End of Internship Update from
NAMT Program Intern Theo Karras
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| If we have met - hi, again! If we haven't met yet - hello for the first time!
I'm Theo Karras, NAMT's Program Intern. My time at NAMT is winding down, and I wanted to share a message with you:
A week before NAMT's 35th Annual New Musical Festival, I had an opportunity to volunteer as a Production Assistant. Never in my dreams did I believe that volunteering was going to find me at an organization as iconic as NAMT to foster an artist only in NYC for one week so far. Over the last season, I attended performances of new musicals that one time found a place at the Festival of New Musicals like LEMPICKA on Broadway, TEETH at Playwrights Horizons and GUN & POWDER at Paper Mill Playhouse. As I sat in my seat during each show, I couldn’t help but think about the contributions of developers like NAMT playing a part in finding a heartbeat for these musicals. And then I recalled how I saw that work in action this year as well, like THE FEMALE POPE at The New Group's FreeFest or TL;DR workshop by Diversionary Theatre in NYC. I will soon end my internship with a front-row experience of what it means to captivate the essence of a program as you're constructing and executing it. This team's expertise and communication has been the driving force behind these initiatives.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every person that NAMT has connected me to along the way. To the staff: your support, advice, collaboration and upbeat work environment has made the most remarkable experience as a young artist who prospers at the intersection of community and theatre. To the members, committees, volunteers, partners and everyone else who makes NAMT what it is: you make it possible for NAMT to reach its maximum impact. The work that this community maintains to keep conversations moving forward is an essential aspect of generating new voices and stories for the stage all around the world. NAMT is a home to true storytellers.
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Above all else, I’ll find myself missing most...
...Catching up about the latest Taylor Swift conspiracies with Frankie and Alana.
...Skye & Emily laughing uncontrollably when I first explained the term “slay boots."
...Getting the most recent update from Adam about what shows I must absolutely see, which right now are OH, MARY and CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL.
...Watching the creative genius of Amanda's journey with her new musical THE ANGEL MAKERS.
...The focused (and humorous) leadership by Betsy during weekly staff meetings.
Rest assured, wherever I go I will carry these skills with me. Everyone I've met seems to be connected by NAMT, and I genuinely could not be more thankful for this to be the first organization to give me lessons behind the wheel.
If you see me - say hi. Until you see me - be kind.
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Theo Karras
NAMT Program Intern
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Stay in the loop! Check out announcements from the NAMT Network:
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TAKE A VILLAGE: Village Theatre prepares for 21st Annual Festival of New Musicals featuring NAMT musical THE OSCAR MICHEAUX PROJECT (Fest '23, FYFNM '24) in Issaquah, WA (Aug 2 - 4).
UP NEXT: Performances begin for Theater Latte Da's 2024 NEXT Festival highlighting new musicals in development by local & national artists including David Darrow (Fest '17) in Minneapolis, MN (Jul 16-Aug 12).
IT JUST WORKS: Preparations underway for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 21st Annual New Works Festival celebrating new plays and musicals in their early stages of development in Palo Alto, CA (Aug 9-18).
SOUTHERN SPOTLIGHT: The South Carolina New Play Festival's third season reveals Festival Alumni Greg Borowsky & Melvin Tunstall III (both Fest '21) and more in Greenville, SC (Aug 8-13).
THE NEW RAZZLE DAZZLE: Chicago Musical Theatre Festival returns with upcoming NAMT musical THE BRASS TEAPOT on the lineup in Chicago, IL (Aug 8-11)
FESTIVAL GIANTS: Forestburgh Playhouse's 4th Annual In the Works~In the Woods Festival to highlight new musical by NAMT writers Jaime Lozano (FYFNM '24) & Tommy Newman (Fests '07, '09, '13) in Forestburgh, NY (Sept 6-8).
ALUMNI SUCCESSES: The Lucille Lortel Theatre has announced the first-ever recipients of the 121 Project, featuring a complete lineup of NAMT Festival Alumni writers and musicals.
THAT'S A WRAP: The National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center concludes performances this weekend featuring upcoming and alumni Festival musicals. Congrats all!
