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Festival Show Update: Othello: The Remix

This month, we chat with Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Rick Boynton and The Q Brothers, JQ and GQ, about 2015 Festival Show Othello: The Remix, written by the Q Brothers and developed with Boynton. Othello: The Remix, which received a Writers Residency Grant at CST, is heading back to Chicago for a production this spring.
What has the post-Festival response for Othello: The Remix been like?
Rick Boynton: We had a terrific response to the presentation and are in talks with both commercial and not-for-profit producers.  We are producing the show this spring at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and look forward to continuing those conversations.
Q Brothers: It’s been great. We have a lot of new fans because of it. The opportunities are still unfolding, and theater always takes time, so we’ll see!

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Who Will Buy? Browsing Through NAMT’s Annual Musical Sampler Sale

American Theatre takes a look into the 2015 Festival of New Musicals, talking with writers and NAMT staff to give a full picture of the Festival and the opportunities it presents. Suzy Evans writes:

At the 2015 event, the talent indeed ranged from veritable unknowns to known quantities like [Duncan] Sheik and the Q Brothers. [Executive Director Betsy King] Militello insists that she tries to keep a diversity in the final projects in all areas.
“We can’t have eight shows that are all big and all sunshine, and on the flip side we can’t have eight shows that are all four-person ensembles,” Militello said, adding that she also wants a mix of musical styles and next-step opportunities for the work.
This year’s shows included a touching story about a young boy and his imaginary friend, a hip-hop take on Othello, a film noir-style mystery, a comedy set in the video game world, a dark comedy at an apocalyptic theatre, a Great Depression-era gothic fantasy, a tragedy about two immigrants in New York, and a fantastical story of a young boy’s mysterious adventure.
“It’s sort of a marketplace for people looking for new work to develop,” said Will Van Dyke, who was at the festival for the first time with his musical Imagine Harry, which he wrote with Jeff Talbott. “Ultimately, a goal is always production, but for us specifically, the goal is to find a place that would foster it from where we are now to a production.”
…The networking atmosphere between presentations is just as—if not more—important than the shows themselves. After each presentation, the writers go to a table outside the theatre and exchange demos for business cards. There are also happy hours and a closing night party where folks can mingle. These, as much as the performances, are where valuable connections are made that can further a work’s future.

Read more at americantheatre.org.

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Additional Festival and 46th Minute Casting Announced

We’ve announced additional casting for The 46th Minute, a concert featuring “great songs that almost made the cut” from the eight shows presented in 45-minute readings at the 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals. As Playbill.com reports:

The 46th Minute features songs from the musicals in this year’s festival, including those by Spring Awakening composer Duncan Sheik with Kyle Jarrow; Andrea Daly and Jeff Bienstock; Daryl Lisa Fazio and Aaron McAllister; Shawn and Seth Magill; Rebekah Greer Melocik and Jacob Yandura; Timothy Huang; The Q Brothers; and Jeff Talbott and Will Van Dyke.
Hosted by Godspell‘s Julia Mattison, the concert will feature performances many of the composers as well as Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening, Wicked), Raymond Lee (Encores! The Wild Party), Kelvin Moon Loh (The King and I), Emily Padgett (Side Show), Taylor Trensch (Matilda), Lauren Worsham (Gentleman’s Guide…) and more.
The evening will also feature other original songs by Sheik (“Avalanche” from his new album “Legerdemain”), Jarrow (“Beautiful Monster” with Sky Pony), Daly (“Know I’m Yours”) and “Home” by Hovercraft (“Glide”).

Read more at Playbill.com, and use code MNFIVE915 to get $5 off tickets at TelechargeOffers.com or the New World Stages box office now!
 
Playbill also announced additional casting for the Festival itself, including Sarah Stiles (Hand to God), Jake Epstein (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), Emily Padgett (Side Show), Zell Steele Morrow (Fun Home) and Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hamilton).
Read more at Playbill.com, or learn more about the Festival and register here. Advance registration closes on October 9!
 

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Additional Casting and Directors Announced for the 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals

We’re thrilled to announce additional directors and casting for the 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals, taking place on Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).
Costs of Living
Book, music & lyrics by Timothy Huang
Director: Marlo Hunter (Callaway Award-winner for Unlock’d)
Cast: Jenni Barber (Broadway: The Nance), Kiet Cao, Daniel J. Edwards (Broadway: Anything Goes), Ali Ewoldt (Broadway: Les Misérables), Raymond Lee (Broadway: Anything Goes, Honeymoon in Vegas), and Kelvin Moon Loh (Broadway: The King and I)
Based on a true story, COSTS OF LIVING chronicles the lives of two immigrant cab drivers who come to New York for the American dream but instead find a nightmare scenario.  Set to a rock and pop theatre score, featuring a predominantly Asian-American ensemble.
 
