because he doesn’t wear them and never leaves the house. Bud and Beedle optimistically leap into the unknown, and Simon, astonished, chases after his shoes with the help of his little sister Izzy, whose insatiable curiosity sweeps them both along the journey. The story follows the journeys of Bud & Beedle and Simon & Izzy as they go on the adventure of a lifetime, taking them from their ordinary lives into the strange, unpredictable, and thrilling world.

For More Information: Stephanie Singer, stephaniesinger.ss@gmail.com

THE DOCTOR IS DEAD

Book, Music & Lyrics by é boylan

Cast Size: 2 Female-Identifying, 4 Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming

Synopsis: A contemporary fantasy for queer imaginations, The Doctor is Dead follows a secret society of trans outcasts living underground. Using their unique abilities to investigate a mysterious empty coffin, our outcasts sing a song of leaving, of grief that becomes giving, of what begins in the end.

For More Information: é boylan, eraboylan@gmail.com 

THE JURY

Book & Lyrics by Casey Kendall, Music by Jonathan Bauerfeld

Cast Size: 3 Males, 4 Females, 1 Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming 

Synopsis: In a rainy Seattle alleway, Tess Butler overdoses and dies. Now, seven people from her life are given a choice: intervene and bring her back, or let her be. Locked in the jury room until a unanimous decision is reached, we learn the story of Tess through the jurors’ eyes. For each of them, Tess is someone different; the runaway daughter, the ex-wife who loved drugs more, the murderer.  Each of them only knows part of the truth. The Jury is a life-affirming new musical about radical empathy in the face of difficult truth.

For More Information: Jonathan Bauerfeld, jonbauerfeldmusic@gmail.com 

THE MOUNTAIN DIGBY 

Book & Lyrics by Cassie Ahiers, Anthony Lombard, John Lombard, Alex Kliner, Music by Brad Kemp

Cast Size: 4 Males, 2 Females, 1 Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (7 Principals), 13 Person Ensemble 

Synopsis: Robbie and Nyle Digby make a deathbed promise to their Pops that they will protect their ancestral mountain top and the Digby family worm farm that rests upon it from the hateful townspeople below. An unexpected visit from Hayworth, an overzealous cartographer, launches the brothers on a mission to expand their land at any cost. With the ruthless Mayor North dead set on claiming Digby Mountain for herself, Robbie and Nyle resort to grave robbing to save their home. The brothers’ plan hits a snag when Robbie unwittingly falls in love with Whinnie, the towns’ grave keeper.

For More Information: Cassie Ahiers, ahiers.cassie@gmail.com

THE OTHER SHORE

Book, Music & Lyrics by Wade McCollum

Cast Size: 8-12 (5 Principals), Gender-Non-Specific

Synopsis: The Other Shore follows Hermann Hesse and his wife Maria Bernoulli as Hesse pens his most famous work: Siddartha, an Indian Poem. In a parabolic ballet, Hesse, Maria, and the rebellious Brahmin’s son Siddhartha share the narrative arc in a seamless flow between 1919 Germany and a fable-like India. Based on true events, tragedy strikes the Hesse household causing him to almost abandon the book altogether. Siddhartha has other plans though. At the height of Hermann’s crisis, Siddhartha reaches through the page, helping Hermann to finish the book which goes on to become a classic, inspiring generations of readers around the world.

For More Information: Wade McCollum, wadesong13@gmail.com 

VICKY & FRANK

Book, Music & Lyrics by Tommy Wallach

Cast Size: 5 Males, 5 Females (10 Principals)

Synopsis: Vicky & Frank is a gothic musical comedy set in middle America circa 1950 and loosely based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It tells the story of two teenagers: Vicky Godwin, who dreams of becoming a famous scientist, and Frank Neetins, the boy she accidentally kills and purposely reanimates.

For More Information: Tommy Wallach, tommywallach@gmail.com

WAKEMAN

Music & Lyrics by Jenn Grinels, Book by J.C. Meyer- Crosby & Jenn Grinels

Cast Size: 1 Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (1 Principal), 12 Gender Non Specific Person Ensemble 

Synopsis: A folk-rock musical centering around the true story of a gender-nonconforming Union soldier assigned female at birth. Sarah Rosetta Wakeman’s adventures and struggles during the American Civil War are captured in a series of letters home chronicling their life as Private Lyons Wakeman in the 153rd New York Infantry. Original songs weave a tale of identity, gender and the pursuit of the ever-elusive American dream.

For More Information: rosettamusical@gmail.com 

2022

CHASING THE WIND

Book, Music & Lyrics by Andre McRae

Cast Size: 4 Males, 10 Females, 12 Principals, 6 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Chasing the Wind is a new musical about privilege and pain. It is an allegory of the privileged human experience. With themes of addiction, betrayal, purpose and destiny, we follow the life and journey of Solomon—the third king of Israel. Although Solomon is the leading character, the actual protagonist is the central theme— privilege. CTW asks the questions, ‘what does it mean to be alive with a painful past?’ and ‘what does it mean to be alive when you have it all?’

For More Information: Andre McRae, andremcrae@mac.com

CYRANO

Book, Music & Lyrics by

Cast Size: 2 Males, 3 Females (5 Principals), 10 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Adapted from Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, this story follows Cyrano, a true renaissance woman (not a woman playing a man—a female actor playing a woman) as she struggles to love herself in spite of her large nose while trying to pursue Roxane, the love of her life. This version features Cyrano, sitting at a baby grand piano, singing and playing her inner thoughts as soliloquies to the audience. The action loosely follows that of the original but questions gender roles in a classical text while asking the ultimate human question: how can one be loved, without first loving one’s self?

For More Information: Matthew Hawkins, mhawkin2@nd.edu

HANSEL & GRETL & HEIDI & GÜNTER

Book by Hannah Kohl, Music by Will Aronson, Lyrics by Daniel Maté

Cast Size: 6

Synopsis: Gretl – yes, THAT Gretl – is now a single mom living in modern-day Chicago, still suffering from the trauma of her fairytale childhood and actively imposing it on the next generation. Her modern kids, Heidi and Günter, are sick of stuffing their pockets full of pebbles and dream of the impossible: a normal childhood. When their long-lost Uncle Hansel arrives to inform them that the gingerbread witch Krimelda has survived the oven and is hell-bent on hunting them down, they’re plunged into an adventure that brings the family together and gives “going Medieval” a whole new spin.

For More Information: Hannah Kohl, kohl.hannah@gmail.com

IN PIECES

Book, Music & Lyrics by Joey Contreras

Cast Size: 4 Males, 4 Females (8 Principals), 3 Gender Non-Conforming Principals, 3 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: In Pieces is an unfeigned and candid take on self-identity, growth, and acceptance. Told through a collision of narratives pulled from eight individuals’ lives, the story begins in NYC as each character faces a fork in the road struggling with which way to go. By reliving defining moments in their lives, an unlikely friendship, a first kiss, a well-kept secret, or an honest conversation of deserving more, each must learn to embrace all the pieces of themselves to put together a picture of who they are and who they want to be.

For More Information: Joey Contreras, joey@joeycontreras.com

Nik Sorocenski, licensing@joeycontreras.com

JENNY’S DAMNED EX

Book, Music & Lyrics by Tommy Newman

Cast Size: 6 Males, 4-5 Females

Synopsis: Jenny marries a vampire (Zoltan) on a hillside in Romania when she is twenty— but she doesn’t realize what an eternal jerk he is. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she runs away to start a new life in suburban California. Now it’s sixteen years later, and her past has come back to bite her in the neck when her ex-husband returns for his daughter (Olivia). Meanwhile, Jenny’s boyfriend (Jonathan) is trying to step up as a potential husband and father, and Olivia is growing into her power as a half-blood. Cue the vampire apocalypse as Jenny fights to keep the forces of darkness from taking root in her daughter and in the city.

For More Information: Tommy Newman, tomanumano@yahoo.com

SAFE HANDS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen

Cast Size: 3 Males, 5 Females

Synopsis: An original folk rock ensemble musical about five women in 1950s New Jersey who are all bound by the secret of Frankie’s House, a secret abortion clinic on the edge of town. Newlywed Lydia moves to the suburbs, ready to become a perfect happy housewife like her neighbor Bunnie. But when Lydia learns that Bunnie received an abortion at a secret clinic, Lydia’s idyllic perception of her new role is shattered. Once the ladies running the clinic ask Lydia for help, she must step outside her prescribed role and see how far she will go to help someone in need.

For More Information: Alara Magritte, magritteandrosen@gmail.com

SIMON AND HIS SHOES

Book & Lyrics by Laurel Haines, Book & Music by Stephanie Singer

Cast Size: 1 Male, 5 Females (6 Principals), 5 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Simon and His Shoes is an original musical about a pair of shoes, Bud & Beedle, who walk out on their owner, Simon, because he doesn’t wear them and never leaves the house. Bud and Beedle optimistically leap into the unknown, and Simon, astonished, chases after his shoes with the help of his little sister Izzy, whose insatiable curiosity sweeps them both along the journey. The story follows the journeys of Bud & Beedle and Simon & Izzy as they go on the adventure of a lifetime, taking them from their ordinary lives into the strange, unpredictable, and thrilling world.

For More Information: Stephanie Singer, stephaniesinger.ss@gmail.com

SUEÑOS: OUR AMERICAN MUSICAL

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jesse Sanchez

Cast Size:  3 Males, 5 Females, 4-12 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Sueños: Our American Musical, is a Mexican-American story about Ali Viramontes and his journey to becoming a classical composer. Juilliard is his one-way ticket and he won’t let anything stop him, even if the odds are stacked against him. This original, contemporary musical celebrates Mexican-American/Chicanx people and cultures, and weaves their stories into the fabric of the American Musical Theatre.

For More Information: Katie Gamelli, katiegamelli@paladinartists.com

TEN LONG YEARS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Nicholas Connors

Cast Size: 4 Males, 5 Females (9 Principals)

Casting Notes: The cast is designed with 2 groups of four actors playing Kate, Charlie, Brett, and Emily at 2 different ages. The actor playing the role of Heather is constant in both timelines. Where not specified, smaller ensemble roles are filled by the actors playing Young Charlie and Young Emily.

Synopsis: Kate Reid returns to the small town in which she grew up, ten years after she left with no intention to return. But ten years bring much change; her once-strong mother has lost her job, the class stoner is a headstrong activist trying to “save the chipmunks,” and the traumas of the past have not gone away. Two timelines move in parallel, one centered on Young Kate, the other on present-day Kate. The past foreshadows the present, the present recalls the past, and both Kates come of age in this new musical drama.

For More Information: Nicholas Connors nconnorsmusic@gmail.com

THE LOST GIRL

Lyrics & Book by Arianna Rose, Music & Book by Ben Bonnema

Cast Size: 4 Males, 3 Females (7 Principals), 5 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Set in 1909 London against the backdrop of the Suffragette Movement, The Lost Girl is about integrating our past into our present and deciding who we want to be moving forward. Shaken by the untimely death of her husband, Wendy first tells her daughter Jane the Neverland stories as escapism, pure fiction. But each sibling begins to experience strange and vivid memories, forcing the question—could it all be real? With a lush orchestral score, The Lost Girl is an unapologetically feminist piece about reclaiming the right to have adventures at any age.

For More Information: Ben Bonnema, bonnemarose@gmail.com

THE RADIUM GIRLS: A JAW-DROPPING NEW MUSICAL

Book by Amanda D’Archangelis, Sami Horneff, and Lisa Mongillo; Music by Amanda D’Archangelis; Lyrics by Sami Horneff and Lisa Mongillo

Cast Size: 2 Males, 7 Females (9 Principals), 6 Person Ensemble

Casting Notes: The Radium Girls should be cast without regard to historical accuracy in race, ethnicity, gender, or ability. Any role could be portrayed as an actor who identifies as transgender or gender non-conforming. As this show also highlights the experience of early 20^th century immigrants, we highly encourage multi-racial casting.

 Synopsis: The Radium Girls: A Jaw-Dropping New Musical is a female-driven, horror-laced dark comedy inspired by the stories and spirits of the incredible young women who worked the factory line at the U.S. Radium Corporation in the 1920s. It’s a thrilling, chilling tale of three daring girls who discover the evil lurking under the glittering surface of the radium craze and ultimately give the patriarchy a taste of its own poison.

For More Information: Sami Horneff, sami.horneff@gmail.com

THE ROSETTA PROJECT

Music & Lyrics by Jenn Grinels, Book by J.C. Meyer- Crosby & Jenn Grinels

Cast Size: 1 Gender Non-Conforming Principal, 11 person ensemble

Casting Notes: The show is an ensemble piece, ideally with 1 principal and 11 ensemble members playing multiple roles. Radically inclusive and conscious casting is intended. The character’s gender does not necessarily dictate the gender of the actor playing the track. Four of the ensemble members will be playing female identifying characters, 6 will be playing male identifying characters, and 1 is playing a young boy age 8-12. Actors regularly serve as extras in scenes where their characters do not appear. Hair color, facial hair or lack thereof, makeup, vocal quality, and physical carriage are the main tools used to distinguish characters and extras within the same track.

Synopsis: The Rosetta Project is a new folk-rock musical which centers around the true story of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, a young woman who presented herself as a man and joined the Union Army during the Civil War.  Her adventures are forever captured in a series of letters written to her family chronicling her daily life as Private Lyons Wakeman in the 153rd New York infantry.  It is estimated that over 400 women fought in the Civil War.  The Rosetta Project weaves together the fascinating stories of these untold heroes, as they grapple with equality, identity and place.  The Rosetta Project brings to life this tale of freedom, gender identity and the pursuit of the American Dream.

For More Information: Jenn Grinels, rosettamusical@gmail.com

THESE GIRLS HAVE DEMONS

Book and Lyrics by Meghan Brown, Music by Sarah Taylor Ellis

Cast Size: 2 Males, 5 Females (4 Female Leads)

Synopsis: After a lifetime of playing nice in a failed attempt to get ahead in a patriarchal society, four wildly different teenage girls are possessed by demons (literally, demons) that unleash all the rage, sexuality, insecurity, and sheer feeling they have been taught to repress as well-behaved little girls. Although The Horned Man – the physical embodiment of the patriarchy – tries to charm the girls into embracing the existing systems, these girls are no longer so compliant; they begin to overturn patriarchal structures as an anarchic Demon Queen chorus. But at what point can power corrupt? Is flipping the hierarchy a solution, or just a new systematic force of oppression? Infused with a contemporary rock sound and killer girl group harmonies, These Girls Have Demons is a Little Shop of Horrors for the #MeToo generation and a galvanizing siren song for demon girls everywhere.

For More Information: Sarah Taylor Ellis, staylorellis@gmail.com

Meghan Brown, meghanbrown28@gmail.com

2021

FATTY FATTY NO FRIENDS, A TWISTED OPERETTA 

Book by Serrana Gay, Joseph Reese Anderson and Christian De Gré Cárdenas, Music by Christian De Gré Cárdenas, Lyrics by Joseph Reese Anderson, Original Story by Serrana Gay

Cast size: 5 M / 5 F, Ensemble of 10. Actors should fall in the age range of 18-40 even though they are playing children ages 10-13 in this fable; all roles require strong trained voices capable of performing without the need for amplification; ability to read music and strong musicianship a must.