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Nearly 800 Producers & Presenters are anticipated to attend the Festival following NAMT's Fall Conference. The musicals chosen for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals are: (tap for more info)
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THE BRASS TEAPOT
Book by Tim Macy & Ramaa Mosley
Music & Lyrics by Chaz Cardigan
Co-conceived by Erik Kaiko
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| DEAR EX
Book, Music & Lyrics by Be Steadwell
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| HELSINKI
Music & Lyrics by Barrett Riggins
Book & Lyrics by Graham Techler
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| IN CLAY
Book & Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds
Music & Lyrics by Jack Miles
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LEWIS LOVES CLARK
Book & Lyrics by Mike Ross
Music by Dylan MarcAurele
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LIGHTHOUSE
Book, Lyrics & Story by abs wilson
Music & Story by Veronica Mansour
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| MEDUSA
Book, Music & Lyrics by Parisa Shahmir
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| PROUD MARYS
Book & Lyrics by Jennifer Paz
Music & Lyrics by Anthony Fedorov
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The Festival is an industry-only event showcasing eight new musicals in 45-minute concert presentations over two days to hundreds of global industry professionals in Regional Theatre, Broadway, Music, Film and TV. Registration for industry members is open at www.namt.org/festival. A professional affiliation (e.g., NAMT, the Broadway League, TCG) is required to register. Industry members can upgrade passes for priority admission and access to special events, including the Festival Closing Night Party, through a donation to NAMT. Free General Standby passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The general public can also receive passes through a donation to NAMT.
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Selection Wrap-Up: Meet the Finalists & NAMT-Recommended Musicals!
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This year, a committee of 23 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 583 submissions—marking a record-breaking submission season for the second year in a row. The committee for the Annual Festival of New Musicals faces the challenging task of selecting just eight musicals, and this year the decision was tougher than ever. The sheer quality and creativity of these submissions were too remarkable to go unrecognized.
We are excited to introduce the Festival Finalists and a new recognition category, NAMT-Recommended Musicals! These exceptional projects, carefully reviewed by the Festival Selection Committee, represent the future of musical theatre. If you’re developing new work or have a keen interest in the evolution of new musicals, these are the projects you need to know about.
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Congratulations Finalists! |
20 musicals were selected as finalists for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals. This season’s finalists also included:
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ALICE BLISS
Book by Karen Hartman
Music by Jenny Giering
Lyrics by Adam Gwon
CHARLOTTE LUCAS IS 27 AND NOT DEAD
Book & Lyrics by Jessie Field & James Martinez Salem
Music by James Martinez Salem
CRASHLIGHT
Book, Music & Lyrics by Celeste Makoff
THE DOCTOR IS DEAD
Book, Music, & Lyrics by é boylan
fuzzy
Music & Lyrics by Will Van Dyke
Book & Lyrics by Jeff Talbott
HALF MAN || HALF BULL
Written & Created by Phil Grainger, Oliver Tilney & Alexander Wright
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| THE HOMETOWN TOUR
Book, Music And Lyrics by Alex Petti
LAST COFFEE IN ROCKVILLE
Book, Music & Lyrics by Julián Mesri
THE MIRACULOUS MATTERS OF MR. MERCADO'S FISHBOWL
Book by Sarah Lina Sparks
Music by Samuel Perlman
Lyrics & Additional Book by Mitchell Huntley
OY BAND
Book, Music & Lyrics by Bonnie Gleicher
REGRETTING ALMOST EVERYTHING
Book & Lyrics by Lauren Taslitz
Music by Danny Ursetti
SIX GUNS RUNNIN'
Book, Music & Lyrics by Beaufield Berry
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Congratulations NAMT-Recommended Musicals! |
19 more exceptional projects have been carefully highlighted by the Festival Selection Committee, including:
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BARBA: BRAZILIAN BODY PERCUSSION MUSICAL
Book by Carlos Bauzys & Kim Bixler
Music by Carlos Bauzys
BLACK GIRL IN PARIS
Music by Jacinth Greywoode
Book & Lyrics by Aridy Nox
BUILT FOR THIS
Music & Lyrics by Kira Stone
Book by Lauren Gunderson
FALLING FORWARD
Music & Lyrics by Karl Amundson