 

 
Imagine Harry
Music & lyrics by Will Van Dyke, book & lyrics by Jeff Talbott
Director: Brandon Ivie (Off Broadway: Jasper in Deadland)
Music Director: Ian Weinberger (TV: “The Sound of Music Live”)
Cast: Brad Oscar (Broadway: Something Rotten, The Producers), William Parry (Broadway: Passion, Gypsy), Preston Sadleir (National Tour: Next to Normal), Myra Lucretia Taylor (Broadway: Nine), Taylor Trensch (Broadway: Wicked; Off Broadway: Little Miss Sunshine)
 
 

The Last Queen of Canaan
Book by Harrison David Rivers, lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura.
Director: Peter Rothstein (Power Balladz, Artistic Director of Minneapolis’ Theater Latté Da)
Music Director: Matt Gallagher (Broadway: Doctor Zhivago, Hands on a Hard Body)
Cast: Chasten Harmon (Broadway: Hair), Kecia Lewis (Broadway: Leap of Faith, The Drowsy Chaperone), Kenita Miller (Broadway: The Color Purple), Jon-Michael Reese (National tour: The Book of Mormon), Margo Seibert (Broadway: Rocky), Q. Smith (Broadway: Mary Poppins)
 
 

Legendale
Music by Andrea Daly, book & lyrics by Jeff Bienstock, story by Bienstock & Daly.
Director: John Simpkins (Off Broadway: Bloodsong of Love at Ars Nova).
Music Director: Vadim Feichtner (Broadway: …Spelling Bee)
Cast: James Monroe Iglehart (Broadway: Tony Award-winner for Aladdin), Lauren Marcus (Hello, Dolly at Papermill Playhouse), George Salazar (Broadway: Godspell), Ryan Vona (Broadway: Once), Jason SweetTooth Williams
 
 
 

lift
Book & lyrics by Daryl Lisa Fazio, music by Aaron McAllister
Director: Schele Williams (PBS’s Broadway or Bust)
Music Director: Madeline Smith (Off Broadway: Futurity, An Octoroon)
Cast: Joél Perez (Broadway: Fun Home), Lauren Worsham (Broadway: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Tony Nom)
 
 
 

Noir
Music & lyrics by Duncan Sheik, book & lyrics by Kyle Jarrow
Director: Chloe Treat (Off Broadway: TheaterworkUSA’s The Lightning Thief) with Rachel Chavkin (The Great Comet, Prelude)
Music Director: Jason Hart (Regional: Because of Winn Dixie; Whisper House)
Cast: Lilli Cooper (Broadway: Spring Awakening), Daniel Everidge (Broadway: Grease), Kevin Mambo (Broadway: Fela!), John Schiappa (Broadway: Rocky), Emily Skeggs (Broadway: Fun Home, Tony Nom.), Theo Stockman (Broadway: Hair, American Idiot), Adrienne Warren (Broadway: Bring It On), with Foley Artist Jeremy Bloom (Off Broadway: The Mysteries)
 


 
 
On The Eve
Music & lyrics by Shawn Magill & Seth Magill, book by Michael Federico, story by Michael Federico, Shawn Magill & Seth Magill
Director: Sam Buntrock (West End & Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George, Olivier Award and Tony Award noms)
Cast: Will Connolly (Broadway: Once)
 


 

Othello: The Remix
Book, music & lyrics by The Q Brothers (GQ and JQ), developed with Rick Boynton
Director: Brian Hill (Goodspeed Musicals’ The Theory of Relativity)
Cast: GQ (The Bomb-itty of Errors), JQ (The Bomb-itty of Errors), Postell Pringle (Broadway: A Free Man of Color), Jackson Doran (A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol, Chicago Shakespeare’s Funk It Up About Nothin’)
 

Registration for the Festival is open to theatre industry professionals and major donors to NAMT through October 9. For more more information on registration (including walk-up), plus details on all eight Festival shows, the Songwriters Showcase and the Songwriters Cabarets, visit the Festival web page now, or email festival@namt.org.

 
NAMT thanks the following foundations, government agencies and organizations for their ongoing support of our programs:  ABE Charitable Foundation, The Alhadeff Family Charitable Foundation, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York Creative Space Grant, ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund, BMI Foundation, The Dramatists Guild Fund, Friars Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, The Noël Coward Foundation, The Purple Plume Foundation, The Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation, Stacey Mindich Productions and The Shubert Foundation.

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Announcing the 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals Shows

We’re thrilled to announce the line up of new musicals for the 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals, which will take place on Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16 at in New York.
Now in its 27th year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals attracts theatre producers from around the world for this industry-only event to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute reading presentations over two days. All production costs are underwritten by NAMT, at no cost to the writing teams.  As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions.
The festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 228 musicals and 432 writers from around the world. As a direct result of the Festival, more than 85% of the musicals presented have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours, been licensed, and/or recorded on cast albums. Some past festival shows include The Drowsy Chaperone, It Shoulda Been You, Striking 12, Ordinary Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others.

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