Joe Iconis Named 2019 New York Musical Festival Honorary Chair

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) has announced that in recognition of his 2019 Tony Award nomination and his history as a NYMF Alum, Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter) will be the 2019 NYMF Honorary Chair.

"We are proud to have Joe as our honorary chairman," said NYMF Producing Artistic Director West Hyler. "He is a musical theater songwriter of great integrity and an expert on the intersection of musical theatre & contemporary culture. He is a NYMF alumni who has been called 'the future of musical theater' by the NY Times. With his Tony Award nomination for Be More Chill, and Broadway Bounty Hunter on its way, I can think of no better artist to serve as the honorary chair of the 2019 festival. He will surely be an inspiration to all the wonderful writers premiering new work at NYMF this summer."

NYMF Passes are now on sale and offer discounted tickets, early ticket booking, and priority seating. Visit nymf.org/tickets for more information.

NYMF also announced further selections for 2019 NYMF joining the initially announced Next Link Projects and Developmental Readings. They include a final invited production, the annual Intersecting Chords concert series, and several concert presentations of new musicals.

Now in its sixteenth year, the 2019 Festival will take place July 8th through August 4th with Mainstage productions at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, Readings at The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Rehearsal Studio, and Concerts at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, all on West 42nd Street in New York City. Scott Pyne serves as NYMF Executive Director and West Hyler serves as Producing Artistic Director.

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FINAL 2019 NYMF INVITED PRODUCTION

Invited Productions are selected for the Festival on a rolling basis. They receive 5 performances in the Festival each summer. There is no fee to apply, and they are open to any writer - produced or unproduced, with or without agency representation.

FINDING BEAUTIFUL

Book, Music, Lyrics by Anessa Marie and Danny Bristoll

A celebration of identity, love, and life through the eyes of both a trans woman and gay man in today's society. Featuring a full jazz ensemble and music influenced by both jazz and musical theater, both unique voices combined offer a raw and unsung exploration of gender identity and the joys and sorrows of transitions, both physical and emotional, in America today. Finding Beautiful promises to speak to anyone who has juggled finding the beauty and love within themselves and the strength to be yourself unabashedly.

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2019 NYMF CONCERTS

INTERSECTING CHORDS

The NYMF produced concert series celebrating female, trans, and non-binary songwriters who are changing the landscape of musical theater. It will be presented at the Griffin on Monday, July 29 and Friday, August 2. Songwriters will include Preston Max Allen, Aya Aziz, Nicolette Blount, Carmel Dean, Ty Defoe, Sarah Flaim, Laura Galindo, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Rivky Gee, Helen Park, Zoe Sarnak, Angela Sclafani, Kat Sherrell, Rona Siddiqui, Sav Souza, and Shaina Taub.

SAVAGE

Book by Nicolette Blount and Lindel Hart, Music and Lyrics by Nicolette Blount and John Waynelovich

A dramatic musical based on the life of Native American sharpshooter and silent film actress Wanda Savage, who rose above racism, sexism, and abuse while sacrificing the one she loved most for fame.

...THE F*CK AM I DOING

Book & Lyrics by Ali Keller, Music by Emily Rose Simons

A song cycle about that feeling you get when you all of a sudden realize you ARE the adult in the room, but you haven't figured out how to adult yet.

THE OLDENBURG SUITE

Book and Lyrics by James Feinberg, Music by Matthew Dylan Rose

In this sung-through musical, the multitalented family of Pop Art legend Claes Oldenburg makes their mark on the 1970s New York art scene.

SLIDE

Written & Conceived by Caren Tackett

A concept album from the perspective of Sarah, a diagnosed schizophrenic woman trapped within a dysfunctional society.

The following previously announced selections will perform in concert at the Laurie Beechman:

ALIVE

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Josh Canfield

Brainless zombies, singing fairies, magic portals, and a quest of epic proportions, bring the dead to life in this comic tale of unlikely love...and blood.

PERFECTLY VICTORIAN

Music by Bryan Adam; Book & Lyrics by Bryan Adam & Matthew Cole Kelly

A musical comedy that challenges the toxic masculinity of the Victorian Era, interweaving feminist and queer narratives to leave audiences laughing, crying, and most of all remembering what it means to be human.

These productions and concerts join the previously announced NYMF lineup.

2019 Next Link Productions: BLACK HOLE WEDDING, Words by Katherine Brann Fredricks; Music by Paul E. Nelson; BURIED, Book by Tom Williams; Music by Cordelia O'Driscoll; Lyrics by Tom Williams and Cordelia O'Driscoll; OVERTURE THE MUSICAL, Book by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols; Music and lyrics by Krista Eyler; LADYSHIP, Book, Music and Lyrics by Linda Good and Laura Good; FLYING LESSONS, Book by Donald Rupe, Music by Donald Rupe and Cesar de la Rosa; Orchestrations by Cesar de la Rosa, Josh Ceballos and Jason Bailey; TILL, Book by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro; Music and Lyrics by Leo Schwartz; LEAVING EDEN, Book & Lyrics by Jenny Waxman; Music by Ben Page; Additional music by Ada Westfall; and ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE, Music and Lyrics by Yuri Worontschak; Book and Lyrics by Paul Western-Pittard.

2019 Invited Productions: CHANCE: A MUSICAL PLAY ABOUT LOVE, RISK, & GETTING IT RIGHT, Book, music & lyrics by Richard Isen; MY REAL MOTHER, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Riley Thomas, based on the bestselling book Open: An Adoption Story in Three Voices.

2019 NYMF Developmental Reading Series: BROTHER NAT, Book and Lyrics by Liana Asim and Jabari Asim; Music by Allyssa Jones and Damien Sneed; KAFKA'S METAMORPHOSIS: THE MUSICAL!, Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Chiorini; Additional Music and Lyrics by Travis Newton; QUEEN E: THE RELUCTANT ROYAL, Book and lyrics by Leola Floren Gee; Music by Rick Lukianuk; HERO, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Aaron James; BISLAND & BLY, Lyrics by Marialena DiFabbio and Susannah Jones; Music by Marialena DiFabbio; Book and Additional Music by Susannah Jones; EVERYTHING IS OKAY (AND OTHER HELPFUL LIES), Book, Lyrics, & Music by Melissa Crum and Caitlin Lewins; ABDUCTION, Book by T.J. Pieffer; Music by Becki Toth and Brad Kemp; Lyrics by T.J. Pieffer and Becki Toth; FREEDOM SUMMER, Music by Charlie H. Ray & Sam Columbus; Book and Lyrics by Charlie H. Ray; MISSISSIPPI THE MUSICAL, Book, Music & Lyrics by Gregory James Tornquist; produced by Noreen Crayton; UNDERGROUND: AN URBAN TALE, Book by John Viscardi; Music and Lyrics by Thomas Hodges.