Synopsis: Fatty Fatty No Friends  is the story of a kid. The skinny kids hated him, no matter what he did. They taunted him until he took revenge without amends. It was a tasty lesson for Fatty Fatty No Friends.

For more information: Christian De Gré Cárdenas, cdegre@operaamerica.org

THE GRIND. 

Music & Book by JJ Warshaw, Lyrics by Nick Parker

Cast size: Cast of 9 (5 M / 4 F) with optional ensemble

Synopsis: Sleepless nights. Microwave meals. Empty bank accounts. Dani wants more than anything to be a writer, but she’ll have to contend with her high-strung barista boss, her overbearing family, her “no-labels” bae, and of course, train delays. Could a meeting with one of the biggest agents in town change everything? With an R&B-infused score, the grind. is a 90-minute, day-in-the-life musical about following your dream while dealing with reality. 

For more information: JJ Warshaw, jjwarshaw@gmail.com

HALF THE SKY 

Music by Tidtaya Sinutoke, Book and Lyrics by Isabella Dawis

Cast size: 7 Principals (2 M & 5 F), 8 ensemble (Note – The ensemble is the orchestra, which represents the wider world of the Everest climbing industry and the Himalayan community. Musicians are present onstage, and some participate in the action.)

Synopsis: Half the Sky tells the story of an Asian American woman climbing Mount Everest — a contemporary American musical on a global scale, infused with the sounds of traditional Thai and Himalayan folk music. 

“A year after her sister’s death, Aurelie sets out to fulfill her childhood dream of summiting Everest. She joins an international group of mountaineers from around the globe. As Aurelie embarks on her path to the top of the world, memories of her Thai American past and the unresolved rift between her and her sister begin to surface. Borders between countries and cultures, past and present, and waking and dreaming blur in this epic journey of ambition, survival and reconciliation.”

For more information: Allison Schwartz, Paradigm Talent Agency / 212-897-6400 / aschwartz@paradigmagency.com

IN REAL LIFE 

Book & Lyrics by Nick Green, Music & Lyrics by Kevin Wong

Cast size: 2 Soprano; 3 Mezzo Soprano; 3 Alto; 2 Tenor; 1 Baritenor; 3 Baritone (reducable to an 8, 10, or 12 person cast). All characters can be cast by performers of any ethnicity and/or gender identity/expression, provided that they appear to be the age of the character and fit the vocal range. 

Synopsis: In Real Life is the story of a teenaged computer prodigy who longs for connection in an age of screens. With his final exam approaching, Max is on track for a promising future in the technological “Cubes” of Class Two, until a cryptic message from his mother in the work camps of Class Three awakens something within him. With the help of his friends, Max embarks on a journey to the the depths of the super-illegal Dark Web, the gleaming heights of Class One, the front lines of an uprising, and to lost parts of himself. 

While this show was initially conceived in 2018, a large amount of development occurred over the internet throughout the 2020-2021 pandemic, making it clear how timely and relevant this story truly is. This show is about the ways in which technology both helps and hinders the human experience, and how the most important thing, above all, is to be connected with yourself, your loved ones, nature, and the moment that you’re in.

For more information: Kevin Wong, kevinywong@gmail.com

JENNY’S DAMNED EX 

Book, Music & Lyrics by Tommy Newman

Cast size: 6 M, 4 F

Synopsis: Jenny marries a vampire (Zoltan) on a hillside in Romania when she is twenty, but she doesn’t know what an eternal jerk he is. When she discovers she is pregnant, she runs away. Sixteen years later, her past comes back to bite her in the neck when her ex-husband shows up. Meanwhile, Jenny is dating JP, a nurse, and he is reeling from all the revelations, but the secrets keep coming. Jenny’s daughter is growing into her power, and strange things begin to happen in the town. The family must overcome their history and stop the impending vampire apocalypse.

For more information: Tommy Newman, tomanumano@yahooo.com

THE LAST GATEKEEPER 

Book, Music & Lyrics by Germono Toussaint

Cast size: 3 M, 2 F, 15 Ensemble

Synopsis: The Last Gatekeeper is a three-act, Afro-futurist, musical theater experience, inspired by the teachings of West African shaman and scholar Malidoma Patrice Somé. The term Gatekeeper refers to the indigenous belief that those who express themselves as same-gender-loving (SGL) maintain the portals between the physical and spiritual worlds. They are guardians who restore balance and harmony when there is crisis in the community.

The story deals with a dystopian future, a world destroyed by greed and catastrophic natural disasters, a totalitarian government, a second-generation West African mother who holds the last hope for humanity in her womb, a spiritually gifted SGL youth, and an ancient prophecy to be fulfilled.

For More information: Germono Toussaint, gt@germonotoussaint.com

THE LIMIT 

Book, Music & Lyrics by Freya Smith, Music & Lyrics by Jack Williams

Cast size: 5 Females

Synopsis: Sophie Germain. Mathematician. Trailblazer. Woman. Neglected by history. Until now. The extraordinary true story of a forgotten genius explodes onto the stage in this electric new musical. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Sophie’s journey is brought to life through a vibrant pop-rock score, charting the highs and lows of a woman determined to succeed in a system not built to allow it.

For more information: Freya Catrin Smith at Freya.c.smith@gmail.com

LITTLE BLACK BOOK 

Book, Music & Lyrics by Billy Recce, Co-Conceived by Will Nunziata and Billy Recce

Cast size: 4 women

Synopsis: Little Black Book is a theatrical rock concert as sung by the  Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss. 

When the down on her luck former Madam—now a recluse and caring for forty parrots in a shack in Nevada—is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sell the names in her infamous “Little Black Book”—something she has never done—Heidi must grapple with the memories that have kept her in isolation for 25 years.

Backed by an all-female rock band, Heidi muses on how she’s been wronged by powerful and manipulative men in an industry based on the exploitation of women, and clamors to tell her side of a story distorted by the media. Little Black Book is a sharp-tongued, raucous, and ultimately moving 90-minute ride, examining a woman who flew too close to the sun and the society that caged her for it.

For more information: Billy Recce, billyrecce@gmail.com

REPUBLIC 

Book, Music & Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk

Cast size: 12 humans

Synopsis: Republic follows the rise of Hal O’Byrne, IRA-mastermind, and Kate Bernadine, political operative as they come off against the backdrop of Northern Ireland in the 1970s during the most violent years of the Troubles. While Hal sheds his terrorist skin, Kate must choose between love and country. In a place where bombs go off every day, spies are everywhere, and Catholics and Protestants cannot coexist, Belfast is a tinderbox ready to explode. Loosely adapted from Shakespeare’s HENRY IV, Republic is a political thriller with an epic musical score that weaves traditional Celtic music, classical motifs, and pulsing Irish rock. 

For more information: Brian Lowdermilk & Kait Kerrigan, brian@kerrigan-lowdermilk.com & kait@kerrigan-lowdermilk.com

SUEÑOS: OUR AMERICAN MUSICAL

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jesse Sanchez, Additional Music & Orchestrations by Jeff Chambers

Cast size: 5 F, 3 M, 8 Ensemble

Synopsis: Sueños: Our American Musical, a timely new Latinx musical set in Watsonville, California, tells the untold story of three generations of a Mexican-American family as they confront challenges, make sacrifices, break cycles, and celebrate community in their pursuit of the American Dream. This multi-generational story follows the protagonist, Ali, as he comes of age and discovers his identity, potential, and queerness amidst a pious upbringing, subsequently navigating life as a musician and a father. http://www.suenosmusical.com/

For more information: Jesse J. Sanchez, jessejosephsanchez@gmail.com

WONDER BOY

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jaime Jarrett 

Cast size: Principals: one transgender man, two women (cisgender or transgender), and one non-binary person. Ensemble: twelve. 

Synopsis:  When Jackson steals a mysterious drug from his super-genius twin sister, he transforms into Wonder Boy, a superhero with unparalleled strength, the ability to fly, and automatic self-healing powers. Jackson must navigate his new identity as a superhero, as well as his identity as a transgender man.  As he battles crime, reconnects with his lesbian ex-girlfriend, and begins to lose his twin sister to a mystifying memory loss disease, he must face his masculinity, his vulnerability, what it means to be a superhero, and what it means to be a man. 

For more information:  Lucy Powis, A3 Artists Agency,  lucy.powis@a3artistsagency.com

2020

AGENT 355

Book, Music & Lyrics by Preston Max Allen, Book & Dramaturgy by Jessica Kahkoska

Cast Size: Features an 8-person actor/musician cast with flexible age/instrumentation capabilities per track. We encourage a diverse cast of performers of all gender expressions and identities. There are no roles for cis men.

Synopsis: The Culper Spy Ring famously helped George Washington win the American Revolution, but there’s one secret they never revealed: the identity of their sole female member, Agent 355. Now for the first time since 1783, an all-female/TGNC punk-pop band will finally reveal the truth about the unknown woman who helped America’s first spy ring “outwit them all.” Challenging a history written by men, Agent 355 explores the never-before-told stories of real Revolutionary women whose stories, sacrifices, and secrets shaped the nation.

For More Information: Jessica Kahkoska, jkahkoska@gmail.com

BEFORE AFTER

Music & Lyrics by Stuart Matthew Price, Book & Additional Lyrics by Timothy Knapman

Cast Size: 1 Male, 1 Female

Synopsis: Ami meets Ben by a tree on a beautiful hillside. She recognises him instantly: they were once very much in love. But Ben doesn’t remember her at all. What went so wrong in the past, and is there a chance that, in the present, these two lovers might just find their happy ever after, after all?

For More Information:  Rachel Daniels, racheld@berlinassociates.com, +44 (0)20 7632 5284

BLOCKED

Music, Lyrics & Book by Ben Wexler

Cast Size: 3 Males, 3 Females

Synopsis:  Blocked is a timely response to the mass-proliferation of social media, particularly amongst teenagers. The show imagines a fictional app, Agora, that’s taken the youth by storm. It follows four teenagers who use the app as their primary means of socializing and each are stuck in what seems like an insurmountable rut in real life. Through Agora, they forge meaningful connections that give them the strength and support to move forward, both on and offline. The frequent use of Agora creates distance between parent and child, and Blocked also spotlights two parents as they navigate raising teenagers in the social media age.

For More Information: Michael Harrington, MHarrington@twusa.org

BRAVO

Book by Cristian Guerrero & Andrew Moorhead, Lyrics by Cristian Guerrero, Andrew Moorhead & Steven Schmidt, Music by Steven Schmidt

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 5 Principal Females, 8 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Bravo is a new dramatic musical about adolescence, set in Italy during World War II. When Renzo, an impoverished boy from the Mussolini Youth, accidentally discovers a group of Jewish children in hiding, he must choose whether to turn them in or help them. Renzo’s morality is further tested when the German Army invades Italy, bringing even greater threat to these children’s lives. The cast has nine principal characters ranging in age from eleven to twenty. They are accompanied by the Storytellers – an ethereal greek chorus who guide our characters through the story, and at times reveal their innermost fears and desires. With a lush, vibrant and diverse score, Bravo explores what it means to grow up persecuted in a crumbling world, and how compassion can be found even in humanity’s darkest moments.

For More Information: Andrew Moorhead, ajmoorhead@gmail.com, (510) 681-4644 / https://guerreromoorheadandschmidt.com/

BRIDGES

Book & Lyrics by Cheryl L. Davis, Music by Douglas J. Cohen

Cast Size: 5 Principal Males, 5 Principal Females, 4 Person Ensemble (with 1 male child actor)

Synopsis: In 1965, a young woman boldly joins a march to fight for her civil rights in Selma. Decades later, another young woman in Oakland faces her own battle for equality in opposition to Prop 8 in 2008. As their stories collide across time and distance, each must come to terms with who she is in the context of a changing and complicated world. Full of soulful melodies, BRIDGES is an empowering story that explores our country’s past and present – how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, and the bridges we must cross to get there.

BRIDGES benefitted from readings at the Village Theatre’s 2015 Festival of New Musicals and Berkeley Playhouse before receiving its world premiere at the latter, earning three San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Score. A finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, BRIDGES received a sold-out, highly acclaimed concert at the Times Center through the Ignite Series co-produced by The Prospect Theater Company and Amas.

For More Information: Barbara Hogenson, barbarahogenson@gmail.com, (212) 874-8084

CALL IT LOVE

Book by Eric Holmes & Chilina Kennedy, Music & Lyrics by Chilina Kennedy

Cast Size: 3 Principal Males, 2 Principal Females

Synopsis: Olivia arrives at the hospital, uncertain of who she is and missing a large portion of her memories. As doctors run tests, Olivia’s past begins to return, much to her confusion and dismay. Three past lovers come into focus: Michael, Jessica and Thomas, each bringing joy and heartache. Olivia decides to push through her pain and fear and dig through her past to finally figure out who she is and what she wants. Call It Love explores the extremely complicated journey many of us travel to find out who we are, while confronting the damage caused in the lives of others. Chilina Kennedy’s beautiful and poetic music and lyrics and Eric Holmes’ poignant book paint a complex tapestry of modern love where the more people you love, the more people you hurt. However, what was painful loss yesterday often becomes insightful growth today.

For More Information: Chilina Kennedy, (646) 894-5091

CALL ME FROM THE GRAVE

Music & Lyrics by Charlie Romano, Book by Harold Hodge Jr.

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 3 Principal Females, 1 Trans or Gender Non-Conforming Principal, 7 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Call Me from the Grave explores the life and myth of the legendary Blues guitar player, Robert Johnson. In Greenwood, Mississippi, a young sharecropper, Robert, dreams of becoming a Bluesman. When his loving girlfriend, Virginia, becomes pregnant, Robert puts his dreams on hold to build a life and a family with her. However, Robert’s life comes crashing down when Virginia and the baby die of complications in childbirth. Feeling he has failed as a husband and a musician, Robert is at his lowest when he is approached by the Devil. Robert exchanges his soul for the music career he has always dreamt of, on the condition that he never returns home. As the years go by, Robert gains all the fame and renown that he is promised. However, after learning that the people he loves are in need back home, Robert must choose between his fame and his family.

For More Information: Charlie Romano, charlieromanomusic@gmail.com, (847) 650-6631 / charlieromano.com / callmefromthegrave.com

DISTANT THUNDER

Book by Lynne Taylor-Corbett & Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Music by Shaun Taylor-Corbett & Chris Wiseman, Additional Music & Lyrics by Robert Lindsey-Nassif & Michael Moricz

Cast Size: 6 Principal Males, 5 Principal Females, 1 Trans or Gender Non-Conforming Principal, 4 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Darrell Waters, a successful young attorney, returns to his childhood home in Montana to broker a deal that can benefit the impoverished Blackfeet Nation. He soon faces his reclusive father about their painful past and grapples with the paradigm of what it means to be Native American in the United States. Cultures collide and unite through music, dance, stories, and faith as we witness the dawning of a Distant Thunder.