Book by Emily Fink
THE GOREE ALL-GIRL STRING BAND
Music by Artie Sievers
Book by Jenny Stafford
Lyrics by Artie Sievers & Jenny Stafford
Story by Ashley Brooke Monroe, Artie Sievers, & Jenny Stafford
HEARTBREAKERS IN HELL
Music by Joey Contreras
Book & Lyrics by Benjamin Halstead
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| THE HOMEFRONT
Book by Malika Oyetimein & Jenny Stafford
Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
Music & Lyrics by Drew Gasparini
Book by Alex Brightman
LYDIA & THE TROLL
Book, Music & Lyrics by Justin Huertas
OLIVIA O, THE MUSICAL
Music by Gil Yaron
Book & Lyrics by Diane Currie Sam & Jessica Carmona
PERFORMING FILIPINA
Book, Music & Lyrics by Lianah Sta. Ana
SÉANCE
Music by Frederick Freyer
Book & Lyrics by Patrick Cook
SOUTH
Music by Florencia Iriondo, Luis D'elias & Federico Diaz
Book & Lyrics by Florencia Iriondo
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| TOMORROW, THE ISLAND DIES
Book, Music & Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver
URSA: A FOLK MUSICAL
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jake Schindler & Sam Boer
WAKEMAN
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jenn Grinels
A WHISPER CALLED FREEDOM
Book, Music & Lyrics by Oliver Houser
WIDOWS
Music by Kira Stone
Book & Lyrics by Matthew Greene
WITNESSES
Book by Robert L. Freedman
Music by Carmel Dean, Matt Gould, Adam Gwon, Anna K. Jacobs & Gerald Sternbach
Lyrics by Jordan Beck, Mindi Dickstein, Matt Gould, Adam Gwon & Anna K. Jacobs
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Thank you, Festival Selection Committee! |
The 2024 Festival Committee is co-chaired by Sharon Fallon of Sharon Fallon Productions, Inc. (NY) and Matt Morrow of Center Repertory Company (CA), with Chair Emerite Brannon Bowers of American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University (IL). 2024 Committee members include:
Elissa Adams, Theater Latté Da (MN); Dev Bondarin, Prospect Theater Company (NY); Anika Chapin, Signature Theatre (VA); Maggie-Kate Coleman, Polyphone Festival of New and Emerging Musicals (PA), Rick Edinger, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama (PA); Michael Fling, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Branden Huldeen, Barrington Stage Company (MA); Adam Immerwahr, Village Theatre (WA); Nicole LaFountaine, Straighten Your Crown Productions (NY), Monique Midgette, Director, Playwright, Casting Director, Producer (MD); Tom Morrissey, Theatre Now New York (NY); Tegan Summer, Tegan Summer Theatricals (NY/UK); Alexander Tom, Montclair State University (NJ), Claudia de Vasco, Miller Outdoor Theatre (TX); Emily Wells, Human Race Theatre Company (OH); Brad Willcuts, Michigan State University (MI); Neen Williams-Teramachi, The 5th Avenue Theatre (WA); Kathleen Wrinn, Syracuse University (NY); Chris Youstra, Olney Theatre Center (MD); and Jill Abramovitz (Alumni Writer Representative: The Pack fka The Dogs of Pripyat, Fest ’11).
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Thank you, Festival Screening Committee! |
We had a record number of Festival Screeners this year, dedicated to ensuring that all shows are thoroughly reviewed in the first round of our selection process. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the 79 NAMT Members, Alumni Artists and Guest Professionals who joined us as Festival Screeners. We deeply appreciate the expertise and enthusiasm you bring to our process. Your contributions help make our festival a continued success! Click here to meet the Festival Screening Committee.
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New Music Added: NAMT Playlists Updated!
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NAMT Staff is thrilled to reveal the official NAMT Spotify Playlists. Be sure to click below or launch the Spotify app and follow the National Alliance for Musical Theatre for regular playlist updates to keep you entertained and inspired! Both playlists are curated by NAMT Staff for producers, artists and MT fans to bring new musical magic to life anytime you like!
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Want to add to this listing? Spot an error or old info? Reach out to us at newworks@namt.org.
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Pearl Studios is the official rehearsal studio for the NAMT Festival of New Musicals, and we're excited to partner with them again this year for our 36th Anniversary. Pearl Studios is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan on 8th Avenue between 35th & 36th Streets, and offers two floors of clean, bright and flexible rooms fit for all your rehearsal needs. For bookings, call 212-904-1850 or email contactus@pearlstudiosnyc.com.
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