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Festival Show Update: Gun & Powder

Last month, we checked in with Angelica Chéri and Ross Baum about their 2018 Festival show Gun & Powder. The show is about to have its world premiere at Signature Theatre in Virginia
What did you discover about Gun & Powder after presenting it in the 2018 Festival, and what work have you done on the show since then?
Through our NAMT presentation we were able to hone in on the collective identity of our ensemble. Our initial approach had been to assemble a group of people who appeared to have some stake in the history of Mary & Martha Clarke, but they weren’t clearly defined. After the NAMT Festival, we chose to solidify our ensemble as a core group of ancestors, called the “Kinfolk,” ostensibly having a conversation around the family dinner table, letting the audience in on their intimate shared narrative. In January 2019 we spent two wonderful weeks at the Johnny Mercer Colony at Goodspeed, crafting these rewrites in preparation for our Signature production.
What have you been doing to prepare for the world premiere production, and what has your partnership with Signature looked like?

In addition to the Mercer Colony, we spent time working together in New York and Los Angeles—our two respective coasts—writing new songs, connecting ensemble moments with our new framework, fleshing out character arcs and incorporating other notes from our growing team of collaborators. Our partnership with Signature has been really exciting so far—they have been very supportive of our vision and helped us to assemble a dream cast and creative team. They’ve also included us in key conversations around marketing and context for the prominent messages of the show.
Tell us a little bit about the creative team that’s been put together for this world premiere, and what you are most looking forward to in the rehearsal process.
We have the brilliant Robert O’Hara (Slave Play, Bootycandy) as our director with choreography by Byron Easley (Slave Play), music direction by Darryl Ivey (Shuffle Along), set design by Jason Sherwood (Emmy winner for RENT: Live), costume design by Dede Ayite (Secret Life Of Bees, American Son), lighting design by Alex Jainchill (BLKS), and orchestrations by Tony-nominee John Clancy (Mean Girls, Fun Home) and Scott Wasserman (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen).
 
We are most excited to see Gun & Powder come to life because we know it is going to be nothing like the versions we have envisioned in our heads for the past five years, especially with a creative team of such amazing artists. We are also thrilled to see what our fabulous cast is going to bring to the story because we will undoubtedly discover so much from this group of smart, talented actors. We are eager to see how the show will morph and grow in the bodies of living, breathing human beings.
What do you hope is next for the show, and how can NAMT members who are interested in its future development get involved now?

Our ultimate goal is to take the show to Broadway, and we have begun to assemble a powerful producing and general management team—some of whom we met directly through the NAMT Festival!—to help chart the journey. We would welcome the support of NAMT members who are interested in our show. Feel free to get in touch!
Why should people plan a visit to the DC area to check out the world premiere?
We were so delightfully overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive feedback from the NAMT community after our presentation and we would love the opportunity to share the full story with you all!
 
For more information about Gun & Powder, and to purchase tickets to the upcoming production, please visit the Signature Theatre website.

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New Work in Progress: Americano!

Next, we spoke with Michael Barnard, Producing Artistic Director, and Vincent VanVleet, Managing Director, at NAMT member The Phoenix Theatre Company about their upcoming new musical Americano!, written by Barnard, Jonathan Rosenberg and Carrie Rodriguez. The musical is set to open at the end of January.
Americano! is based on the real life story of DREAMer Tony Valdovinos. His parents move the family from Mexico to the U.S. looking for a safer and more prosperous future when Tony is only two—but they never share their undocumented status with him. He is shocked to be turned down by the Marines as an illegal immigrant when he tries to enlist on his 18th birthday. Americano! traces Tony’s search for identity as he struggles to fit into a world where the only home he has ever known is suddenly ripped away.
What is The Phoenix Theatre Company’s history with new works, and how does this production of 
Americano! fit into your overall commitment to new works development?
The Phoenix Theatre Company has a long history of new work development, as well as a growing Festival of New American Theatre—recent world premieres include Lucky Star, Unbeatable, Dream a Little Dream, Love Makes the World Go ‘Round, When You Wish, Cookin’s a Drag and Sisters in Law. Five years ago, we made a serious commitment to increasing the tempo of new work development, and we are thrilled to say we have not only met, but exceeded expectations. Americano! was created entirely within our new work development program, and will have its world premiere on our Mainstage on January 31, 2020, as part of our 100th anniversary season. It is a human story about a DREAMer and his family—a young man devoted to this country and seeking his place in America. It comes at a very relevant time.