For More Information: Shaun Taylor-Corbett, shauntcsong@gmail.com

IN REAL LIFE

Book & Lyrics by Nick Green, Music & Lyrics by Kevin Wong

Cast Size: 2 Soprano; 3 Mezzo Soprano; 3 Alto; 2 Tenor; 1 Baritenor; 3 Baritone – All characters can be cast by performers of any ethnicity and/or gender identity/expression, provided that they appear to be the age of the character and fit the vocal range.

Synopsis: In Real Life is the story of a teenaged computer prodigy who longs for connection in an age of screens. With his final exam approaching, Max is on track for a promising future in the technological “Cubes” of Class Two, until a cryptic message from his mother in the work camps of Class Three awakens something within him. With the help of his friends, Max embarks on a journey to the the depths of the super-illegal Dark Web, the gleaming heights of Class One, the front lines of an uprising, and to lost parts of himself.

While this show was created in 2018, a large amount of development occurred over the internet during the early days of quarantine, making it clear how timely and relevant this story truly is. This show is about the ways in which technology both helps and hinders the human experience, and how the most important thing, above all, is to be connected with yourself, your loved ones, nature, and the moment that you’re in.

For More Information: Kevin Wong, kevinywong@gmail.com

JOY

Book by Ken Davenport, Music & Lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo

Cast Size: 8 Principals, 8 Ensemble

Synopsis: Joy is the true story of Joy Mangano, a single mother from Long Island in a hamster wheel of a life and marriage. She dreams of inventing a better life for herself and her daughter. When she finally summons up the courage to kick her husband out of the house, she comes up with the idea for an actual invention . . . a “miracle mop” that can clean up any mess, and maybe even her messy life. She bootstraps her invention but can’t sell a single one, until she stands up to the suits at QVC and gets them to agree to let her appear on television to sell her own product. She’s an overnight success, but quickly finds that it’s never that easy in business, especially as a woman in 1991. And when her business and family are threatened, her conviction is to put to the ultimate test.

For More Information: Ken Davenport, ken@davenporttheatrical.com

LADYSHIP

Book, Music & Lyrics by Laura Good & Linda Good

Cast Size: 8 (5 women, 3 men, with some doubling for the men.) Additional ensemble: female convicts and male shipmen as desired.

Synopsis: LadyShip follows the journey of two Irish teenage sisters who are unjustly convicted of a petty crime and are forced to make the treacherous crossing from England to Australia in 1789. Based on true events, it is the harrowing story of the 25,000 women who would become the “mothers of Australia”, whether they wanted to be or not.  LadyShip is an inspiring tale of survival, love and finding one’s own voice in the face of impossible odds. With book, lyrics and a contemporary alternative-pop score by twin sisters Linda and Laura Good of the band The Twigs, LadyShip debuted at the 2019 New York Musical Festival and was a finalist for the 2020 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater.

Website: https://ladyship.twigs.com

Highlight Video Reel: https://youtu.be/-NRairejUu8

For More Information: Linda Good, (213) 840-6921 ladyship@twigs.com

MADAME V

Music & Lyrics by Irene Molloy, Lyrics by Eileen Laphen, Book by Grace Abele

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 5 Principal Females, 5 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: “Madam, you are no citizen – you are a woman!”

– Ohio Rep. John Bingham, author of the 14th amendment, to Victoria Woodhull, an American damn citizen

She wore short skirts, smoked cigars, spoke to spirits, made love, made money, ran a newspaper, ran for President, and then dragged America’s most beloved religious leader into the steamiest sex scandal of the 19th century, all before she was 35. Victoria Woodhull, to be blunt, didn’t give a f*ck.

Madame V is a new musical detailing the wild ride Victoria Woodhull took from pauper to presidential candidate, and the prestigious allies she picked up along the way. With a supporting cast that includes the likes of Liz Stanton, Suzie B Anthony, and Frederick Douglas, Madame V asks the question: how does such a person get left out of the history books?

The omission, it turns out, is no accident.

For More Information: Irene Molloy, (347) 553-0318, irene.molloy@gmail.com

MARIAN

Story by Elkin Antoniou, Chelsea Marie Davis & Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Music by Chelsea Marie Davis, Lyrics by Chelsea Marie Davis & Emily Ruth Hazel, Book by Caleen Sinnette Jennings & Elkin Antoniou, Additional Music by Victoria Theodore

Cast Size: 13 Female-Identifying, 10 Male-Identifying

Synopsis: 1939. Economic turmoil, racial tension, and political division consume America. When world-famous black opera singer Marian Anderson is denied a stage in Washington, D.C., an international Civil Rights controversy explodes. Offered a chance to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before an unprecedented, racially-integrated audience, Marian is catapulted into a personal crisis before giving the performance of a lifetime, electrifying millions with her powerful voice. Her compelling story affirms that one voice can change the course of history and help unite a fractured nation. The score weaves together diverse styles, including pop-and jazz-infused contemporary musical theater, classical music, and spirituals.http://www.marianmusical.com/

For More Information: Elkin Antoniou, elkin@liquidtheatrecollective.org

MĀYĀ

Book & Music by Cheeyang Ng, Book & Lyrics by Eric Sorrels

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 3 Principal Females

Synopsis: In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a nonviolent protest called the Salt March, which became the beginning of the end of the British Empire. With contemporary language and a score that fuses Western pop and Indian Classical music, Māyā places us in this landmark moment from the from the perspective of the Mehta family. Although Maya Mehta and her parents have prospered in the British Empire, their world will turn upside down when Maya chooses to risk everything to stand on the right side of history. Both epic and intimate, Māyā is about the ties that hold us, the illusions that bind us and the truth that can finally set us free.

For More Information: Ben Izzo, ben.izzo@a3artistsagency.com

MODERN

Book & Lyrics by Selda Sahin, Book & Music by Derek Gregor

Cast Size: 5 Principal Males, 4 Principal Females, 4 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: MODERN follows a group of Amish teenagers on their Rumspringa (a period when Amish teens are given greater personal freedom, ending with the choice of baptism into the church or leaving the community.) The group spends their Rumspringa living in a house in the “modern” world. Isaac, who is devoted to his Amish faith and his family, falls in love with Hannah (also Amish) who is questioning her faith. Isaac’s best friend dives into music and a new non-Amish group of friends. Others in the group dive into gaming, driving, vlogging, some question their sexuality, and they all grapple with the question of whether to stay out in a modern world full of endless possibilities or to return home to family, tradition, faith and the only life they’ve ever known.

For More Information: Selda Sahin, seldania@gmail.com

MONKEY TROUBLE UNLEASHED!

Book, Music & Lyrics by Joel B. New

Cast Size: 5 Performers

Synopsis: Monkey Trouble Unleashed! is a parody mashup of a family film starring a Capuchin monkey (1994’s Monkey Trouble) and an action thriller starring Jet Li (2005’s Unleashed). The story follows this guy named Danny, and Danny has been taken in by this person named Bart, who treats him like a monkey and makes him wear a collar; whenever Bart removes said collar, Danny attacks. So, he kills people and there’s, like, some blood and guts and gore and things. Then one day, Danny falls in love with a tender, sweet, blind piano tuner. Things take off from there, we follow him on a journey, and everything goes nuts. Comedy, Book Musical, 90 Minutes, Pop/Rock.

For More Information: Mark Orsini, Literary Agent, Bret Adams Ltd, (212) 765-5630, morsini@bretadamsltd.net

MR. SIPPLE

Music & Lyrics by Jacob Ryan Smith, Book by Wilson Plonk & Jacob Ryan Smith

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 4 Principal Females, 8 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Taking place during the radical times of 1975 San Francisco, MR. SIPPLE explores the story of Oliver (Billy) Sipple, a purple hearted marine veteran that saved the life of president Gerald Ford. After his heroic act, Billy was unknowingly outed by his best friend, up and coming political activist Harvey Milk. The two men must then balance the line between political gain and personal friendship.  This is all being explored though the eyes of Sipple’s mother, who disowned her son when she found out about his homosexuality and is now trying to come to terms with his identity and his impact. MR. SIPPLE explores guilt, love, and the failures of our heroes in a story of forgiveness and acceptance.

For More Information: Jacob Ryan Smith, JacobRyanSmithMusic@gmail.com, (404) 769-6756

OSWALD

Music & Lyrics Josh Sassanella, Book by Josh Sassanella & Tony LePage

Cast Size: 2 Principal Males, 2 Principal Females, 11 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Lee Harvey Oswald’s now elderly widowed wife Marina, tells two versions of the accused assassin’s journey (played by two actors) simultaneously. On one side of our story; a troubled youth caught up in an impossible situation, which ultimately leads to the conspiracy theories many believe to this day. On the other; a cold-blooded killer, driven mad by his unrelenting need to be remembered. Faced with a lifetime of unanswered questions, and a box full of buried memories, Marina’s past is divided, and the truths of this unwilling survivor’s story tests what it means to live with the name, “OSWALD”.

For More Information: Joshua Sassanella, jsassman@yahoo.com

PASSING THROUGH

Book by Eric Ulloa, Music & Lyrics by Brett Ryback

Cast Size: 5 males, 6 females. Our cast portrays an ensemble of Black, White, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous (Navajo) characters, ages 23 – 102.

Synopsis: Set amidst the rich sounds and diverse tapestry of the American landscape, Passing Through tells the incredible true story of a young man who journeys on foot from Pennsylvania to California, collecting stories as he goes. But when his trek brings to light an unresolved family crisis, he must use the lessons he’s gathered to finally confront his past. A musical that celebrates America, and the healing power of fellowship and forgiveness.

For More Information: Brett Ryback, btryback@gmail.com

REPUBLIC

Book, Music & Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk

Cast Size: 12 Humans

Synopsis: REPUBLIC follows the rise of Hal O’Byrne, IRA-mastermind, and Kate Bernadine, political operative as they come of against the backdrop of Northern Ireland in the 1970s during the most violent years of the Troubles. While Hal sheds his terrorist skin, Kate must choose between love and country. In a place where bombs go off every day, spies are everywhere, and Catholics and Protestants cannot coexist, Belfast is a tinderbox ready to explode. Loosely adapted from Shakespeare’s HENRY IV, REPUBLIC is a political thriller with an epic musical score that weaves traditional Celtic music, classical motifs, and pulsing Irish rock.

For More Information: Brian Lowdermilk, brian@kerrigan-lowdermilk.com / Kait Kerrigan, kait@kerrigan-lowdermilk.com

TARRYTOWN

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Adam Wachter

Cast Size: 2 Principal Males, 1 Principal Female

Synopsis: Adam Wachter’s original musical, Tarrytown, a contemporary story loosely based on Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is a funny, tuneful, and intense musical drama in 90 minutes for three singing actors. Its world premiere production opened at the Backyard Renaissance theatre company in San Diego in 2017, and it was nominated for San Diego Theatre Critics’ Circle Craig Noel Awards and won “Best New Musical.” A reading, directed by Michael Arden, was held by MCC Theater in 2018 and starred Jeremy Jordan, Andy Mientus, and Krysta Rodriguez. This same all-star cast is featured on the Studio Cast Recording released in 2020 to benefit The Actors Fund’s COVID-19 assistance programs. Tarrytown was a top-10 finalist for the 2019 Richard Rodgers Award. For reviews, songs, and more information, please visit adamwachter.com/tarrytown.

For More Information: Adam Wachter, adam.wachter@gmail.com and Di Glazer, dglazer@icmpartners.com, (212) 556-6820

THE BIG TIME

Book by Douglas Carter Beane, Music & Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 2 Principal Females, 2 Trans or Gender Non-Conforming Principals

Synopsis: The time is 1963, the Cold War is raging and Soviet Russia has hatched its most dastardly plan. With KGB officers disguised as waiters, a NATO peace-keeping vessel is taken over, and all of NATO is held hostage. But no one counted on the ship’s entertainment, the third-rate Steve and Eydie, to save the free world by teaching the communists to put down their Kalashnikovs and take up singing and dancing. This show is a good old-fashioned musical comedy in the style of Comden and Green or Cole Porter but with the added flavor of resonance for today.

Orchestrated for a big band by Tony nominee August Eriksmoen (COME FROM AWAY, BRIGHT STAR), THE BIG TIME was originally presented to sold-out crowds in the NYMF Festival and recently a highly-acclaimed concert at the McCarter Theater starring Santino Fontana, Debbie Gravitte, Will Swenson, Laura Osnes, Jackie Hoffman, Michael McCormick, Bradley Dean, Raymond Bokhour, and the Princeton Pops.

For More Information: George Lane, CAA, (212) 277-9000, glaneasst@CAA.com

THE HOMEFRONT

Book by Jenny Stafford, Music and Lyrics by Sam Salmond

Cast Size: 1 Principal Male, 9 Principal Females, 1 Person Ensemble (including one 13-year-old Female)

Synopsis: The earliest stages of a feminist revolution in the American workforce is at the center of this powerful and inspiring true story of strength and resilience. When World War II comes to a close and the men return home, the women are immediately fired from their jobs at the factory. Two best friends—one black and one white–lead a movement to fight for the jobs of their fellow female workers. But when their progressive ideals fall short and it becomes clear that the black women and the white women will no longer have the same opportunities in this post-war world, they have to decide what – and who – are they willing to give up in the fight, and what happens when loved ones get caught in the crossfire.  American history, pop rock, and feminist revolution collide in this rousing new musical.

For More Information:  Sam Salmond, samuelsalmond@yahoo.com / Jenny Stafford, jennifer.stafford@yahoo.com

THE LUCKY BOY

Book, Music & Lyrics by Kirsten Childs

Cast Size: 6 Men, 5 Women

Synopsis: The Lucky Boy, the new musical from Kirsten Childs (The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Funked Up Fairy Tales, Bella: An American Tall Tale), is a satirical one-act musical based on the Grimm’s fairy tale “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs.” The show examines what happens when a country is held hostage by a tyrant’s rule. Cruel King Ambrose kills citizens who don’t proclaim him adorable. When it’s predicted that an illegal alien baby named Lucky will grow up to surpass him in adorability, Ambrose throws the child into a nuclear waste bin. Eighteen years later, Ambrose discovers Lucky’s still alive and hella adorable. The Lucky Boy is a Penn State University Musical Theatre commission.

For More Information: Susan Weaving, WME Agency, (212) 903-1170 and/or John Simpkins, Head of Musical Theatre at Penn State University, johnsimpkins11@gmail.com

WINGS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Danny K Bernstein

Cast Size: 5 Principal Males, 4 Principal Females

Synopsis: Loosely adapted from the 1906 Russian novella, WINGS tells the story of 4th year university student Vanya, through his eyes, as he navigates his final year of study in St. Petersburg. With no money, and fearful of the cruel, aristocratic and homophobic country that awaits him, Vanya is desperate to win a prestigious Fellowship that will allow him to stay at the university, and in the closet. However, matters complicate when he begins working privately on his application with the Fellowship’s current recipient, and the two begin a relationship that neither are quite prepared for…

For More Information: Danny K Bernstein, danny.king.bernstein@gmail.com or Emily Maltby

2019

BODY AND SOUL

Book, Music & Lyrics by Mary Liz McNamara

Cast Size: 2 Males, 4 Females (2 Female Leads)

Synopsis: Diana Braun, a resourceful and funny woman with Down syndrome, is the caretaker for Kathy Conour, a “non-verbal” writer and political activist with severe cerebral palsy. Based on the award-winning documentary by Alice Elliott, Body and Soul celebrates the sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious life shared by two incredible women who happen to be disabled, and has been developed to feature lead actors with disabilities.

