From my perspective, it’s the most competitive era ever just to be seen. The 37th Annual Festival of New Musicals received 538 submissions from 962 writers this year—following last year’s record-breaking 583 submissions from over 1,000 writers and the 575 submissions before that. If it feels like the odds are getting steeper, it’s because they are. More creators are vying for fewer opportunities than there were just five years ago.

In a landscape like this, visibility isn’t optional—it’s essential. That doesn’t mean waiting for someone else to take notice. It means taking the reins of your own career, your own audience and your own creative future. If you know me, you know I’m a big fan of the "no theater required" approach to audience development, and you'll remember my urging to reach for the limitless sky of exposure. The skills you’ve developed as a storyteller extend beyond the stage. Musical theatre is a dynamic fusion of text, music and performance, and that command of narrative, ethos and catharsis makes you uniquely equipped to engage audiences far beyond the traditional theatre world.

Consider this: You’re not just the writer of New Musical: The Musical. You’re its CEO, Marketing Director, Advertising Executive, Publicist and Community Builder. And in a culture that revolves around fan-driven content, your creative development process is a goldmine for engagement. The worlds you build—the characters, the songs, the themes, the in-progress drafts—are the exact kind of material audiences want to connect with long before opening night. The only difference between the visibility of your show and the latest HBO series, Sabrina Carpenter single, or Apple TV+ release is the decision to put it out there.

I won’t pretend this is always easy. Social media takes practice. Writing for an email list can feel vulnerable. Websites cost money. And what in the world is funnel marketing? But the key is to start. Don't get stuck in planning. Try something. Make it authentic. The artists breaking through today are the ones who build worlds around their work—letting audiences follow the journey, get to know the characters, listen to the music on the way to work and, most importantly, form a real connection with you, the creator behind it all. That’s where the magic happens. Because when the time comes to pitch a producer or institution, who do you think they’ll be drawn to—the writer with a draft and a dream, or the artist who already has an engaged, invested audience ready to buy tickets?

I'm excited to tease a new event at NAMT to dispel the magic of marketing your musical. NAMT's New Works Summit this Spring is all about that: Finding Visibility During Creative Development. If you’re ready to take action on building your audience—and to stop waiting for permission to be seen—pre-register now to secure your spot.

The work you do today to develop your audience pays off tenfold. The time to be visible is now.

Be the first in line for NAMT’s Spring New Works Summit—a one-day event designed to help composers, lyricists, playwrights and industry leaders build visibility while shaping their work. This year’s theme, Finding Visibility During Creative Development, is all about engaging audiences before the work hits the stage, no theater required. Panels, roundtables and networking opportunities will feature NAMT Members & Alumni Writers to share tips to navigate developing a following. 

🎭 Who It’s For: NAMT Members, Festival Alumni Writers, Festival Emerging Artist Program Alumni, Frank Young Fund Grantees, Songwriting Challenge Winning Songwriters & Mentor Writers and those eager to be part of NAMT Programs.

📅 When: Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 10 AM - 2 PM | Mixer to Follow
📍 Where: Midtown Manhattan, NYC
🎟️ Cost: $30 Registration Fee

🔑 Limited spots available. Pre-register now to secure your place and get first access when registration officially opens!

Stay in the loop! Check out announcements from the NAMT Network:

OFFIES: IN CLAY (Fest '24) by Rebecca Simmonds & Jack Miles wins two Off West End Awards for Creation and Performance categories. 

MYTHIC MUSICAL: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to host US premiere of MYTHIC (Fest '17) by Oran Eldor & Marcus Stevens, to be directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. 

RODGERS AWARD: The 2025 Richard Rodgers Awards include BLACK GIRL IN PARIS (FYFNM '23) by Jacinth Greywoode & AriDy Nox, HELSINKI (Fest '24) by Barrett Riggins & Graham Techler and THE DARK LADY by Veronica Mansour (Fest '24) & Sophie Boyce. 

PLATINUM: Drama League Stage Directing Fellow Irvin Mason Jr. (Fest '22) joins production of PLATINUM DREAMS at York Theatre as Associate Director. 

LARSON GRANTS: Jonathan Larson Grants revealed by The American Theatre Wing include NAMT Festival alumni Dylan MarcAurele (Fest '24), Shannon Burkett & Heather Christian (both Fest '22), Cheeyang Ng (Fests '20 & '21) & Eric Sorrels (Fest '21) and Joriah Kwamé (FYFNM '23). 

BRONX IN CHICAGO: Festival Alumni Kevin Merritt (Fest '14) and the Q Brothers (Fest '15) staged production of new musical She Came From the Bronx: A Hip Hop Experience at University of Illinois Chicago School of Theatre and Music. 

THE BRASS TEAPOT: Firefly Theatre Group presents THE BRASS TEAPOT (Fest '24) by Erik Kaiko, Tim Macy, Ramaa Mosely & Chaz Cardigan in Chicago at the Sherry Theater from May 16 - 25.  

