Broadway alums fill the casts of this year's eight new musicals to be presented at National Alliance for Musical Theatre's 34th Annual Festival of New Musicals. The NAMT event, set to run at New World Stages October 20-21, previously announced this year's presentations, directors, and music directors.
Starring will be Broadway alums Liana Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon), Will Blum (Beetlejuice), Kayla Davion (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray), Jacob Dickey (Aladdin), Michelle Dowdy (Hairspray), Alan H. Green (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory), Bre Jackson (Six), Olivia Kaufmann (Mean Girls), Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change), Fay Ann Lee (Miss Saigon), Zonya Love(Beetlejuice), Wade McCollum (Wicked), Judy McLane (Mamma Mia!), Mary Kate Morrissey (Mean Girls), Sam Primack (Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen), Graham Rowat (Meteor Shower), Nora Schell (Jagged Little Pill), Kristen Sieh (The Band’s Visit), Mary Testa (Oklahoma), Ching Valdes-Aran (The Wild Party), Timothy Warmen (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark), Lenny Wolpe (Wicked), and Amra-Faye Wright (Chicago).
Also joining the initial casting are Benai Alicia Boyd (Bronco Billy), Kai An Chee (Mr. Holland’s Opus), Genesis Adelia Collado (Notes from Now), Nadia Dandashi (Love/Sick), Was Garlington, Jared Goldsmith (Dear Evan Hansen tour), Darron Hayes (Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat), Lauryn Hobbs (Life After), Diana Huey (Disney’s The Little Mermaid tour), Jade Jones(Disney’s Beauty & the Beast), Rachel Kay, Angel Lin (Mr. Holland’s Opus), Jacob Louchheim (Petrified Lighting), Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Michelle J. Rodriguez (East o', West o'!), Helen J. Shen (Man of God), Nicole Weiss (Octet), and Audrey Rose Young (Fiddler on the Roof tour). Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Michael Cassara serves as casting director.
The festival has also announced three new musicals in development which will be featured in NAMT's Songwriters Showcase this year. A Strange Loop's John-Andrew Morrison and James Jackson will host the event which will spotlight How To: You with book, music, and lyrics by Joriah Kwamé; Afterwords with a book by Emily Kaczmarek, music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, and direction by Adrienne Campbell-Holt; and In Pieces with book, music, and lyrics by Joey Contreras.
Rounding out the festival's programming will be Midday Cabaret sets in the Green Room Lounge during the lunch break, with Deborah Abramson, David Davila, Andrea Grody, and Rona Siddiqui comprising this year's songwriters to be featured.
Registration for industry members is free and now open at NAMT.org/festival. The public can also receive passes to the Festival through a direct donation to NAMT. Day-of standby tickets may be released depending on availability.