For More Information: Mary Liz McNamara, marylizmcnamara@gmail.com, 908-803-2510

BRAVO

Book by Cristian Guerrero & Andrew Moorhead, Lyrics by Cristian Guerrero, Andrew Moorhead & Steven Schmidt, Music by Steven Schmidt

Cast Size: 4 Principal Males, 4 Principal Females, 7 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Blending historical-fiction with a bold, contemporary score, ​Bravo ​tells the hope filled and heartbreaking story of a group of teenagers living in Italy during World War II. When Renzo, a conflicted and misunderstood fourteen year old in a Mussolini Fascist Youth Movement, discovers a group of Jewish adolescents in hiding, he makes the shocking decision to not immediately denounce them. As an uneasy kinship develops between them, Renzo begins to question the bigotry he’s been taught. When the German army invades, threatening the persecuted youths he’s grown to care for, Renzo is forced to choose between standing up for what is right or giving in to fear, hate, and apathy. ​Bravo ​explores fate, the complications of growing up in a world that is falling apart, and our collective responsibility to fight for those facing persecution for their religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. ​Bravo​ celebrates the resiliency of the youthful spirit in the face of horrific circumstances – in our own tumultuous times, what better hope do we have to move the world forward?

For More Information: Andrew Moorhead, ajmoorhead@gmail.com / contact.playgroundtheatre@gmail.com, (510) 681-4644

EASTBOUND

Book & Music by Cheeyang Ng, Book & Lyrics by Khiyon Hursey

Cast Size: 3 Males, 3 Females

Synopsis: Two worlds. Two cultures. One question: How far are you willing to go to find family? Chinese-American adoptee Calvin travels to China in search of his birth mother. Unbeknownst to him, his biological brother, Yun, travels to America, seeking to break free of family traditions. Their quests in search of their own identity force them to evaluate whether family is chosen or biological.

For More Information: Ben.Izzo@abramsart.com or Ryan.Lucas@unitedtalent.com

EH, DAH? QUESTIONS FOR MY FATHER

Book, Music & Lyrics by Aya Aziz

Cast Size: 2 Males, 3 Females

Synopsis: Eh Dah? Questions for my Father follows a family divided across continents and turbulent political landscapes as they search for home and belonging. Spanning generations in Egypt and America, this eclectic new musical by Aya Aziz explores how to discern truth from the stories we are told in a post 9/11 world. Recipient of the Best Book and Outstanding Individual Performance Awards at the 2016 New York Musical Festival, Eh Dah? had a sold out run at Next Door @ New York Theatre Workshop in 2019.

For More Information: Arpita Mukherjee, arpita@hypokritnyc.org

THE FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

Book, Music & Lyrics by Masi Asare

Cast Size: 2 Male-identifying, 5 Female-identifying

Synopsis: Akosua and her family are expecting an ordinary Christmas back home in central Pennsylvania, but heavy winds, a corporate crisis, and a visitation from an ancestor mean things do not go as planned. This semiautobiographical musical centers on three generations of one cross-cultural family—a white mother, black father, two mixed race daughters, and the spirit of an African grandmother. Even when your heritage is all over the map, you have to go back to your roots to find your way forward. The score includes American folk and popular song, west African highlife, and Akan classical music.

For More Information: Masi Asare | masi@masiasare.com or Charles Kopelman, Abrams Artists Agency | 646.461.9377 | charles.kopelman@abramsart.com

FLY

Book by Taylor Hatch, Music & Lyrics by Jordan Kamalu

Cast Size: 9 Men, 11 Women

Synopsis: It’s the Golden Age of Flight and the world’s most daring female flyers are taking off in the first ever National Women’s Air Derby, a nine-day cross-country air race from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio. Louise Thaden, a hot-shot pilot and world record holder, is determined to take home the golden cup. But when she and the other pilots discover that the race is set up for them to fail, they must decide whether or not to put their lives on the line for the future of women in flight.

For More Information: Jordan Kamalu, jkamalu@gmail.com, (385) 515-0118

HART ISLAND

Book & Lyrics by Michelle Elliott, Music & Lyrics by Danny Haengil Larsen

Cast Size: Five men; three women

Synopsis: Just off the shore of New York City lies a sorrowful island that serves as a public burial ground for the City’s unclaimed and impoverished dead. Hart Island is an inspiring and emotional tale of an immigrant woman fighting for her child, and the compassion of a disillusioned inmate at Riker’s Island who is the only person who can help her. This hauntingly beautiful new musical explores the lives of two “unclaimed” people as they change each other’s lives forever.

For More Information: Emma Feiwel | WME EFeiwel@WMEAgency.com  212.903.1409

THE HOMEFRONT

Book by Jenny Stafford, Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond

Cast Size: 6 White women, 3 Black women, 2 White men

Synopsis: The earliest stages of a feminist revolution in the American workforce is at the center of this powerful and inspiring true story of strength and resilience. When World War II comes to a close and the men return home, one woman leads a movement to fight for the jobs of her fellow female factory workers. But what – and who – are they willing to give up in the fight, and what happens when loved ones get caught in the crossfire? American history, rock and roll, and feminist revolution collide in this rousing new musical.

For More Information: Sam Salmond: samuelsalmond@yahoo.com, (412) 427-6457

Jenny Stafford: jennifer.stafford@yahoo.com, (719) 499-4777

HOT

Book & Lyrics by Sara Cooper, Music by Lynne Shankel

Cast Size: 8 Women+

Synopsis: HoT is an all-female+ darkly comedic sung-through adaptation of Helen of Troy. It examines the commodification of women throughout our lifetimes as Helen is first sexualized, then held to unrealistic beauty and gender-based standards, and finally vilified and discarded—until she decides to stand up and take her power back.

For More Information: Sara Cooper – sara.b.cooper@gmail.com / 631-848-3625, or Lynne Shankel – lshankel@mac.com / 917-826-2490

MONSTERS OF THE VILLA DIODATI

Music & Lyrics by Matt Conner, Book & Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith

Cast Size: 3 Males, 2 Females

Synopsis: Take a group of young, talented, and famous “content creators,” isolate them in a lakeside house for the summer, and challenge them to invent one of the most iconic stories of all time. Throw in a little family scandal and financial desperation, charge the atmosphere with forbidden sexual urges, and see what nightmares they invent.

Mary and Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, Claire Clairmont, and John Polidori were the media influencers and rock stars of the Romantic era, and the remarkable true events surrounding the creation of Mary Shelley’s iconic monster are brought back to life with a pulsating new rock musical score from the composer of Nevermore.

For More Information: http://licensing.creativecauldron.org, or email Laura Connors Hull at info@creativecauldron.org

PETER AND THE WAVE

Book, Music & Lyrics by Timothy Huang

Cast Size: 5 Men, 4 Women

Synopsis: Peter and the Wave is a full length musical about being on the right side of history. It tells two interwoven but separate narratives. The Peter side tells the story of an American man who must travel to Japan to identify and claim the body of his dead husband, a Nisei who was visiting there on business. But his attempts at closure are easier said than done.

The Wave side tells a fictional account of Kotoku Wamura, the real-life mayor of Fudai, who in an attempt to prevent history from repeating itself, set off on a decades long crusade to build an unprecedented 60 foot seawall around his town to protect it from tsunami. Though it came at great personal cost he succeeded, only to have it go unused in his lifetime making his legacy a punchline.

As both men search for answers in a world that refuses see them, their lives bend across space and time towards one another culminating in a bittersweet ending that is both heartbreaking and deeply triumphant.

For More Information: Mark Orisini at Bret Adams Ltd., morsini@bretadamsltd.net, (212) 765-5630

SPITTOONIA ON THE ERIE

Book & Lyrics by Nathan Christensen, Music by David Mallamud

Cast Size: 3 Men, 4 Women (including 1 youth), optional ensemble

Synopsis: Magical muskrats, questionable medicine, the ghost of George Washington, and a yodeling ornithologist: welcome to the American version of Cinderella. At least, the version improvised by a pun-wielding dad hoping to rekindle the bond he used to share with his newly-adolescent, no-nonsense daughter. In Spittoonia on the Erie, his funhouse ride of a bedtime story comes bursting to life around them, mashing together the unsettling fantasy of the Brothers Grimm, the satire of Candide, and the self-referential cheekiness of The Princess Bride. His heroine, Spittoonia, sets out in 1825 along the newly-completed Erie Canal, facing surprisingly-effective psychics, a pencil-sharpening sweat shop, and death itself in her quest for love or maybe just a handsome, rich dude with a full set of teeth. Spittoonia on the Erie is a two-act musical comedy with a flexible cast size, appropriate for adult or family audiences.

For More Information: spittoonia@gmail.com or www.DavidMallamud.com/Spittoonia

STARBLASTERS

Book by Katie Hathaway, Music & Lyrics by Benjamin Velez

Cast Size: 2 Men, 3 Women

Synopsis: What does it mean to be turning 30 and living with your parents? Starblasters is about a generation raised to believe in opportunity only to come of age in a post-recession America where childhood dreams feel beyond reach. Five friends have spent the twelve years since high school working at the local run-down theme park and clinging to the nostalgia of their youths. But with the park’s closure looming, they must face adulthood head on, or face the prospect of a life dependent on their parents, chained to a dead-end job, losing their ability to dream. Starblasters is a musical filled with pathos and wit, that wears its heart on its sleeve, driven by a pop-infused score that melds hip hop, gypsy swing, rock, and cinematic fantasy to capture the allure of their pasts and propel them into the future.

For More Information: Benjamin Velez, benjaminvelezmusic@gmail.com, (305) 984-1372

STUPID HUMANS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jorge “Jay” Rivera-Herrans

Cast Size: 3 Males, 2 Females, 8 Person Ensemble

Synopsis: Stupid Humans follows a young man, Indigo, who, against his father’s wishes, drops out of medical school to pursue his dream of becoming a singer/songwriter. Along with Indigo we meet his best friend Clara, who has her own struggles at home, and accompanies Indigo on his adventure. By the end, Indigo and his father find a new respect and understanding for one another while Clara experiences a tragic loss which allows her to see the importance of family and human connection. Stupid Humans is about listening to your heart, chasing one’s dreams, and never giving up on those you love.

For More Information: Matt Hawkins, mhawkin2@nd.edu, (773) 875-5779

TEDDY & MAX

Book & Lyrics by Brian Crawley, Music by Zoe Sarnak

Cast Size: 3 Males, 3 Females

Synopsis: In the summer of ’66, two sisters from Queens, Theodora and Maxine, decide to go for it: ditch college and reinvent themselves. Now “Teddy & Max,” they head out on the road as a singing duo, to make history writing, recording, and touring their music. It’s Teddy & Max against the world—or a male-dominated industry which doesn’t always take them seriously. Soon they find themselves pulled in different directions. As the songwriter of the duo, Max’s star starts to rise. Teddy finds herself juggling a new life in the anti-war movement with raising a child. After years apart, can making music bring them back together again? With a score that draws from the heyday of the Village folk scene, Laurel Canyon folk-rock, and a modern ear that places Max ahead of her time, the music in Teddy & Max is as genuine, edgy, and true as the women at the heart of this story.

For More Information: Kate Bussert • kbussert@bretadamsltd.net • Bruce Ostler • bostler@bretadamsltd.net • (212) 765-5630

WASTED

Book & Lyrics by Carl Miller, Music by Christopher Ash

Cast Size: 1 Male, 3 Females

Synopsis: The Brontës. They Rock. The most famous family of writers in the world – as you have never seen them before. The tragi-comic true-life story of four young people who began as nobodies from nowhere and shot to eternal fame: Emily (Wuthering Heights), Charlotte (Jane Eyre) and Anne (Agnes Grey) Brontë, plus their ill-fated brother Branwell, told through a sensational rock and pop score.

For More Information: Carl Miller, carl@fonthill.demon.co.uk

2018

BEN

Book and Lyrics by Scott Gilmour, Music by Claire McKenzie

Cast Size: 6 Men, 4 Women

Synopsis: The true story of an ordinary old man and his extraordinary life. From his room on East 74th Street in New York City, Bernhardt Wichmann III changed the lives of those around him; reconnecting his neighbors to values of friendship, humanity and happiness. And he did all this without speaking. Ben was a mute. His life is a story of how one man endured tragedy, illness, success and defeat, before finally encountering a miracle.

This life affirming new musical by award-winning writing partnership Noisemaker will be premiered in partnership with Goodspeed Musicals and the renowned Dundee Rep Theatre in Scotland in Spring 2019.

For More Information: Scott Gilmour or Claire McKenzie at noisemakerproductions@gmail.com

EASTBOUND

Music and Book by Cheeyang Ng, Book and Lyrics by Khiyon Hursey

Cast Size: 3 Men, 4 Women

Synopsis: EASTBOUND follows the journey of two brothers in their quests for survival. Calvin, an Chinese-American adoptee is diagnosed with leukemia and decides to travel to China in search of his biological family in a fight to survive. Yun, a brother that Calvin never knew, travels to America to escape the societal expectations in China. Through their intertwined journeys, we discover how different cultures deal with loss, sexuality, disease and most importantly, what it means to be a family.

For More Information: Cheeyang Ng, (617) 335-3556, cheeyangmusic@gmail.com or Ben Izzo, Abrams Artists Agency, (646) 461-9383, ben.izzo@abramsart.com

HONOR

Book by Peter Mills & Cara Reichel; Music & Lyrics by Peter Mills

Cast Size: 11 Men, 4 Women

Synopsis: Honor is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, set in feudal Japan. When her father, the daimyo, is deposed by his younger brother, Hana flees to the forest, disguising herself as a boy for safety. There she meets Yoshiro, a young samurai loyal to her father and who has also fled. Yoshiro had briefly met Hana in court, and was smitten with her—but does not recognize her now. Complications arise as more people cross paths in the forest, culminating in a showdown between the rival daimyos in which love and honor are put to the test.

For More Information: Peter Mills, (646) 286-7569, petermills2@gmail.com

LOCH LOMOND

Book & Lyrics by Maggie Herskowitz; Music by Neil Douglas Reilly
Cast Size: 2 Men/2 Women

Synopsis: The Highlander uprising of 1745. Two Scottish brothers are thrown into an English prison and faced with an impossible choice: at dawn, one of them will be put to death, the other sent home to their town near LOCH LOMOND… and the decision as to who will live and who will die is cruelly left in their own hands. Against the ticking clock, the brothers try to mend a lifetime of differences as they reconcile their desire for Scottish freedom with their love for the women and home left behind. The FOUR PERSON CAST brings to life the little-known story behind the song, via an imaginatively-structured libretto by Maggie Herskowitz (Princess Ten Ten and the Dark Skies), with her lyrics set to a moving score filled with traditional Scottish folk songs and Celtic-inspired contemporary music by Neil Douglas Reilly (Gods & Kings).