MAKE AN IMPACT: Letters of Intent now being accepted for NAMT Impact & Exploration Grants from NAMT Member Organizations through May 12, 2025.

How do we turn unforgettable storytelling into great branding? Find out at NAMT’s Spring Conference, Backstage to Box Office: Building Better Branding, hosted at the stunning Red Mountain Theatre in Birmingham, AL, from April 9-11! This year’s lineup features a keynote from Sam Miller (Champ Creative Co.), including a screening of his short film I'm Still Here, plus deep dives into audience engagement, brand storytelling and the latest marketing strategies shaping the industry.

Expect insights from an incredible roster of industry leaders, including Drew Francis, Dakota Patrick, Roy Lightner, Jennifer Jaquess and Keith Cromwell from Red Mountain Theatre; Susanna Gellert and Andrew Butterfield from Weston Theater Company; Keelie Segars from Markstein; Carolina Vargas from Philadelphia Theatre Company; Andressa Royer from Center Theatre Group; Cassie Hakken from Constellation Stage & Screen; Hillary Hart from Theatre Under The Stars; Emily Santel and Cory Smallwood from The Muny; Christine Bateman from Village Theatre; Michelle Paul from BackOffice Thinking; Michael Detroit from Playhouse on the Square; Dane Whitlock from Maine State Music Theatre; Susan Webb from Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma; Marc Robin and Colin Riebel from Fulton Theatre; Alan Anderson from Broadway Rose Theatre Company; Brian Marcum from Music Theatre Wichita; Tad Fujioka from Musical Theatre West; and Mark Fleischer from Pittsburgh CLO.

Beyond the conference room, immerse yourself in Birmingham’s dynamic arts scene, including a behind-the-scenes tour of Red Mountain Theatre’s brand-new Arts Campus, a co-production of Freaky Friday with UAB’s Department of Theatre and visits to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Vulcan Park & Museum. 

See the full agenda and register now at namt.org/conference. See you in Birmingham!

Last season, we introduced NAMT+ (spotlighting NAMT Program Alumni writers and more) and ELEVATE (highlighting femme+ voices shaping the industry). This year, we’re expanding our lineup with LAUNCH: The Next Gen of Musical Theatre, a brand-new playlist celebrating young & emerging musical theatre songwriters and creators making their mark.

All three playlists have just been updated!
📌 NAMT+ → Fresh tracks from NAMT Program Alumni
📌 ELEVATE → The latest from femme+ musical theatre voices
📌 LAUNCH → Introducing rising stars in musical theatre

Listen now on Spotify! Follow the playlists, save your favorite tracks and share them with your community to amplify these incredible voices. Discover the future of musical theatre today at namt.org/playlists.

Check out the new additions to NAMT+, including tracks by Oran Eldor & Marcus Stevens, Zeniba Now, Jorge Rivera-Herrans, Kooman & Dimond, Julia Mattison & Noel Carey and more. 

ELEVATE is back this month with new entries including songs by Be Steadwell, Bonnie Gleicher, Jay Adana, Emma Ashford, Truth Future Bachman, Maria Wirries and more. 

The winning songs from the 2024 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students are now available through Concord Theatricals! This collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts and NAMT gives young songwriters the chance to have their work professionally arranged and published—marking an exciting step in their creative journeys.

The winning songs include:
🎵 Overthinking – Ale Fonseca (Arr. Teresa Lotz & Dylan Glatthorn)
🎵 Spacetime – Owen Yeh-Lee
🎵 Talk Pretty – Luisa Paraguassu (Arr. Jesse J. Sanchez & Dylan Glatthorn)
🎵 The Cost – Gwendellyn Doerfler (Arr. Anessa Marie)
🎵 What Did Love Do to You? – Tabitha Moore (Arr. Teresa Lotz & Dylan Glatthorn)
🎵 Little Miss Heard But Not Seen – Sydney Gray (Arr. Jesse J. Sanchez)
🎵 Live Before Life's Gone – Isabella Nguyen & Maya Johnson (Arr. Teresa Lotz)

This is your chance to play, sing and share the future of musical theatre. Support these rising voices and bring their work to life—get your sheet music today!

NAMT’s Songwriting Resource Center is back for a second season, serving as both a hub for student songwriters revising their work and a resource for any musical theatre writer looking to sharpen their craft. With the motto “Writing is Rewriting (& Rewriting),” this year’s center expands with new tools, events and insights designed to support the creative process. Find more at namt.org/rewriting.

A hub for everything above and more, NAMT Staff are excited to announce a new page on our website at namt.org/recommended. We hope this becomes a useful and fun resource for discovering new musicals and a means of creating awareness for successes in all corners of NAMT’s New Works community.

Pearl Studios is the official rehearsal studio for the NAMT Festival of New Musicals. 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.