Tell us a little bit about the genesis of this project and what inspired The Phoenix Theatre Company to develop the project through to full production.
The spark for Americano! was struck during a chance conversation at a wedding almost five years ago. Jason Rose, owner of a prominent Scottsdale public relations, public affairs and events firm, approached us (Producing Artistic Director Michael Barnard and Managing Director Vincent VanVleet) with his vision for the project. Michael co-authored the book with Jonathan Rosenberg, whose most recent musical, 33 1/3 – House of Dreams, broke box office records at the San Diego Repertory Theatre earlier this year. Recommendations led to an amazing partnership with critically acclaimed, award-winning Austin singer/songwriter Carrie Rodriguez. Sergio Mendoza is our arranger, a native of the Arizona border town of Nogales and the founder of indie rock band Calexico and Orkesta Mendoza. The project is a collaboration with Jason Rose and Quixote Productions, and Broadway producer Ken Davenport has signed on as Executive Producer.
Americano!
 is a story for these times and all times, designed to challenge preconceived notions and remind us that America’s strength has always been that we are a nation of immigrants. It is a magical alchemy of robust storytelling and driving Latin score—a hot new production with broad public appeal, humanizing the people at the heart of this hot-button controversy.
What makes The Phoenix Theatre Company the perfect place to produce this show now?
At a time of great divide within our country, Americano! could not be more relevant or align more perfectly with our mission to inspire hope and understanding. We have high hopes for this production—we could see it going to other regional theatres, possibly as a tour, and ultimately launching as a commercial production in New York.
New works programs like ours are crucial to achieving gender parity in the American theatre canon—something we are working consciously to achieve. Americano! showcases the talent of an amazing female composer and lyricist—Carrie Rodriguez. It’s incredibly important for us to reflect the complexity of the human experience and the vitality of our collective community if we want American theatre to attract new audiences. Carrie melds fiery fiddle playing, electrifying vocals and a fresh interpretation of new and classic songs with an “Ameri-Chicana” attitude. Her sound is a Texas-bred twist on Mexican Ranchera songs, creating music for a culturally blended world. She has been profiled in many publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Times of London and The New Yorker.
Why should everyone book their flights to Arizona to catch this show?

The show is ripped right out of today’s headlines and Arizona sits at ground zero. This is a stellar cast and creative team, and we’ve birthed something truly new and remarkable that is a true expression of our shared experience. Get ready to be moved, because in the end we are all dreamers.
 
For more information about Americano!, and purchase tickets to the production, visit The Phoenix Theatre Company’s website.

