Dozens of Stars Participate in 19th NAMT New Musicals Fest

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) and Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the casts and directors of the eight musicals for its 19th Annual Festival of New Musicals to be held at New World Stages (340 West 50th St between 8th and 9th Avenues) on Sunday, October 7 and Monday, October 8, 2007.   www.namt.org

In addition to the eight Festival shows, NAMT will present the Songwriter Showcase on Sunday evening.  The Songwriter Showcase introduces 8 new musicals with one song from each hosted by Nancy Anderson & Kevin Cahoon.

The Songwriter Showcase will feature songs by: Laurelyn Dossett & Preston Lane, Dan Lipton and David Rossmer, Keith Gordon & Martin Casella, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, AnnMarie Milazzo, Richard Ouzounian & Marek Norman, Michael Mahler and Alan Schumuckler and Keith Herrmann & Barry Harman

Performed by: John Cariani, Matt Castle, Laurelyn Dossett, Montego Glover, Danette Holden, Jeff Madden, Michael Mahler, Marisa Michaelson,  AnnMarie Milazzo, Kasey Marino, Alan Schmuckler, Michael Weiner, Gordon Joseph Weiss.

The eight selected musicals and their respective directors and casts confirmed for the 2007 Festival:

THE BREAK UP NOTEBOOK: THE LESBIAN MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Lori Scarlett
Book by Patricia Cotter
Director: Victoria Bussert
Cast: Hunter Bell, Jodi Dominick, Donna English, Ann Harada, Christine Lakin, Beth Malone, Jacqueline Maloney, Kelly Sullivan

Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical examines a year in the life of the recently dumped Helen Hill.  With her family of friends by her side she encounters: two-stepping twelve-steppers, Paxil popping lawyers, dental dams, grrrl bands, hot girl on girl action, and maybe…just maybe… the girl of her dreams.

CASEY AT THE BAT
Music by Gordon Goodwin
Book and Lyrics by Tom Child
Director: Marilyn Magness
Cast: Scott Barnhardt, Rachel Coliff, Holly Davis, Sarah Jane Everman, Matt Gumley, John Jellison, Eric Leverton, Adam Monley, Patrick Richwood, Robb Sapp, Sarah Solie, Will Swenson, Tommar Wilson

Based on the classic poem, and the book "Casey On The Loose" by acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Casey comes to bat for Mudville, U.S.A. in a big-hearted, small-town tale of humor, love, greed and the competitive spirit to learn that he can be a hero even when he strikes out.

THE CHOCOLATE TREE
Music by Marshall Pailet
Lyrics by A.D. Penedo
Book by Marshall Pailet and A.D. Penedo
Director: Igor goldin
Cast: Brian D'Addario, Danielle Freid, Curtis Holbrook, Cady Huffman, Felicia Ricci, Christopher Sieber, Jason Snow, Marlayna Syms, Richard True

A remarkable young girl stricken with a grave illness uses her rich fantasy world and indomitable spirit to bring the impossible to life, which takes her family and the audience on a powerful, transforming journey.

THE GYPSY KING
Music and Lyrics by Randy Rogel
Book by Randy Rogel and Kirby Ward
Director: Marc Robin
Cast: Sebastian Arcelus, Megan Arnoldy, Michael Daly, Mark Fisher, Kathy Fitzgerald, Stephanie Iannarino, Paul Kandel, Geoffery Lind, Lea Michelle, Christine Mild, John O'Creagh, Ed Romanoff, Nathan Scherich, Nathaniel Shaw, Max von Essen

Two penniless entertainers stumble into a small town and land smack dab in the middle of a plot to assassinate the King. When it's discovered that one of them looks exactly like the doomed monarch, things get sticky.

KINGDOM
Music by Ian Williams
Book and Lyrics by Aaron Jafferis
Director: Jose Zayas
Cast:    Robin de Jesus, Marisa Echeverria, Ruth Pagán, Gerardo Rodriguez, Jon Rua, Renoly Santiago, Will Sierra, Renaldy Smith

Inspired by the true stories of current and former Latin Kings, Kingdom chronicles the journey of two kids from the barrio that join the Kings in search of power and respect. When tragedy strikes, a power struggle tears the two friends apart – with devastating results.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE
Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill
Director: Richard Maltby
Cast: Will Chase, Jeffrey Kuhn

The Story of My Life is a two-character musical about Thomas, a writer, and Alvin – lifelong friends, until life sent them in different directions. When suddenly faced with the task of writing Alvin's eulogy, Thomas digs through the cluttered collection of stories in his mind – with Alvin as his guide – to find a way to celebrate his friend's life and understand his untimely death.

TINYARD HILL
Music by Mark Allen
Book and Lyrics by Thomas M. Newman
Director: Casey Huhion
Cast: Colin Donnell, Heather Ferguson, Michael Lanning, Sally Mayes

In South Georgia, 1964, a blacksmith and his son are desperate to keep the family's two-hundred year old shop from becoming another "pioneer" tourist joke.  But as the Vietnam Conflict escalates and a summer romance blossoms, the world grows too large to ignore in this moving story about big love and small-town dreams.

WRITING ARTHUR
Book, Music and Lyrics by David Austin
Cast: Courtney Balan, Jason Dula, Ana Gasteyer, Malcolm Gets, Michele Gray, Colin Hanlon, Heather Hawkins, Victor Hawks, Joy Hermalyn, Henry Hodges, Kevin Kern, Cassady Leonard, Sean McCourt, Michael Mendiola, Pamela Myers, Kelli O'Hara, Kate Pazakis, Sascha Peralta-Ramos, Halle Petro, Liz Power, Caesar Samayoa, Charly Seamon, Brian Sears, Tim Shew, Tom Stuart

Arthur Danby has finally found the perfect woman. Problem is, she's a fictional character in his novel. When a very real woman steps into his life, his worlds collide. Will Arthur fall deeper into the world he's created or allow life to write itself?

Admission to the FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is for industry only. The General Public may wait in a standby line for each presentation, seating is not guaranteed.

Since 1989, NAMT's FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS has introduced theatre producers to more than 200 musicals and 300 writers.  More than three-fourths of these shows have had further development, tours and licensing agreements, leading to thousands of subsequent productions.  Past festival highlights have included the multiple Tony Award winning The Drowsy Chaperone, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Honk!, Songs for a New World, Summer of '42 and The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.

The 2007 Festival of New Musicals is produced by NAMT New Works Director, Kirsten Berkman.  The eight selected shows, culled from a pool of more than 100 applicants, were selected by the NAMT Festival Committee, comprised of artistic directors and producers from NAMT member organizations.

NAMT is very grateful to the following foundations and government agencies for supporting the mission to nurture the production of new musicals and classics:

The American Theatre Wing, The ASCAP Foundation, The Dramatists Guild Fund, Jamie DeRoy & friends, Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation, The Mackintosh Foundation, The Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation, The Shen Family Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

The Festival of New Musicals is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, and by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.