For More Information: Jeff Whiting, jeff.whiting@me.com

MODERN

Book & Music by Derek Gregor; Book & Lyrics by Selda Sahin

Cast Size: 5-6 M/5-6 F

Synopsis: Modern follows a group of Amish teenagers on their Rumspringa (a period when Amish teens are given greater personal freedom, ending with the choice of baptism into the church or leaving the community). For one month, Isaac and his best friend Willis are living out in the modern world in a house with three other Amish boys. They, along with their Amish friends…and some non-Amish friends…balance a new world of falling in love, progress, tradition, family, faith, and who they’ll become.

For More Information: Selda Sahin, seldania@gmail.com, 917-568-1003

ONCE UPON A RHYME

Book, Music & Lyrics by Ronve’ O’Daniel; Music by Jevares Myrick

Cast Size: 10-12 Males / 6-8  Females
Flexible cast, possible to scale down to 16 or include larger ensemble.

Synopsis: Once Upon a Rhyme tells the story of a classically dancer named Prince, who dreams of becoming a hip hop star. While the 2008 U.S. financial crisis threatens his native city, Clifftown, Prince struggles to balance his dance career with his ambitions of becoming a rapper. A mysterious apparition from the past haunts Prince as he adopts a dangerous persona to win a rap battle and a coveted recording contract. Yet once he feels the powerful love from the people in his life, Prince discovers his voice, wins over the girl of his dreams, and realizes what it takes to be truly free.

For More Information: David Coffman, d.coffman@sndance.com

ONE WAY

Music by Ben Bonnema; Lyrics by Christopher Staskel; Book by Ben Bonnema & Christopher Staskel

Cast Size: 4 Women / 3 Men

Synopsis: Naomi is selected as a finalist to go on the first one-way trip to Mars. Her partner, Elaine, struggles to understand why the mission is worth a human life. Naomi must choose: venture to Mars in the name of scientific advancement and human exploration or remain here on Earth to be with the woman she loves. With a fresh, dynamic score, One Way is about the cost of ambition and how our choices affect those closest to us.

For More Information: Katie Gamelli, Abrams Artists Agency, 646-461-9379, katie.gamelli@abramsart.com

RIO UPHILL

Book by Juliana Pedroso; Music by Nanny Assis; Book, Music & Lyrics by Matthew Gurren
Cast Size: 7M, 5F

Synopsis: From the vibrancy of Carnaval to the enchanting melodies of Samba and Bossa Nova, Rio Uphill is an exciting new musical that brings the best of Brazilian culture to the international scene. Set in Brazil, Guilherme, a wealthy youth from Leblon is arrested for drug possession. He is incarcerated with Miguel, who is from the slum of Morro do Lado. Guilherme bails Miguel out of jail in exchange to live with his family where he experiences a world that is harsh and unjust, yet rich in love, culture and tradition. As Guilherme grows closer to the community, he witnesses and determines to thwart the corrupt establishment and bring about change, but at a heavy cost.

For More Information: Matthew Gurren, mgmgurren@gmail.com, 203-969-5446

SWEETHEARTS OF SWING

Book by Natalie Wilson; Music & Lyrics by Kat Sherrell

Cast Size: 17 female (including 12 actor/musicians), 5 male

Synopsis: “One – two – a-one, two, three, four!” Evelyn LaFayette counts off the band, and the resulting wall of sound propels the vocal from deep in her gut out to the dance floor where it moves the crowd into a frenzy of dancing.

The time: 1943. America is over a year into World War II.

The place: the Jim Crow South.

The band: a swing band typical of the era – typical, that is, except that Evelyn and the players are all young women of color.

Inspired by true stories of all-female big bands from the era, Sweethearts of Swing is the story of survival in a hostile world.  Can this “international” band of African American, Latina, Native American, Chinese American — and even one white woman — survive while touring the Jim Crow South? By exploring the intersection of race, gender and privilege, Sweethearts reminds us of music’s power to bridge even the deepest divides between us.

For More Information: Natalie Wilson (bookwriter), 212-504-3046, info@sweetheartsofswing.com

TEETH

Book & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson; Music & Lyrics by Anna K. Jacobs

Cast Size: 4M, 7F

Synopsis: Adapted from the 2007 Sundance Award-winning indie horror film by Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth tells the story of Dawn O’Keefe, an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret: she has teeth in her vagina. When the men in Dawn’s life try to exploit her, she is forced to choose between survival or destruction..

For More Information: Katie Gamelli (Abrams Artists Agency) katie.gamelli@abramsartny.com

WAIT WAIT DON’T KILL ME

Book by Dave Holstein; Music & Lyrics by Alan Schmuckler

Cast Size: 6F, 4M

Synopsis: Created by Alan Schmuckler (2018 Kleban Prize lyricist winner) and Dave Holstein (creator of Showtime’s new series, Kidding, starring Jim Carrey), Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me is a subversive, comedic new musical satire that explores the pursuit of celebrity at all costs and our obsession with murder as entertainment. Inspired by the events surrounding the making of NPR’s Serial, this 10-person, two-act production shines new light on the making of the world’s most successful podcast and America’s relationship to the media. Listen to the whole show on Spotify.

For More Information: Peter Flynn, Founder/Producer, Mainspring Arts Cooperative — peter@mainspringarts.org

2017

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Book and Lyrics by Matte O’Brien, Music by Matt Vinson

Cast Size: 4 Females, 2 Males. Mixed Ensemble of 6+.

Synopsis: Based on the famous novel by Lucy M. Montgomery and is now a new series on Netflix, Anne of Green Gables tells the story of Anne Shirley, a young orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, unmarried siblings, on their family farm, Green Gables. She is an imaginative, excitable, fiercely independent, opinionated, stubborn, loving, dramatic, unintentionally hilarious girl – who’s constantly getting herself into trouble. With a score that blends folk-rock, pop, gospel, and musical theater styles; and a script that grapples with questions of family, friendship, and the bittersweet trials of adolescence, this new musical version of Anne of Green Gables is the classic story with a contemporary twist.

For More Information: Justin Nichols – 31 Tanager Productions, jnichols@31tanager.com, (617) 997-7294

THE DISAPPEARING MAN

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jahn Sood

Cast Size: 4 Males, 2 Females.

Synopsis: The Disappearing Man is a new folk opera set backstage at a small-time circus in 1936. Against the backdrop of a bleak world order, a magician and his lovely assistant fight to break free of the roles they’ve always played and start anew, while the Ringmaster, Lion Tamer and clowns make a desperate bid to keep their family together.

Developed at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Joe’s Pub, Musical Theatre Factory and alternative arts spaces in Brooklyn, Boston and Maine, the show is written for immersive staging and can be expanded to include real circus arts.

For More Information: Jahn Sood, jahnsood@gmail.com, (203) 570-4256

A HERO’S TALE

Music by Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, Book and Lyrics by Mads Ebeloe Nielson

Cast Size: 5 male / 2 female (Alternatively 4 male / 3 female.)

Synopsis: A Hero’s Tale is the story of a young man who, in a last effort to prove that he’s worthy as heir to the family business, travels to the farthest northern edge of the world. Arriving at the fabled Dragon’s Inn, his plan to make himself a fortune overnight by selling souvenirs starts to crumble. Desperate, he follows along when fate leads him down a path, which could lead to fame and fortune – but is more likely to end in a dragon’s belly.

A Hero’s Tale is an original, family oriented story, intended to bring the exciting feel of an epic Disney’esque fantasy world to the stage – with a minimal cast (and a handsome whiff of unexpected twists to the genre). Powered by a grand, yet heartfelt, pop/rock musical score, it revolves around the human yearning for success – and the detour to happiness that yearning often proves to be.

For More Information: Arthur Bacon, arthur.bacon@yahoo.com

LIFE AFTER

Book, Music and Lyrics by Britta Johnson

Cast Size: 8 Females, 1 Male.

Synopsis: As a celebrated self-help guru, Frank Carter seems to have the answers to the meaning of life, but when he smashes into a truck on her 16th birthday, his daughter Alice is left to pick up the pieces and solve the puzzle for herself.  An expanded and reworked production of the 2016 hit Toronto Fringe musical, Life After is a genuine and funny story of love, loss and vivid imagination from one of the most exciting new voices in Canadian musical theatre.

For More Information: Natalie Bartello, Yonge Street Theatricals, nb.ystheatricals@gmail.com

MEN WITH MONEY

Book & Lyrics by Bill Nelson, Music & add’l Lyrics by Joseph Trefler

Cast Size: 7 Males, 3 Females. More for ensemble if desired.

Synopsis: A musical the 1950s didn’t get to have—a Technicolor, fantasy version of 1952 in which it’s okay to be gay (and a person of color, a woman, etc.). In this subversive, romantic romp, three young men set out to make their wild dream come true—to find, woo, and win lovers with money. Loads of money. Two gay and one straight, they might just have the charm and chutzpah to pull it off.

For More Information: Bill Nelson, (816) 695-5821, billnewyork@gmail.com

MIDDLE SCHOOL MYSTERIES

Music & Lyrics by Daniel Maté, Book by Daniel Maté & Marshall Pailet

Cast Size: 3M/4F, flexible ensemble

Synopsis: Middle School Mysteries follows two sixth-grade sleuths—the wily veteran Rick Taylor and the wide-eyed (and formerly homeschooled) newcomer Melissa Lewis—as they team up to investigate the case of a missing student. As their search leads them deep into the dark, film-noir-like social underworld of Stormy Gardens Middle School, they discover new mysteries lurking behind every carefully constructed persona, from mean girls to freaks to theater kids. Little do they know that their investigation, fueled by a jazzy, sleuthy score, will risk toppling the entire social order, and even reveal closely guarded secrets about themselves!

For More Information: Daniel Maté, danielbmate@gmail.com, 604-440-8660

THE MOON AND THE SEA

By Creighton Irons
Cast Size: 4M/2F

Synopsis: While playing music on the shore, lovers Erin and Charlie witness a miracle that changes their lives: the Moon leaves the sky and fills the Sea with silver light. Five years later, after a crushing breakup, Charlie builds the cabin they always dreamed of and invites Erin back to the shore to see it. Erin brings Doug, their old bandmate and her new fiance. As Moon and Sea again reach for one another, Erin must confront the pull that still draws her to her ex-lover and weigh it against the calm stability of her new life with Doug.

For More Information: Creighton Irons, creighton.irons@gmail.com

PICTURE PERFECT

Music & Lyrics by Ben Roseberry; Book & Lyrics by Chip Klose

Cast Size: 10 men, 8 women

Synopsis: When Adam gets left at the altar, his groomsmen whisk him away on a wild coast-to-coast road trip. Two weeks to get from California back to NYC. As the trip goes he comes to realize that his friends don’t know as much as they professed. Set to a driving pop/rock score, it’s a buddy-comedy set to music—a show about discovering what it was you were after in the first place. 

For More Information: Chip Klose, (646) 734-8827, chipklose@gmail.com

POPSTAR

Book by Martin Casella, Music and Lyrics by Jay Levin and Sophie Dupin, Conceived by Sharon Rosen

Cast Size: 10M, 9F

Synopsis: Popstar is the story of Richard “Buzz” Michaelson, a driven, brilliant but abrasive Hollywood record executive who, after falling from grace in the music industry, decides to stage a comeback by finding the next big thing in music. Driven by the multi-platinum careers of his previous discoveries, a deep passion for music and quest for fame, Buzz finds a teenage prodigy in rural Idaho. After pledging to mentor the boy, along with supporting the teen’s grandmother and his songwriter best friend, Buzz quickly learns that the price of his redemption is going to cost him far more personally—and emotionally—than he ever dreamed.

For More Information: Alchemy Productions 630 9th Avenue, Suite 610 New York, New York 10036, (212) 589-5477

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF PRINCE JEN

Music by Daniel Green
Book & Lyrics by Lezlie Wade

Cast Size: 9M, 7F (16+)

Synopsis: Set in a mythical Chinese kingdom, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen is a family-friendly adventure tale about the transformative powers of friendship, courage and love. When his father’s kingdom is threatened, Prince Jen embarks on a quest to seek the aid of a powerful Emperor, carrying with him five seemingly ordinary gifts. But sometimes that which appears ordinary can be truly remarkable. The young Prince soon discovers that the objects hold magical powers, and with the help of some newfound friends learns that he, too, is capable of more than anyone imagined.

For more information: Scott Evans, Artistic Director, Somerled Arts, (917) 554-7094, PrinceJen@SomerledArts.org

SHIDA

By Jeannette Bayardelle

Cast Size: One Woman; open to discussing a multi-actor version.

Synopsis: Set to a soulful score of rock, jazz, R&B, and gospel music, Shida is based on the true story of a young African-American girl who aspires to become a writer, tracing the ups and downs of her family, friendships, and love life – from the double-dutch court at St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Bronx to a scholarship at NYU. Her dreams become sidetracked by hardship and loss until her faith and those closest to her combine to restore Shida’s hope and give her a second chance. Shida is a tour-de-force for one actor, who takes us through Shida’s powerful, funny, and inspirational story, portraying multiple roles.

For More Information:  Jeannette Bayardelle — ShidaTheMusical@gmail.com
Andy Sandberg — Andy@AndySandberg.com

SOLANA

Book, Music & Lyrics by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid

Cast Size: 4 Principal Men, 3 Principal Women, 16-20 person ensemble

Synopsis: Solana explores the changing landscape of what it means to be a family. Twenty-five year old, adopted Asian-American, Chloe Ellsworth, is still living at home with her family on their farm in Indiana. When an unexpected visitor arrives, everything changes and she is thrown into an unexpected fairy-tale journey full of surprises, twists and turns resulting in a profound understanding about herself and the unresolved feelings she has harbored about her adoption.

For More Information: Ilene Reid, IleneReid622@gmail.com, (914) 589-7180

TEETH

Book & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson Music & Lyrics by Anna K. Jacobs

Cast Size: 4M, 7F

Synopsis: Adapted from the 2007 Sundance Award-winning indie horror film by Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth tells the story of Dawn O’Keefe, an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret: she has teeth in her vagina. When the men in Dawn’s life try to exploit her, she is forced to choose between survival or destruction.

For More Information: Derek Zasky at WME, dzasky@wmeentertainment.com     

TIM AND SCROOGE: A CAROL FOR A LATER CHRISTMAS

Music by Neil Berg, Book and Lyrics by Nick Meglin

Cast Size: 8 Men, 4 Women

Synopsis: One of the most celebrated holiday stories ever told continues in this award winning musical sequel to Charles Dickens’ famed A Christmas Carol.  A new holiday classic for young and old alike.