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This month we caught up with Michael Kooman and Chris Dimond about their 2014 Festival show The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes. The show recently had its world premiere at Village Theatre, and released a cast album, which is now available for purchase. In addition to …Howard Barnes, the pair also penned the 2011 Festival show Dani Girl.
What was the post Festival response to The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes when you presented the show in 2014?
Oh, you know, people were rioting in the streets, starting political revolutions and such. It was like The Rite of Spring, if The Rite of Spring were an abbreviated, 45-minute musical.  🙂
Seriously though, we had a lot of fantastic responses to the Festival presentation. We learned a ton about the show by presenting it in that manner, and the experience generated a number of opportunities for both the show itself, and for our broader careers. In fact, one of the reasons we ended up getting hired to write the songs for VAMPIRINA is because two Disney executives saw that presentation.
…Howard Barnes had its world premiere at Village Theatre last year—how did the production go, and what was the most exciting part of getting to put the show on its feet?
The Village production was the culmination of the eight-year journey we’ve gone on with this show, and it was absolutely thrilling. It’s a show for a big cast and Village gave us all the resources we needed to make this show come to life. Plus, we had an absolutely fantastic team to collaborate with. It was a complete joy to be in the room from beginning to end.
It’s always thrilling to watch a show come to life on stage, but for us the most exciting part is how much the show itself grows through the process. We learned a ton during the production process, and the show improved immensely as a result. 
One of our favorite parts of the process are the challenging rewrites that have to happen as a show moves from the page to the stage. For instance, in tech we discovered that we had a 30-second scene change that needed to be covered right after the second song. We had a day to write something that felt necessary and fun and that didn’t just mark time. It ended up being one of our favorite moments of the show, and it all came out as a result of the process of being in production and learning what the show needs in order to be fully realized on stage. (It’s the last half of track two on the album, if you’d care to listen further…)

You have a cast album that dropped this Fall! Why did you make the decision to produce the album, and what did the production process look like?

At a certain point during rehearsals, we were like “Uhm…we need to preserve this. It’s too much fun.” So we did just that: the day after closing we went in the studio, while the energy was still fresh, and birthed this cast album. We were blown away by the talent and artistry of the actors and musicians from Seattle, and we’re happy to have captured for posterity them on this recording.
Why should everyone get their cast album now?
Because Lord knows we’re paying our rent with the .0067 cents per play we get on Spotify. 
But really, particularly for NAMT members and writers, this is the kind of show with an enormous number of theatre “easter eggs” in it. (True theatre nerds may want to look out for our favorite, a reference to a certain line from The Sound of Music about what Maria “caahn’t face”).
It’s a show that both celebrates and makes fun of theatre, in addition to being the journey of a man coming to terms with his vulnerability and finding the music and joy in his life. I think we can all use a little more of that these days… 
How can members interested in …Howard Barnes’ next steps get involved with the show now?
Anyone interested in the show can reach out to us directly at koomandimond@gmail.com.
You can purchase The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes’ soundtrack here, and for more information on the show, please visit Kooman and Dimond’s website.

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New Work in Progress: Hephaestus

Next, we spoke to Meghan Randolph, the Founder and Executive Director of Music Theatre of Madison, about their upcoming production of Hephaestus by Nathan Fosbinder. MTM will be producing the world premiere of the show this summer, which has received a Frank Young Fund for New Musicals Production Grant.
Hephaestus tells the story of the physically deformed, oft-forgotten Greek God of fire. Cast down to Earth by his mother, the jealous and powerful Hera, he reaches into his soul and identifies his strength as an artisan to win back his spot on Mount Olympus. Soaring contemporary music, beautiful costumes, and the Greek traditions of comedy and tragedy mesh together in this premiere that truly belongs to Madison.

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Festival Show Update: Fall Springs

This month, we chatted with Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and Niko Tsakalakos, the writers of 2017 Festival show Fall Springs. This summer, the show will receive its world premiere at NAMT member Barrington Stage Company, which received a production grant from our Frank Young Fund for New Musicals.
The town of Fall Springs is cash-strapped but sits directly on top of America’s largest reserve of cosmetic essential oils. The town has big dreams but at what cost? With new fracking techniques being recklessly implemented, the ground beneath Fall Springs is crumbling.

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New Work in Progress: Because of Winn Dixie

Next, we spoke to Donna Lynn Hilton, Producer, and Anika Chapin, Artistic Associate, at Goodspeed Musicals, about their upcoming production of Because of Winn Dixie by Duncan Sheik (Fest ’15, Noir) and Nell Benjamin (Fest ’03, Sarah, Plain & Tall), based on the original book by Kate DiCamillo. NAMT members attending the New Works Roundtable this summer will have to chance to see the production.
In a Southern town filled with lost souls, a new leash on life is just around the corner when a preacher and his daughter take in a mutt named Winn Dixie. The beloved, award-winning novel about a quirky community learning to get along now sings for the first time in this uplifting new musical.

