Bryce Ryness, Janet Krupin, Charlotte Maltby and More Set for NYMF Launch Event MEETING OUR HEROES Tonight

The New York Musical Theatre Festival presents its special opening night launch event "MEETING OUR HEROES: A Tribute to the Composers Who Inspire Us" at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Café (407 West 42nd Street) tonight, July 7 at 7:00 PM.

Jeremiah Ginn (Murder for Two), Janet Krupin (If/Then, Bring It On: The Musical), Charlotte Maltby (Les Miserables at the Muny) and Bryce Ryness (Fly By Night, First Date, Hair), will help four emerging songwriters celebrate four of musical theater's most celebrated composers. An intimate, history-making night of songs and stories, this one-night-only concert opens NYMF with music from established and new writers alike and honors the individuals who have made an indelible mark on the musical theater community.

For this special event Alexander Sage Oyen (Outlaws) will celebrate John Bucchino, Danny Abosch (Fancy Nancy) will celebrate Stephen Flaherty, Joe Kinosian & Kellen Blair (Murder for Two) will celebrate Charles Strouse, and Madeline Myers (Legends & Lore ) will celebrate Michael John LaChiusa.

Special awards will be presented to the established composers for their contributions to the musical theater community and for their nurturing of emerging writers.

MEETING OUR HEROES will be hosted by Jennifer Ashley Tepper (The Untold Stories of Broadway), with Paul Saroba (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) serving as Music Director. The evening is produced by Jamie Bendell (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Performers, Heathers - The Musical) and Madeline Myers.

The event will be at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Café (407 West 42nd Street) tonight, July 7 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $25. Visit www.nymf.org for tickets.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) exists to revitalize musical theatre culture by discovering and promoting new musical theatre artists, producers and projects; nurturing a vibrant and innovative artistic community; and connecting one of America's greatest art forms with a diverse, contemporary audience.

Now in its eleventh year, the Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theatre fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in 48 states, and in more than 20 countries worldwide. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theatre, ensuring the future of this essential art form."

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2014 is presented in association with Fuzzrocket, TheaterMania, and Production Resource Group. NYMF is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating and tickets to individual events, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org/member. For more information, visit www.nymf.org.