For More Information:  Susan Gurman, Agent, Gurman Agency LLC, 14 Penn Plaza, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10122-1701, Tel: (212) 749 4618

WASTELAND

By Tod Kimbro

Cast Size: 5M, 4W

Synopsis: Mogs McCallister-Itch has lived his whole life unplugged, but that’s about to change. After growing up in a rural commune with a well-meaning band of rebels, Mogs is ready to fulfill his lifelong dream: to break away and venture to the City, a lavish, domed playground where all citizens have tiny computers implanted in their brains. After his arrival (and installation), Mogs begins a medical career as a Geek MD while pursuing a romance with fiercely independent pop star Sunny Day. This provokes a dangerous rivalry with the President Royal Marcus Dickory–the City’s charming, ruthless leader–who is also vying for Sunny’s affections. When Mogs is infected with a computer virus that threatens to destroy his new life, he must make a decision: continue spiraling downward with a buggy, plugged-in brain, or return to his low-tech existence in the woods…That is, if he can escape the President’s clutches.

For More Information: Tod Kimbro, todkimbro@gmail.com, (407) 697-8981

WINTERSONG

Music & Lyrics by Will Van Dyke, Book & Lyrics by Jeff Talbott

Cast Size: Principal:  5M/5W

Ensemble:  4M/4W

Synopsis: Set in the Nebraska Territories in the 1850’s but told in a contemporary folk/musical theatre language, Wintersong is the story of Leo Harper, a homesteader with a lot to love and a lot to lose. He came west with his wife and his brother, and they are making a go of it – but Leo is his own worst enemy and can’t control his suspicious thoughts.  In a land where emotions are as limitless as the sky, Leo needs to learn that joy comes at the cost of abandoning jealousy before it is too late. And that love requires you to awaken your faith.

For More Information: Ben Izzo at Abrams Artists Agency – ben.izzo@abramsart.com, (646) 461-9383

2016

DRIVE

Book, Music & Lyrics by Andy Monroe

Cast Size: 3 males, 2 females

Synopsis: When 39-year-old family man and local minister, Ellis, meets 17-year-old high school senior, Jared, in the parking lot of a gay bar, a chain of events begins that changes their lives and the lives of their loved ones forever in this 90-minute intimate and deeply human musical that takes place entirely in the front seat of a car.

For more information about Drive, contact: Mark Orsini, Bret Adams Ltd., morsini@bretadamsltd.net, 212-765-5630

LEARNING HOW TO DROWN

Book & Lyrics by Patricia Noonan
Music & Lyrics by Amanda Jacobs

Cast Size: Women (2), Men (1), Girl (1)

Synopsis: Inspired by the Irish myth of the Selkies, Learning How to Drown is a four actor, one set musical following the intertwined stories of three generations of women.  Shaped by the traditions of Irish music and drama, it is equal parts funny and heartbreaking as it unfolds a love story for a world that has stopped believing.

For more information about Learning How to Drown, contact: Bruce Ostler, Bret Adams Ltd., bostler@bretadamsltd.net and visit the show’s website at: www.learninghowtodrown.com

LOCH LOMOND

Book & Lyrics by Maggie Herskowitz
Music by Neil Douglas Reilly

Cast Size: 2 Men, 2 Women

Synopsis: Loch Lomond tells the story of two brothers faced with an impossible choice. As the Scottish uprising of 1745 rages around them, Lyle and James must reconcile their desire for freedom with their love for the women they leave behind, a love which will inspire some of the most famous lyrics of all time: ‘You’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road,’ a Scottish song sung the world over, begun in the hearts of heroes.

For more information about Loch Lomond, contact: Maggie Herskowitz, (323) 217-8004, maggieherskowitz@gmail.com, www.maggieherskowitz.com

ORPHIE AND THE BOOK OF HEROES

Music by Michael Kooman, Book & Lyrics by Christopher Dimond

Cast Size: 5-15 males, 2-12 females

Synopsis: Orphie, a young orphan in Ancient Greece, is obsessed with the stories told by her guardian, the blind storyteller Homer. She daydreams about being a hero, inviting the ridicule of her peers, who insist that heroes are bigger and stronger than she is, and, most importantly, heroes are male.

Orphie believes that Homer will know the story of a female hero. Unfortunately, before she can ask for it, Hades takes Homer to the Underworld.

Orphie sets out on a quest to save Homer, and in doing so, inadvertently becomes the hero she’s looking for, Greek mythology’s first female hero.

For more information about Orphie and The Book of Heroes, contact: Jonathan Mills – jmills@paradigmagency.com

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF PRINCE JEN

Music by Daniel Green
Book & Lyrics by Lezlie Wade

Cast Size: 10M, 6F (16+)

Synopsis: Set in a mythical Chinese kingdom, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen is a family-friendly adventure tale about the transformative powers of friendship, courage and love. When his father’s kingdom is threatened, Prince Jen embarks on a quest to seek the aid of a powerful Emperor, carrying with him five seemingly ordinary gifts. But sometimes that which appears ordinary can be truly remarkable. The young Prince soon discovers that the objects hold magical powers, and with the help of some newfound friends learns that he, too, is capable of more than anyone imagined.

For more information about The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen, contact: Scott Evans, Artistic Director, Somerled Arts, (917) 554-7094, PrinceJen@SomerledArts.org

RECURRING JOHN

By Kevin Wong

Cast Size: 7 (4 W, 3 M or 5 W, 2 M)

Synopsis: A mother sings a lullaby to her child. A teacher imparts ‘worldly wisdom’ upon a student. A tired lawyer eagerly awaits the chance for a promotion. A man recounts his emotional journey on his wedding day. A homeless park dweller fondly recounts the lives of passersby. These disparate lives are bound together by the common thread of one man’s life.

This 65-70 minute song cycle, perfect for smaller regional theatres and colleges, explores the impact of one life through presenting vignettes of individuals affected by the titular John, who never himself appears in the piece. 

For more information about Recurring John, contact: Kevin Wong, kevin@kevinwongmusic, 647 522 4863, http://www.kevinwongmusic.com

THE STATIONMASTER

Music & Lyrics by Tim Connor
Book by Susannah Pearse
Inspired by Horvath’s Judgment Day, translated by Christopher Hampton.

Cast Size: 5 male, 4 female

Synopsis: Kirby, 1958. A small town in the lush, green hills of the English Lake District. Railway stationmaster Thomas Price is the pillar of his local community.  But when a young woman distracts him on the platform, he forgets to set a crucial signal.

A horrific train crash occurs. He decides to lie about his mistake to the townsfolk.  But as ghosts of the dead start appearing to him in the town, Thomas’ well-ordered life begins to unravel…

For more information about The Stationmaster, contact: timpaniproductions@outlook.com

SWISH

Book by Tim Acito, Lyrics by Dan Marshall, Music by Joel Derfner

Cast Size: 4 men (2 baritone, 2 tenor)

SWISH is the tale of JD, who, after a bad breakup, goes on a quest—with the continual encouragement of the intrusive ghost of his mother—to get his terrible boyfriend Tom back by becoming the gayest person ever. He explores gay summer camp, cheerleading, go-go dancing, casual sex, knitting, and freedom from homosexuality by the power of Jesus Christ, all while doing his damnedest to destroy what seems to be the development of an actually healthy relationship with Mike. Finally, with help from his mother and Mike, he realizes that he’s been on a quest not to become the gayest person ever but to learn to love himself.

For more information about SWISH, contact: Mark Orsini, Bret Adams Ltd., morsini@bretadamsltd.net, 212-765-5630

2015

2015 Festival of New Musicals

BREAD AND ROSES 

Book & Lyrics by Jill Abramovitz
Music by Brad Alexander

Cast Size: 6 males, 8 females, an ensemble of 4-10, depending on budget

Synopsis: Maya is a 25-year old Mexican woman who illegally treks across the U.S. border to reunite with her sister Rosa and work alongside her as a janitor in Office Building 646. When Maya witnesses firsthand the horrifying working conditions in the building, she joins with Sam from Justice For Janitors in an attempt to unionize. Alliances are formed, backs are stabbed and the sisters’ relationship is brought to the brink. Will the workers, marginalized and abused, risk everything to take on the corporate power structure and change the system?

Inspired by true events, Bread and Roses is an adaptation of the 2000 film by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty. A book musical with grit, humor, and heart, and a score that merges contemporary American pop with the sounds of the urban immigrant experience, Bread and Roses grapples with issues as relevant in 2015 as ever: minimum wage, healthcare, immigration, and basic human dignity.  It asks whether the American dream has to come at the cost of humanity.

For more information about Bread and Roses, contact: Ron Gwiazda, Abrams Artists Agency, ron.gwiazda@abramsartny.com, (646) 486-4600

GOODBYE BARCELONA

Book by Judith Johnson
Music & Lyrics by Karl Lewkowicz

Cast Size: 5 males, 5 females

Synopsis: In 1936, after helping stop the fascists march through London’s East End, 18 year old Sam joins the International Brigades to fight against the fascist coup in Spain. His mother, Rebecca, misses him and follows him there to find him, falling in love with Esteve, a charismatic Anarchist.  Sam meets Brigaders Jack and George, and the three of them share the bonds and the traumas of war. Sam also meets Pilar and the two are irresistibly drawn to each other.  Before reaching the final climactic scene, each character has been profoundly changed by their experiences which they can never forget.

For more information about Goodbye Barcelona, contact: Karl Lewkowicz: +44 7894 460 079 contact@goodbyebarcelona.com, http://www.goodbyebarcelona.com

HELEN OF TROY

Music & Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen
Book & Lyrics by Zoe Samuel 

Cast Size: 4 males, 6 females (minimum, with ability to expand for chorus)

Synopsis: A musical comedy, Helen of Troy tells of the story of a beautiful but spoiled princess, a tale that has previously been narrated for thousands of years by an extremely biased Greek Chorus. When Helen runs away from an arranged marriage, her brother-in-law Agamemnon launches a thousand ships to bring her back. Helen finds herself trapped between a self-obsessed Trojan Prince, Greek soldiers thirsting for plunder, and meddlesome deities who love nothing more than a good conflagration. If she is to undo the mess she has created, Helen will have to become more than just a pretty face. As the Chorus sees Helen grow up, they come to understand that they have been telling an outdated version of the tale that glamorizes the brutality of Agamemnon over the unsung acts of heroism performed by Helen and friends. The Chorus learns that while they cannot change what has happened, they can tell a new, fairer version of the story that is suited to a modern audience.

For more information about Helen of Troy, contact: Barbara Hogenson, The Barbara Hogenson Agency, bhogenson@aol.com, or Diana Glazer, ICM, dglazer@icmpartners.com.

HOW I PAID FOR COLLEGE

Book, Music & Lyrics by Marc Acito

Cast Size: 1 male, 20-30 years old (baritone)

Synopsis:

One actor.
Twenty parts.
Ten songs.
Seventy minutes.

Embezzlement…Forgery…Fraud…High School. Seventeen-year old Edward Zanni, a feckless Ferris Bueller type, is Peter Panning his way through life with his screwball theater friends. The fun comes to a halt, however, when Edward’s father remarries and refuses to pay for Edward to study acting at Juilliard. Ineligible for scholarships and unable to hold down a job, he turns to his loyal (but immoral) misfit friends to help him steal the tuition money.

Based on Acito’s award winning novel, How I Paid For College is heartwarming fun for anyone who has ever had a dream or a scheme.

For more information about How I Paid for College, contact: Marc Acito, Marc@MarcAcito.com.

THE KISS

Book & Lyrics by Cheryl Coons
Music by Peter Eldridge

Cast Size: 4 males, 5 females

Synopsis: Two women on the brink of independence, and the notorious artist driven to capture them both. 1943, Vienna. Summoned by a Nazi museum director, retired couture designer Emilie Flöge comes to the Exhibition Hall to authenticate a sketch by her soul-mate, the controversial painter of women, Gustav Klimt. As she waits in the gallery, Emilie sees dozens of sensuous portraits of women by Klimt, looted by the Nazis. One painting in particular disturbs her… Woman in Gold, the iconic portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer, a socialite with a deformed hand who was Emilie’s greatest rival for Klimt’s affection. As she stares at Adele, Emilie transforms to her younger self and relives the drama of the love triangle, finally learning the secret of the identity of the woman in Klimt’s sensual masterpiece, The Kiss.

For more information about The Kiss, contact: Cheryl Coons, cherylcoons@gmail.com, (312)573-2434.

LOVE AND OTHER FABLES

Book & Lyrics by Jay Jeffries
Book & Music by John McMahon

Cast Size: 5 males, 4 females, 6 ensemble)

Synopsis: Love and Other Fables is a new, completely original “Screwball Romantic Musical Comedy”- a love letter to the Golden Age of Broadway in the tradition of Boys from Syracuse and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In this madcap imagining of his life, we watch the then unknown Aesop create his eternal fables, woo the headstrong girl of his dreams, defend King Croesus and his wealth by untangling the mind-boggling conundrums of The King of Egypt and ultimately become the unlikeliest hero of the greatest fable of all.

There are mistaken identities, love and hate at first sight, declarations of war, death and taxes, international imbroglios, tap-dancing Greek soldiers, Egyptian conundrums and, of course, a wedding.

For more information about Love and Other Fables, contact: John McMahon, 917-535-5545, mcmahonpiano@me.com.

MORTALITY PLAY

Music by Scotty Arnold
Book & Lyrics by Alana Jacoby

Cast Size: 5 males, 1 female

Synopsis: Mortality Play is a rock musical about Todd, a 16-year-old in 1349 London trying to justify his desire to make music in a time of great need. The plague has just broken out, claiming his friend and bandmate John as one of its first victims. John serves as a guide to both Todd and the audience as Todd tries to navigate his responsibilities as a son, a boyfriend, a doctor’s apprentice, and an aspiring rockstar. The show is a modern take on a medieval morality play that follows a young man’s struggle to decide between what he wants to do and what he believes the world needs of him.

For more information about Morality Play, contact: Mark Orsini, Bret Adams Agency, morsini@bretadamsltd.net, (212) 765-5630.

Details

PERSEPHONE UNPLUGGED

Music by Oran Eldor
Book & Lyrics by Marcus Stevens 

Cast Size: 2 males, 3 females (the cast can be expanded and an ensemble can be added if desired)

Synopsis: The relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter can be sheer hell. Especially if that daughter is the Greek goddess Persephone. Persephone Unplugged raises a myth from the dead, finds contemporary relevance, and sets it to a pop/rock score. The gods are portrayed as archetypes plucked straight from a John Hughes movie, and their misadventures result in teenage romance, coming of age, and the creation of the seasons.

For more information about Persephone Unplugged, contact: Marcus Stevens, marcus@marcus-stevens.com.

Details

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Music & Lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill

Cast Size: The cast size of The Theory of Relativity is designed to be adaptable. It can be performed with a cast of 8 (4 males, 4 females), 13 (6 males, 5 females) or a cast of 16 (8 males, 8 women) and additional ensemble members are also possible.

Synopsis: The Theory of Relativity has no plot to synopsize. It’s a series of songs, monologues and scenes inspired by the true stories of young performers with whom we’ve worked closely. Each sequence is a complete play unto itself that we hope is a small piece of the much larger puzzle of the show. Set against a paradoxical backdrop of quantum physics (don’t worry, it’s not as dry as it sounds) a group of 20-somethings tackle the paradoxes of their own individual universes.