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Festival Show Update: Darling Grenadine

This month, we chatted with Daniel Zaitchik, the writer of 2017 Festival show Darling Grenadine. This summer, there will be a production of Darling Grenadine at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, IL, and a New York production at Roundabout Theatre’s Underground is scheduled for this winter. Below, we talk to Daniel about the upcoming productions and the work that’s happened on the show since we spoke to him last.
Harry is a charming songwriter whose fanciful view of the world rivals the Technicolor of any MGM classic. But as Harry floats through the kind of Manhattan life that dreams are made of, he suddenly finds himself confronted with the idea that a dream may be exactly what it is. And reality isn’t nearly as beautiful.

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Festival Show Update: We Live in Cairo

We also chatted with Patrick and Daniel Lazour, the writers of 2016 Festival show We Live in Cairo. The musical is about to have its world premiere at the A.R.T. in Boston; the production opens on May 14.
Inspired by the young Egyptians who took to the streets in 2011 to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak, this world premiere musical follows six revolutionary students armed with laptops and cameras, guitars and spray cans as they come of age in contemporary Cairo. Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, We Live in Cairo moves from the jubilation of Tahrir Square through the tumultuous years that followed. As escalating division and violence lead to a military crackdown, the revolutionaries of Tahrir must confront the question of how—or even whether—to keep their dreams of change alive.
 

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Last month, we chatted with Dave Steakley, the producing artistic director at NAMT member ZACH Theatre. ZACH is about to open a production of 2017 Festival show The Ballad of Klook and Vinette, formerly known as Klook’s Last Stand, written by Ché Walker, Anoushka Lucas and Omar Leyfook. Dave told us a little about what to expect from the upcoming production, and why everyone should make their way to Texas and check it out.
Tender, funny and incredibly moving, this contemporary new love story will grab you from the inside out. Klook and Vinette are two lost souls trying to find themselves in one another. Against all odds and with the past at their heels, together they make a tentative stab at happiness. This is a seductive musical about inevitability and the thrill of falling in love. 

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New Work in Progress: Life After

Next, we chatted with Barry Edelstein, the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director at NAMT member The Old Globe in San Diego, CA about the company’s upcoming US premiere of Life After by Britta Johnson. Life After was previously co-produced by NAMT members The Musical Stage Company and Yonge Street Theatricals. The Old Globe production is produced by special arragement with Yonge Street Theatricals.
Grieving the recent loss of her famous father, 16-year-old Alice begins to question the events surrounding his death and sets out to uncover what really happened on the night that changed her family forever. Britta Johnson’s Life After is a bittersweet, witty and life-affirming new musical that explores the mess and beauty of loss and love. Through the vivid imagination of a young woman looking for the facts, we find a more complicated truth instead. 
 

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Festival Show Update: Benny & Joon

This month, we chatted with with Mindi Dickstein, Nolan Gasser and Kristen Guenther, the writers of 2016 Festival show Benny & Joon. The show is about to open a production at NAMT member Paper Mill Playhouse, the show’s second production following the world premiere at The Old Globe. We chatted about what has changed since the world premiere and the process of getting to a second production.
 
Based on the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The pair at the heart of the show are Joon, a young woman dealing with mental illness, and Benny, the big brother who’s determined to take care of her. When a charmingly eccentric stranger comes into their lives, he throws their carefully calibrated world off-kilter—maybe for the better. Large in emotional scope and artistic ambition, Benny & Joon embraces a difficult subject with warmth, honesty, and wit.
 

