Eight new musicals will give theatre insiders a sneak peek during the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s 31st annual Festival of New Musicals, to be held October 24 and 25 at New World Stages.
The festival introduces producers to new works, presented as 45-minute concerts. Titles are chosen from blind submissions by a committee of 17 theatre professionals. The 2019 lineup includes a standout from last year’s New York Musical Festival, as well as Anna K. Jacobs and A Strange Loop composer Michael R. Jackson’s stage adaptation of a cult horror film.
READ: 16 Musicals That Got Their Start at NAMT
See below for the full lineup.
Hi, My Name Is Ben
Book and lyrics by Scott Gilmour, music by Claire McKenzie
Based on a true story, the New York City-set show follows a man who, though unable to speak, forms connections with neighbors and strangers with a notepad and pen.
Interstate
Book and lyrics by Kit Yan and Melissa Li, music by Li
Seen last year at NYMF, Interstate tells the story of a transgender spoken word performer and his best friend, a lesbian singer-songwriter, who embark on a national tour, unknowingly inspiring a teenage blogger in Kentucky to embrace their own identity.
Iron John: an American ghost story
Book and lyrics by Rebecca Hart, music and book by Jacinth Greywoode
Set in Good, Alabama, the dark tale revolves around a century-old love triangle that ends in an act of violent racism and, until now, repeats every generation.
Lautrec at the St. James
Book and lyrics by John Dietrick, music by Julianne Wick Davis
Set on the brink of the 20th century, the musical follows French artist Henri de Toulouse Lautrec who, after passing out in a gutter, wakes up in an asylum.
One Way
Lyrics by Christopher Staskel, music by Ben Bonnema, book by Staskel and Bonnema
The musical tells the story of a woman named Naomi who, after becoming a finalist for the first one-way mission to Mars, must choose between pursuing her ambition or staying on Earth with the woman she loves.
SeaWife
Book by Seth Moore, music and lyrics by The Lobbyists, directed and developed by Liz Carlson
Developed by the New York-based theatre collective The Lobbyists, SeaWife takes audiences through the (sometimes haunted) world of whale hunts.
Simon & Jorge Pay Their Student Loans
Book, music, and lyrics by Jesse Gage
The show is billed as a “stoner bromance rock musical” tackling the student loan crisis and income inequality
Teeth
Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson, music by Anna K. Jacobs, book by Jackson and Jacobs
Based on the 2007 movie, the musical tells the story of a Christian teenager with an unusual anatomical secret: vagina dentata. When a series of men attempt to exploit her, her condition becomes a gruesome method of survival.
The festival will kick off on the eve of the first slate of titles with the return of The 46th Minute Concert, which highlights some of the shows that have come from NAMT (such as Benny & Joon, Come From Away, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lempicka, and Thoroughly Modern Millie).
Registration for industry members is open at NAMT.org. General passes are also available through donations and a day-of standby line.