For more information about The Theory of Relativity, contact: info@bartramandhill.com or Chris Till, CAA, chris.till@caa.com.

UNBOUND

Book & Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan
Music by Brian Lowdermilk

Cast Size: 3 males, 6 females, 5 male ensemble, 8 female ensemble (3 women, 5 girls)

Synopsis: Based on the life of Zhongmei Li, Unbound is the story of a little girl from rural China who dreams of becoming a dancer. When Zhongmei learns about the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy’s first-ever open auditions, she must prove to everyone – including herself – that she has what it takes to journey to Beijing and get in. Ten years later, Zhongmei has become one of the most famous dancers in China, but the China around her has changed drastically. What does it mean to make art in a place that forbids creativity? What will she sacrifice in order to keep dancing?

For more information about Unbound, contact: Kait Kerrigan, kait@kerrigan-lowdermilk.com.

YOU CALL THAT LOVE?

Music & Lyrics by Yair Evnine
Book, Music & Lyrics by Stacy Kray 

Cast Size: 3 males, 5 females.

Synopsis: You Call That Love? is a musical inspired by the lives and writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (Nobel-Prize-winning novelist, philosopher and playwright) and Simone de Beauvoir (feminist, philosopher, and novelist).  The two considered themselves soul mates, but never lived together or married.  Instead, they committed to a pact of “essential” love that allowed them each to take “contingent” lovers so long they told each other everything about such affairs. This arrangement lasted for fifty years, until Sartre’s death.  The musical presents a fictionalized story of how the couple’s pact impacted their writings and their lives, following them as they become entangled in virgin seductions, prostitution, murder, drug-induced hallucinations and suicide. These adventures fuel profoundly original writings on the nature of life, love and freedom, but also lead to complications that cause them to question their own philosophical beliefs.

For more information about You Call that Love? contact: Stacy Kray, stacykray@gmail.com, (415) 971-1700.

2014

COSTS OF LIVING

Book, Music & Lyrics by Timothy Huang

Cast Size: 4 males, 3 females, 3 ensemble

Synopsis: Inspired by the New York Times article Night and Day by Corey Kilgannon, Costs of Living tells the story of two immigrant cab drivers who share opposite shifts off the same medallion. Eng drives by day, Chin by night. Despite their similarities, the two drivers’ situations become drastically polarized when random circumstance positions Eng to become Chin’s new boss. The American nightmare is played out to tragic effect when Chin, in desperation, attempts to murder his partner and ultimately commits suicide. The story is told in flashback through the eyes of a faceless investigative reporter named Mike whose motivations for digging up the past might be more personal than he lets on. Drawing from contemporary theater and popular music, Costs of Living is one part American Idiot (the album, not the show), one part Golden Child (the play, not the film) and one part The Other Wes Moore.

Details

HELEN OF TROY

Book & Lyrics by Zoe Samuel
Music & Lyrics by Douglad J Cohen

Cast Size: 5 males, 2 females, 10 ensemble

Synopsis: Helen of Troy tells the story of a spoiled but beautiful princess. When Helen runs away from an arranged marriage, her brother-in-law Agamemnon launches a thousand ships to bring her back. Helen finds herself trapped between a self-obsessed Trojan prince, Greek soldiers thirsting for plunder, and meddlesome deities who love nothing more than a good conflagration, If she is to undo the mess she has created, Helen will have to become more than just a pretty face.

Please note that the content is original, but is based on The Iliad by Homer and other contemporaneous sources. All source material is public domain (as of approx 300BC or earlier).

For more information about Helen of Troy, contact Ciera Iveson

INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jay Alan Zimmerman

Cast Size: 2 males, 4 females, 6-20 ensemble, 1 child

Synopsis: This floor-shaking musical about hearing loss tells the true story of composer Jay Alan Zimmerman, who lost both home and hearing after 9/11 but rediscovered himself. Caught in a disorientating swirl of his past, present, and imagination, Jay struggles to rebuild a life with his family while the music in his heart battles the growing deafness in his head —this battle vividly portrayed by a collection of music muses and an ever growing caption screen for the deaf. As the notes fall away the pressure escalates, compelling him to try multiple careers, experiment with deaf musicians, and even “come out” as a deaf comic. It’s a heartfelt yet hilarious quest for identity, a celebration of music in all its forms, and an inspiring journey of learning to “Dance In Your Heart” by turning a battle with deafness… into a musical.

For more information about Incredibly Deaf Musical, contact Ciera Iveson

ISLAND SONG

Words by Sam Carner, Music by Derek Gregor
Story by Sam Carner, Derek Gregor and Marlo Hunter

Cast Size: 2 males, 3 females

Synopsis: Five New Yorkers are caught in a twisted love affair… with the city. ISLAND SONG takes us through their poignant and hilarious journeys to seize their own potential and the possibilities the city dangles before them. Shoshana, tries to connect with other people, often a little too hard for her own good. Artistic Caroline battles her own aimlessness, as she adjusts to city life. Cooper finds success in the theatre world but still yearns for his distant father’s approval. World-beater Jordan and family-driven Ted find love with each other, but battle the wedge that city life forces between them. Driven by its kinetic and eclectic score, ISLAND SONG captures every urbanite’s triumphs, disappointments, and ever-tested perspective.

For more information about Island Song, contact Ciera Iveson

THE MOON AND THE SEA

Music Lyrics & Book by Creighton Irons

Cast Size: 4 males, 2 females

Synopsis: Two lovers (Charlie and Erin) witnessed a miracle as they played music on the shore with their friend Elijah—the moon left the sky and filled the sea with liquid light. Alone five years later, Charlie calls the trio back to the beach for a night of music, reminiscing, and potentially another sighting of the miracle. He hopes that the night might help he and Erin get back together, but when she shows up with Doug, her fiancée, the ex-lovers are forced to question the depth of their connection, whether the miracle of the Moon and the Sea actually happened, and what is love is worth giving up.

For more information about The Moon and the Sea, contact Ciera Iveson

THE SUICIDE

Music by Simon Gray, Lyrics by Raymond Bokhour
Book by David Bridel

Cast Size: 8 males, 3 females

Synopsis: The Suicide: A Musical Comedy, set in Stalin’s cruelly oppressive Russia of the late 1920’s, tells the story of Semyon, an unemployed no-hoper, who threatens to kill himself after an argument with Masha, his long-suffering wife. As news of his plan spreads, Semyon finds himself besieged by a group of misfits who want his death to spark a rebellion. Ever the opportunist, Semyon at first embraces his new-found status as a hero. But as the pressure to do the deed builds, he begins to have his doubts, and tries to wriggle free of his obligations – setting off a furious reaction from the rebels who have invested everything in his suicide.

For more information about The Suicide, contact Ciera Iveson

WRITING KEVIN TAYLOR

Music & Lyrics by Will Van Dyke
Book & Lyrics by Josh Holloway

Cast Size: 2 males, 1 female

Synopsis: Wife leaves Writer. Writer hires boy. Boy pretends to be Writer’s estranged son to help win back Wife. Things get interesting. That’s the basic premise of “Writing Kevin Taylor,” a three-person musical comedy about the unlikely friendships and unexpected moments that bring us together.

For more information about Writing Kevin Taylor, contact Ciera Iveson

THE RIVALS

Book & Lyrics by Peter Kellogg
Music by Stephen Weiner

Cast Size: 6 males, 4 females

Synopsis: Lydia Languish wishes to elope with the penniless Ensign Beverly before she is of age, a step that will cause her to lose two thirds of her considerable fortune. Unbeknownst to her, however, Ensign Beverly is really Captain Jack Absolute, the son and heir to Sir Anthony Absolute. Meanwhile, Lydia’s aged guardian aunt, Mrs. Malaprop, wants her to accept the suit of Squire Acres. At the same time, Mrs. Malaprop is herself in love with Sir Lucius McTrigger, who is under the mistaken impression that the letters Mrs. Malaprop is sending him, under an assumed name, are actually from Lydia.

Matters take a curious turn when Sir Anthony proposes his own son to Mrs. Malaprop as a suitor for Lydia. Meanwhile, Lydia’s cousin, Julia, is engaged to a friend of Jack’s named Faulkland, a moody and difficult lover. All is resolved, though not to everyone’s satisfaction.

For more information about The Rivals, contact Ciera Iveson

2013

ADAM LIVES

Book, Music & Lyrics by Rob Baumgartner

Cast Size: 4 males, 4 females

Synopsis: Adam Lives is about people confused by love, and were they turn for answers. Adam is an unsuccessful songwriter, supported by his long-term girlfriend, Claudia. When an opportunity to write a song for Jude Kane-an emerging pop superstar-presents itself, Adam is forced to come to grips  with what he does and does not know about love, despite having spent most of his life writing songs about it.

For more information about Adam Lives, contact:
Rob Baumgartner
(301)706-9215
ComposerRobNYC@aol.com
www.adamlives.com

BROADCAST

Book & Lyrics by Nathan Christensen
Music by Scott Murphy

Cast Size: 5 males, 3 females

Synopsis: Broadcast explores the struggle to truly connect when communication technology is constantly changing—except instead of smart phones and social media, this is the early 20th century and the technology is radio. The show follows a shifting array of people whose lives bump up against radio’s development: a boy tries catching Marconi’s trans-Atlantic signal with his homemade receiver; a Christmas carol becomes the first voice broadcast; a long-distance courtship accidentally becomes the first reality show. A cast of eight plays more than fifty characters in moments that are epic or intimate, funny or bittersweet, with a laugh-out-loud radio play climax.

For more information about Broadcast, contact:
Jonathan Mills
Paradigm Talent Agency
(212) 897-6400

FALL SPRINGS

Book & Lyrics by Peter Nachtrieb
Music & Lyrics by Niko Tsakalakos

Cast Size: 4 males, 5 females, 3 ensemble

Synopsis: Fall Springs is a charming town that sits on top of America’s largest reserve of cosmetic Essential Oils.  It has big dreams.  But at what cost?  Road-signs, boulders, and the occasional bartender are being swallowed into the ground.
Only Eloise Bradley, teenage wallflower geology-buff daughter of the Mayor, seems to notice that a catastrophe is imminent.  Will she be able to persuade her fellow townsfolk of the dangers before it’s too late?
Of course not.
Action sequences, parent/child angst, lost limbs, found souls, and a passionate score, Fall Springs takes the best of musical theatre and disaster films to forge a hilarious and heartfelt musical about the consequences of pushing Nature too far.

For more information about Fall Springs, contact:
Peter Nachtrieb
(415) 297-1137
peter_nachtrieb@yahoo.com

Details

HARMONY, KANSAS

Book & Lyrics by Anna Jacobs
Music by Bill Nelson

Cast Size: 7 males

Synopsis: With a lively, soulful score, Harmony, Kansas tells the story of Heath, a gay farmer making his way in a rural community where it pays to blend in. When his city-born partner, Julian, talks him into joining a spirited group of gay guys who meet once a week to sing, Heath discovers a love for making music and a kinship he didn’t expect. But his world is turned upside down when the group considers performing in public, threatening everything that matters to him, including the life he’s made with the man he loves.

For more information about Harmony, Kansas, contact:
Bill Nelson
(816) 695-5821
billnewyork@gmail.com

LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES

Music & Lyrics by Stephanie Salzman
Book by EllaRose Chary

Cast Size: 2 males, 4 females, 10 ensemble

Synopsis: A high-energy dance show with a pop/rock score. When faced with the proposition that the city is going to take away her favorite playground and turn it into a stick museum, Alexis (13), must convince her gadget obsessed friends (Mel, Trevor, Hayden, Jade, and Danny) that they need to use the playground non-digitally. Through a series of fantasy sequences she convinces her friends that they have a serious
problem – but that together they can solve it. The kids come up with an elaborate plan to save the day. By enacting their plan, the kids play together instead of with their devices. In response to being ignored, digitized celebri-monsters emerge from the devices and start destroying the playground. The kids band together to stop the monsters and save the playground. They realize they can find a balance between playing on their devices and playing IRL.

For more information about Left to Our Own Devices, contact:
Stephanie Salzman
(917) 494-9126
powerpitch@mindspring.com

LOSING MOSCOW

Music by Andy Burton
Book, Music & Lyrics by Kate Burton

Cast Size: 2 males, 4 females

Synopsis: This intimate musical, loosely based on Chekhov’s Three Sisters, is set in New Jersey,
1970. Stranded, the sisters long for their Manhattan home. Their mother died and their
grief-stricken father volunteered for Vietnam, parking them with a bridge-playing
grandmother. The highly-cultured girls, feeling lost, read, sing, argue and scheme.
Eventually drawn into the life of the town by various neighborhood kids, they still harbor
the dream of going home. Ultimately betrayed by their brother — who falls for a local
beauty and carelessly ruins any chance of return — they acknowledge that they will
have to make it home, wherever they are.

For more information about Losing Moscow, contact:
Kate Jacobs
(201) 659-2835
katejacobs@aol.com

MARY MARIE

Music by Carl Johnson
Book & Lyrics by Chana Wise

Cast Size: 2 males, 3 females

Synopsis:1920. Two girls; Mary and Marie. Marie is surprisingly philosophical about her parents’ divorce. And so is Mary. Marie will move with Mother to Boston and witness all the romance and excitement inevitably experienced after divorce.  Mary will be bored to death staying with Father.  Marie now can dance around the house, sing freely, and behave however she feels. Mary can read, sew, and mind her manners. There’s just one thing – Mary and Marie are the same girl, and she is in for a few surprises. Mary Marie; the story of a mother, a father, and a girl…or two.

For more information about Mary Marie, contact:
Chana Wise
(714) 473-0895
chana@chanawise.com

Details

MATCHMAKER MATCHMAKER I’M WILLING TO SETTLE

Music & Lyrics by Brandon James Gwinn
Book by Kelvin Loh & Nikki McCallum

Cast Size: 4 males, 2 females

Synopsis: Join Nikki as she plunges into the matrix of the world-wide-web, under the guise of a screen name, to emerge as the ultimate internet dating husband hunter. Armed with the unsolicited help of her Bubbe, and the enlisted help of three Cyber Yentas (Match.com Guy, JDate Guy, and OKcupid), Nikki unveils a “sure-fire” guide towards the near impossible: One Normal Date.  Matchmaker Matchmaker promises a night of hilarity that includes accidental pornography, ill-advised 24-hour trips to Spain and the most romantic dinner at Chilli’s.  This contemporary scored musical gives you an honest, heartbreaking, and up-lifting look at the realities of finding love for a mere $19.99 a month.  Behind every tweet, wink, chat, like, and FB message there’s a story and a heart to be won.