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New Work in Progress: Marie, Dancing Still

Next, we chatted with Bill Berry, the Producing Artistic Director at NAMT member The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA about the company’s upcoming premiere of Marie, Dancing Still – A New Musical, written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Marie, Dancing Still is set to begin previews on March 22. 
In 19th-century Paris, an era of groundbreaking artistry, a girl named Marie dreams of being the next star of the ballet. Despite the odds of her hard-scrabble life, she scrimps, saves and steals in pursuit of her ambitions. But when fate leads her to the studio of Impressionist Edgar Degas, she unknowingly steps into immortality—becoming the inspiration for his most famous sculpture ever: Little Dancer.

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Alumni Show Update: Fall of '94

This month, we chatted with with Ellen Fitzhugh (Paper Moon, Fest ’95), Joseph Thalken (Was, Fest ’03; Harold and Maude, Fest ’03) and Ashley Robinson, the writers of Fall of ’94. The show is about to receive a reading at Red Mountain Theatre Company’s Human Rights New Works Festival. We chatted about the musical’s development and what they’re looking forward to learning through their participation in the Human Rights New Works Festival.
Fall of ’94 is a very personal coming-of-age story of five 12-year-old children in rural Union, South Carolina. Set during the unfolding of the Susan Smith tragedy, the eyes of the world were on this small mill town. While the kids focus on perfecting their annual Halloween spook house, the excitement of a media frenzy consumes everyone around them and brings the town’s dark secrets to the surface. Just down the hill from where they are building their spook house, the answers to the Nation’s questions lay in John D. Long Lake. Fall of ’94 asks what effect events of violence and an atmosphere of racial tension have on children and young people.

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New Work in Progress: Men With Money

This month, we chatted with Ann-Carol Pence and Anthony Rodriguez, co-founders and respectively the Associate Producer and Producing Artistic Director at NAMT member Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, GA about the company’s world premiere of Men With Money, written by Bill Nelson and Joseph Trefler. Men With Money is set to open on March 7. 
Louis, Max, and Sonny are charming, young and eligible bachelors looking to marry their way from rags to riches. This romantic romp is full of dreams, schemes and lavish musical numbers set in the golden age mecca of Manhattan in the 1950’s, with a twist. It’s an alternative gleaming, fabulous and mighty Big Apple. And two of our leading men are looking for husbands, oh my!

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New Work in Progress: Alice By Heart

Next, we chatted with Jessica Chase, the Artistic Producer at NAMT member MCC Theater in New York, NY about the company’s world premiere of Alice by Heart, written by Steven Sater, Jessie Nelson and Duncan Sheik. Sheik is a Festival Alumnus for Noir (Fest ’15). Alice by Heart is set to open on January 30. 
 

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Festival Show Update: Mythic

This month, we caught up with Marcus Stevens and Oran Eldor, the writers of 2017 Festival show Mythic, formerly known as Persephone. We chatted about the musical’s recent London production, and the cast album that will be coming out in the new year. Mythic was just named one of the UK’s best shows of 2018 by The Stage.

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New Work in Progress: The Hello Girls

Next, we chatted with Cara Reichel, the Producing Artistic Director at NAMT member Prospect Theater Company in New York, NY about the company’s world premiere of The Hello Girls, written by Reichel and Peter Mills. Both Reichel and Mills are Festival Alumni for Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge (Fest ’11) and Mills is also an alumnus for Onanov Broadway (fka Iron Curtain, Fest ’09). The Hello Girls is running now through December 22nd. 

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Festival Show Update: Prom Queen

This month, we caught up with Kent Staines, Akiva Romer-Segal and Colleen Dauncey, the writers of 2017 Festival show Prom Queen, to check in with them and see where the show has been since its Festival presentation, and where it’s going next. 

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New Work in Progress: Renascence

Next, we chatted with Lori Fineman and Jack Cummings III, respectively the Executive Director and the Artistic Director at NAMT member Transport Group Theatre Company in New York, NY about the company’s upcoming world premiere of Renascence. We also spoke with the piece’s writers, Dick Scanlan (Fest ’96, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Carmel Dean about their experience working on the piece with Transport Group. The musical’s world premiere, funded in part by a grant from the National Fund for New Musicals, will open in October, just in time for NAMT members arriving for the Fall Events to see the show while they’re in town!

