Skye Cone Ivey here - I’m NAMT’s New Works Associate and one of the Festival Producers for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals!

As we approach this year’s Festival, I’m excited to highlight one of the most rewarding parts of my role here: the Festival Emerging Artists Program. This program supports and ushers in the next generation of leaders in musical theatre. We do this through two key programs: the Line Producer Residency and the Creative Assistantship.

The Festival Creative Assistantship offers early-career professionals from underrepresented groups a unique opportunity to participate as departmental assistants in the development of new musicals. This program, a reimagining of the NAMT Festival Directing Observership, is now in its seventh year and focuses on three categories: Directing, Script and Music.

As a Latina woman, I am deeply committed to bringing a diverse cohort into the spotlight and giving opportunities to those that may have been excluded in the past. Witnessing these emerging artists work closely with experienced directors, writers and music directors is incredibly fulfilling, and I’m grateful to be in a position to foster these valuable connections that open doors for future opportunities.

This year’s cohort includes music directors, librettists, composers, directors, producers, dancers, queer people of color, women, AAPI people, black and brown people, Latiné people, actors, comedians and musicians—who bring a range of perspectives and backgrounds. They are an amazing and exciting group of people representing the future of the musical theatre industry.

Alumni of this program have worked regionally, Off-Broadway, on Broadway and on the West End. We’re thrilled to have some of those alumni returning to the Festival this year in leadership roles on Creative teams and in administrative positions. The participants of this program always inspire and excite me with their enthusiasm and values-based art. I’m also challenged to redefine what it means to be an effective leader as I grow alongside them.

We’ll be announcing this year’s Festival Creative Teams and the new cohort of Emerging Artists soon, so stay tuned! I look forward to sharing more about our Emerging Artists and their exciting journeys with you!

Skye Cone Ivey
NAMT New Works Associate

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

GRAND FINALE: MAESTRA to hold virtual technical workshop "Navigating the Switch to Dorico" facilitated by Jen Green on Thursday, Sept 5.

CONGRATS MICHAEL: Festival Selection Committee Member Michael Fling promoted to Associate Artistic Director at Goodspeed Musicals. 

54 BELOW SPOTLIGHT: Jaime Lozano & Florencia Cuenca (both FYFNM ’25) bring BROADWAY EN SPANGLISH to 54 Below on September 22. 

BACKSTAGE ACCESS: KING OF PANGEA’s (Fest ’22) Martin Storrow featured on New York Theatre Barn’s Backstage Pass Podcast.

GRANT WINNERS: 2024 MAP Fund Grantees announced, including YOKO'S HUSBAND'S KILLER'S JAPANESE WIFE, GLORIA (Fest '23) writers Erika Ji, Clare Fuyuko Bierman & Brandy Huang Collier. 

SONGWRITER SERIES: Veronica Mansour & abs wilson featured in Playbill Songwriter Series including songs from upcoming NAMT Festival musical LIGHTHOUSE (Fest '24). 

HUMAN RIGHTS ONSTAGE: Red Mountain Theatre announces 2024 Human Rights New Works Festival featuring FOUNTAIN OF YOU (Fest '23) by Tasha Gordon-Solmon & Faye Chiao.

PUB @ THE PUBLIC: Cheeyang Ng (Fests ’20 & ’21) performs FAT, FEMME & ASIAN at Joe’s Pub on October 5th, featuring songs from their musicals-in-development and viral hits. 

PLAYWRIGHTS TO WATCH: La Jolla Playhouse announces lineup for 2024 Latinx New Play Festival featuring new works by emerging Latinx playwrights.

We are glad to announce the 12 Award Recipients for the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals Project Development & Production Grants and the 7 Award Recipients for the Impact & Exploration Fund. The Frank Young Fund for New Musicals (FYFNM) is a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. The Impact & Exploration Fund (I&EF) is designed to help NAMT member theatres pilot new capacity-building programs to advance their missions and build a library of practices and procedures from which other members can learn. During the 2024/2025 season, the Funds are awarding $105,000 in grants to NAMT member organizations. (Read More)

Congratulations Grantee Organizations & Writers! Click each image to learn more. 

For more information about NAMT Granting Programs, visit namt.org/grants. 

Miss the Challenge Winners Concert last June? Check it out here!

The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, presented by the National Endowment for the Arts & the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, offers high school students a chance to write and showcase a song that could be in a musical. A submission consists of one song. All Draft 1 submissions receive feedback from industry professionals. Students can revise their work for the Draft 2 round, where Winning Songs are selected. Winning Songwriters attend Winners Weekend in NYC in June 2025. Participate in free online workshops led by professional musical theatre writers. Past Guest Artists include Joey Contreras, Anna K. Jacobs, and Rob Rokicki. Learn more at namt.org/challenge. Draft 1 Submissions are due January 31, 2025. Submit your song today!

In addition to the seven champion songs by the eight winning songwriters, the following students were selected as Finalists last season, with their original compositions showcasing remarkable talent in music, lyrics, style, tone & character. Congrats Finalists!

In addition to the finalists, the following students' work has been recognized with Honorable Mentions for their outstanding contributions to this year's challenge. Their songs captivated the committee and stood out for their creativity and originality.

This year's selections were made by an esteemed committee of industry professionals from across the country. Their collective expertise in musical theatre, education and creative development ensured that the selected songs were of the highest caliber. We extend our deepest gratitude to the committee members for their time, dedication and thoughtful feedback. Click here to meet the Challenge Selection Committee.

The Feedback Team played an essential role in providing constructive critique and support to all participants. Their insights helped shape the submissions, allowing the young songwriters to refine their work and push their creative boundaries. Over 500 responses were delivered to students last season. Click here to meet the Challenge Feedback Team.

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!

Want to add to this listing? Spot an error or old info? Reach out to us at newworks@namt.org.

You can purchase an ad in The Table Read like the one above to promote your production, reading or other industry event. Click to find out more.