For more information about Matchmaker Matchmaker I’m Willing to Settle, contact:
Nikki MacCallum
(617) 943-5773
nikki.maccallum@gmail.com

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Book & Lyrics by Jeremy Desmon
Music by Jeff Thompson

Cast Size: 6 males, 6 females

Synopsis:Based on the 1990 cult film that starred Christian Slater. Pump Up the Volume tells the story of Mark, a shy outsider who rocks a small town by launching a Pirate Radio station in his parent’s basement, broadcasting nightly as the raucous, no-holds-barred shock jock “Hard Harry.” When a local teen commits suicide after calling into Mark’s show, the powers-that-be make the hard-talking radio pirate their scapegoat. And so, with a community demanding his head and desperate teenagers seeking his guidance, Mark must decide whether he should sign off for good… or pump up the volume.

For more information about Pump Up the Volume, contact:
Jeremy Desmon
(917) 592-1123
www.pumpthemusical.com

SOMEWHERE IN TIME

Book by Ken Davenport
Music by Doug Katsaros
Lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz

Cast Size: 4 males, 1 female, 6 chorus

Synopsis: In Somewhere in Time, playwright Richard Collier has an encounter with a mysterious old woman; she entreats him to “come back to me.”  Several years later, with his life and career in disarray,  he checks into a storied hotel. He stumbles upon a photo of Elise McKenna, a famous actress from decades ago and discovers she was the woman that beckoned him back years ago.  Fueled with the idea that at one point in the past he was with her, he wills himself back intime . . . to 1912 . . . to win her love once again.

For more information about Somewhere In Time, contact:
Kayla Greenspan
(212) 874-5348 x 727
kayla@davenporttheatrical.com

TRAILS

Book by Christy Hall
Lyrics by Jodan Mann
Music by Jeff Thompson

Cast Size: 3 males, 3 females

Synopsis: With 12 years of silence between them, two childhood friends embark on a perilous adventure that will test their strength and stamina, but most of all their friendship. As they set out to hike the entire 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail, Mike and Seth find that Mother Nature isn’t the only woman between them and their future. With a complex story, and a folk/pop inspired score, Trails is an intimate and inspiring new musical about love, loss and the enduring power of friendship.

For more information about Trails, contact:
Jeff Thomson
(413) 446-7429
www.trailsthemusical.com

WIRED

Book, Music & Lyrics by Max Vernon

Cast Size: 4 males, 2 females

Synopsis: Wired is a cautionary tale for people living in the age of too-much-information; a fast-paced electro-pop musical that dissects celebrity culture, corporate greed, and our dependence on  echnology. The show is backed by a contemporary score that blends electro-pop, synth-rock, and R&B.
The basics of the plot are as follows: Adam Gottfried loves Evelyn Walford, his superior at a tech company known as yThink. He engineers a robot in her image, as he feels it’s the closest he’ll get to actually connecting with her. When the robot’s data is accidentally corrupted it takes on the identity of a power hungry Lady Gaga-esque popstar named Princess. Howard Masterson, yThink CEO, steals Princess away from Adam and helps launch her music career as an extended advertisement for his company’s products. As technology continues to rapidly change the world around them, Adam and Evelyn go on an epic journey together to reclaim her stolen identity, and find love in the process.

For more information about Wired, contact:
Max Vernon
(310) 415-3819
maxsvernon@gmail.com

2012

2012 Festival of New Musicals

ACADEMY

Book, Music & Lyrics by John Mercurio

Cast Size: 7 males

Synopsis: At Dover Preparatory Academy, the nation’s brightest young boys are being groomed for success. In this, his senior year, Amory—popular, charismatic and from a long line of familial achievement—learns his impressionable cousin Benji will be attending Dover and Amory’s father has made him promise to look after the boy. Knowing implicitly that one good turn deserves another, Amory strikes a bargain with his friend Michael. He tells Michael who is struggling to maintain a B average that through his connections, he can guarantee him admittance to Harvard next year if he’ll take Benji off his hands and look out after him. Michael, who comes from a long line of Harvard grads is desperate to not disappoint his father, and accepts the deal. What starts as a simple arrangement soon goes recklessly out of control when the three boys are forced to make decisions that compromise their own integrity as well as each other’s. They learn that the price for success is often a piece of their soul.

For more information about Academy contact:
John Mercurio, (212) 247-2134

THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

Book by Brian Hill
Music & Lyrics by Neil Bartram

Cast Size: 5 males, 5 females

Synopsis: The familiar story of the wooden boy who longs to be real gets a new take in a return to the original Collodi stories. Rather than the manipulated naif of other versions, here Pinocchio is the impetuous architect of his own fate making bad choice after bad choice: selling his ABC book to go to the theater, following the get-rich-quick scheme of the Fox and the Cat, giving up everything for the instant gratification of Terra Di Ragazzi. When his string of disastrous choices leads him into the belly of a giant fish, he realizes that choices have consequences and, with the help of the caring but tough blue lady, he learns to make the kind of choice that will finally make him a member of the human race.

For more information about The Adventures of Pinocchio contact:
Jonathan Lomma
William Morris Endeavor
(212) 903-1552
JDL@WMEentertainment.com

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Book, Music & Lyrics by Mark Friedman & Janet Zeitler

Cast Size: 9 males, 10 females, 1 child role

Synopsis: An orphan, Anne Shirley, is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who are expecting a boy. Matthew immediately likes Anne. Marilla reluctantly agrees to keep her on a trial basis. Anne has a quick temper, insulting Rachel Lynde who declares Anne’s hair “as red as carrots” and breaking her slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head. Anne becomes friends with Diana Barry – whom she mistakenly intoxicates. All is forgiven when Anne saves Minnie Mae’s life. Marilla falsely accuses Anne of losing her brooch, but soon realizes her mistake. Matthew surprises Anne with a puffy sleeves graduation dress – then dies suddenly. Marilla decides to sell Green Gables. But Anne gives up her scholarship to stay with Marilla. Gilbert gives up his teaching position to Anne. The two finally become friends. Marilla acknowledges her love for Anne. All agree – one never knows what lies beyond “the bend in the road.”

For more information about Anne of Green Gables contact:
William Craver
Paradigm Agency
(212) 897-6400
wcraver@paradigmagency.com

BEING EARNEST

Book, Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Music by Jay Gruska

Cast Size: 3 males, 4 females

Synopsis: An updated version of the Oscar Wilde Classic set in 1965 in the heart of Carnabey Street.  In the midst of a London buzzing with mod fashion, new music, and evolving ideas of morality, handsome, witty young friends Jack and Algernon each find themselves adopting the pseudonym ‘Ernest’ for various complicated reasons. When the two women they court both confess to loving the name as much as the man, and all four unexpectedly meet at Worthing’s country home under the disapproving eye of Lady Bracknell, one of theatre’s most sharp-tongued dowagers, a wild comedy of romance and mistaken identities ensues.

For more information about Being Earnest contact:
Paul Gordon, pauleeg3@gmail.com

THE BOY WHO DANCED ON AIR

Book & Lyrics by Charlie Sohne
Music by Tim Rosser

Cast Size: 5 males, 2 child roles

Synopsis: “The Boy Who Danced On Air” is a musical that focuses on a tradition in Afghanistan called Bacha Bazi (boy play): wealthy men take in young boys from poorer families and train them to be dancers. The boys are then paraded around at parties and are often sexually abused. “The Boy Who Danced On Air” tells the story of what happens when two of those boys fall in love. Paiman and Feda must struggle against all odds to find acceptance in a show that pits the force of violence against the power of true love.

For more information about The Boy Who Danced on Air contact:
Kate Navin
The Gersh Agency
knavin@gershny.com
(212) 997-1818

Details

BY THE NUMBERS

Book & Lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz
Music by Brian Feinstein

Cast Size: 2 males, 3 females

Synopsis: What happens when a girl attempts to live her life as if it were a mathematical equation? According to Rachel’s Theorem, “Math makes sense and people do not.” Her mother is an overbearing homemaker, her sister is a pugilistic vegetarian, her grandfather is living in the past, and her father, well, he’s not so bad. Or so it seems. In this comedic and poignant coming of age story, Rachel learns that life is not an exact science and cannot be lived by the numbers.

For more information about By The Numbers contact:
Amanda Yesnowitz, 212-982-0668

GOING HOLLYWOOD

Book by Joe Leonardo
Book & Lyrics by David Zippel
Music by Jonathan Sheffer

Cast Size: 10 males, 8 females

Synopsis: Vaudeville troopers, May Daniels, Jerry Hyland and George Lewis, have definitely not hit the big time. After seeing the first talking picture, Jerry decides that their future lies in Hollywood. May comes up with the con of teaching elocution to silent movie stars. On the train to California they run into Helen Hobart, America’s foremost gossip columnist.  Helen introduces them to desperate movie mogul Herman Glogauer, who hires them to teach his star to speak.   After a quick rise at the studio, their school is an even quicker flop. It looks like all is doomed until dumb but sweet, George tells off Herman Glogauer, Gloguaer is impressed  and makes George head of the Studio. George proceeds to film the wrong script, making possibly the worst movie of all time, starring his girlfriend Susan, definitely the worst actress of all time.   Once again, everything seems doomed. The movie becomes an unexpected sensation a happy ending ensues.

For more information about Going Hollywood contact:
David Zippel, djzippel@aol.com

HELLO OUT THERE

Book & Lyrics by Eric Price
Music by Frank Terry

Cast Size: 4 males, 3 females

Synopsis: Hello Out There is about three teenagers in suburban New Jersey who spend the summer of 1995 committing securities fraud over the Internet.  Well, not exactly. In 1995, there was no such thing as “securities fraud over the Internet.” The Internet was still a brand-new tool, not yet ubiquitous, and hardly integrated into the daily activity that physically occurred on Wall Street.   It takes three ingenious fourteen-year olds to prove that ANYONE can affect—and even manipulate—the stock market. And, by extension, the world.  Set during an era when the sounds of signing online involved a dial-tone, a phone ring, and a long static hiss, Hello Out There is a musical comedy that explores issues both timely and timeless: friendship, morals, microcap stock fraud, and growing up.

For more information about Hello Out There contact Ciera Iveson.

THE LAST QUEEN OF CANAAN

Book by Harrison David Rivers
Lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik
Music by Jacob Yandura

Cast Size: 4 males, 6 females, 0-4 male ensemble, 0-4 female ensemble

Synopsis:  Set in 1937 on a farm in rural Virginia, THE LAST QUEEN OF CANAAN, follows the relationship between Cora Skye, an uncompromising 92-year old sharecropper, and Ginny, her restless 22-year old great granddaughter. When Kay, a Northern do-gooder, descends on the property to collect Cora’s story for the WPA, she unwittingly fans the flames of Ginny’s desire to escape the farm, precipitating a confrontation that will leave all three women forever changed. With a rich, gospel-infused score, THE LAST QUEEN OF CANAAN is a haunting tale of legacy and the life-altering power of a promise.

For more information about The Last Queen of Canaan contact:
Leah Hamos
The Gersh Agency
lhamos@gershny.com
212.634.8153

Details

MANN…AND WIFE (fka NINE WIVES)

Music & Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen
Book & Lyrics by Dan Elish

Cast Size: 2 males, 1 female

Synopsis: Nine Wives tells the story of Henry Mann, a 32-year-old bachelor who discovers that the love of his life has met someone new and is about to get married. What’s worse, he’s been invited to her wedding! What follows are Henry’s frantic attempts to find a woman he can take as his date–a potential future wife–to prove to his ex-fiancée (and the world) that he too is ready to move on.

For more information about Mann…and Wife contact:
Douglas J. Cohen, douglasjcohen28@gmail.com

ROOM 16

Book by Andrea Lepcio
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sislen
Music by Ben Winters

Cast Size: 2 males, 2 females, 5 male ensemble, 4 female ensemble

Synopsis: ROOM 16 tells the story of the events surrounding the infamous Watergate break-in in June, 1972. G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt meet at the White House in 1971 and set off on a series of covert actions culminating in the infamous failed burglary. Along the way Sally Harmony, the pair’s fresh-faced secretary, grapples with questions of politics, loyalty and the shattering disappointment of growing up. With a score spanning America popular musical styles from swing and big band to folk and early ’70s rock, and an ensemble portraying other Watergate notables (John Dean, John Mitchell, the Cuban burglars…). ROOM 16 is a fast-paced and darkly comedic look inside American political history, asking “How far would you go for what you believe in?”

For more information about Room 16 contact Ciera Iveson.

POP!

Book & Lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman
Music by Anna Jacobs

Cast Size: 4 males, 3 females

Synopsis: On June 3rd 1968, pop artist Andy Warhol was shot by Valerie Solanis, the founder/ only member of SCUM (the Society for Cutting Up Men) and one of many eccentrics associated with his Factory. POP! is a full-length musical exploration of Warhol, his world, and his philosophy in which Andy and his Factory cohorts re-create the events leading up to his shooting as a pop art murder mystery extravaganza. Warhol’s Factory friends take on the roles of stock detective film characters: Gerard Malanga and Pope Ondine become the bumbling detectives. Superstars Edie Sedgwick and Viva (along with Valerie Solanis) become the suspects. Candy Darling, a beautiful pre-op transsexual, drives the action as Andy’s hostess of the evening. As the story progresses Andy begins to lose control over his friends, the Factory, and the story itself. He is confronted by his relationships, his art, and perhaps his greatest creation: Andy Warhol.

For more information about POP! contact Ciera Iveson.

TAMAR OF THE RIVER

Book & Lyrics by Joshua Cohen
Book, Music & Lyrics by Marisa Michelson

Cast Size: 5 males, 2 females, 1+ male ensemble, 3+ female ensemble

Synopsis: Two countries locked in endless war, and the River that divides them is red with blood. Tamar journeys to the River’s source to hear the voice of God. Can she believe what she hears?   Tamar of the River is inspired by the book of Genesis. In a fictitious world where war is constant, young Tamar believes she has been chosen by the River God to bring peace. As she transforms into the Prophet, she makes decisions she later struggles to justify and accept – and when she goes head to head with Judah, Commander of the forces of war and father of two sons who fight to win Tamar’s love, it is hard to know who is the cause of greater bloodshed. When everybody is certain they know the truth, who will have the final say?

For more information about Tamar of the River contact Ciera Iveson.

THROUGH THE DOOR

Book by Judy Freed
Music & Lyrics by Laurence Wythe

Cast Size: 2 males, 1 female, 2 male ensemble, 2 female ensemble

Synopsis: Charlotte is a modern woman in a marriage that seems to be going nowhere. When she discovers that her kitchen contains a mysterious gateway to the past, she faces an intriguing choice. Should she remain the lonely wife of a workaholic husband, or should she become a 17th-century duchess beloved by a prince? A musical fable about passion, romance, and finding out who you really are.

For more information about Through the Door contact Ciera Iveson.

TONYA & NANCY

Book & Lyrics by Elizabeth Searle
Music by Michael Teoli

Cast Size: 2 males, 3 females, chorus of 5-10

Synopsis: Based on the infamous knee attack scandal, Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera tells the story of two girls going for the gold and two lifelong dreams colliding on Olympic ice. With lyrics taken from newspaper quotes of Tonya, Nancy and their cohorts, the show takes the audience on a wild, provocative, entertaining and ultimately insightful ride. A dark comedy, but done with heart.

For more information about Tonya & Nancy contact Ciera Iveson.

This page was last updated on 10/13/2024