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Festival Show Update: When We're Gone

This month, we caught up with Scotty Arnold and Alana Jacoby, the writers of 2016 Festival show When We’re Gone (fka Mortality Play)to check in with them before the show’s world premiere at NAMT member Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma this fall. The production is funded in part by a grant from the National Fund for New Musicals. You can also check out a video fo Scotty and Alana talking about what they love about NAMT on YouTube!

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New Work in Progress: Grumpy Old Men

Next, we chatted with Brad Kenney, the Executive Artistic Director, and Cheryl Farley, the Director of Marketing, Communications and Patron Services, at NAMT member Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, ME, about the theatre’s New Works Program and their upcoming production of Grumpy Old Men by Dan Remmes, Neil Berg and Nick Meglin. 
 

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We chatted with Brett Smock, the Producing Artistic Director at NAMT member Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival in Auburn, NY, about the theatre’s upcoming world premiere production of Anne of Green Gables by Matte O’Brien and Matt Vinson. Anne of Green Gables was featured in NAMT’s Other Shows You Should Know jukebox last year.

 
How did Anne of Green Gables first find its way to Finger Lakes?
Anne of Green Gables, A New Folk Rock Musical was accepted to participate in our new works program, “The PiTCH.” Each year, we provide residency to five different creative teams and their emerging works. We offer them housing, transportation, marketing support, a dedicated venue, dramaturgical support and the beautiful backdrop of the Finger Lakes. They are able to immerse and work on their new musical and at the end of each week, the team is able to present or “pitch” their new material to audiences for three presentations. Basically, we create space and opportunity for musical theatre writers. To date, we have given 59 new new musicals development opportunity through “The PiTCH.” Last year, Anne was a big hit at “The PiTCH.” Matte O’Brien (Book/Lyrics) and Matt Vinson (Music) presented excerpts from the show to sold-out houses and during their week of residency it became clear that the show had incredible appeal across all demographics. We began discussions about the show’s needs, its development path and how we might help facilitate for the show and the team. That discussion led to us producing the premiere production this year as part of our 60th Anniversary season.

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Festival Show Update: Lempicka

This month, we caught up with Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer, the writers of 2016 Festival show Lempicka, to check in with them before the show receives its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. The show is presented by special arrangement with NAMT member Seaview Productions.
 
What was the initial reaction to Lempicka after the 2016 Festival?
There was a lot of enthusiasm around the piece. NAMT’s Festival was our chance to get back on the map. Our show had been floundering for a while and our NAMT presentation helped to jump start our world premiere production. 

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New Work in Progress: Penn State Musical Theatre

This month, we chatted with John Simpkins, the Director of NAMT member Penn State Musical Theatre in University Park, PA about the school’s new commissioning program. The school just presented its first full production of a show developed through the program, and will be holding a concert reading of their most recent commissioned show next month.
Penn State Musical Theatre started a commissioning program for new musicals a few years ago. Can you tell us a little about Penn State’s history with new work and what inspired this program?
Penn State Musical Theatre has always been open to new work—and has done readings and workshops along the way inspired mostly by professional relationships and a desire to meaningfully connect the students to writers and process wherever possible. When I got to Penn State in 2015, one of the things I began was our New Musicals Initiative, whose key component is the commissioning program. The inspiration for this unique commissioning idea was driven by finding the intersection of multiple objectives. For the writer, we hope to give each team a safe and creative place to think write, collaborate, and experiment with talented young artists who hunger for opportunity and will apply the fullness of their artistic souls to everything they do. For the training process, there is no better way to teach character development and the ability to engage with new works than to have a new musical forming around and with the students every year. And for the collaborative engine of 21st century musical theatre, we are very proud to commission shows to add to the repertoire and even continue on as co-producers in the professional journey of some of the projects.

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