Julia Murney, Major Attaway & More to Join the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals

​National Alliance for Musical Theatre has revealed additional cast members and final details about the lineup for the 36th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25, 2024, at New World Stages.

Now in its 36th year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is an industry-only professional development event offering the chance to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute concert presentations over two days to hundreds of producers, presenters, artistic & executive directors, investors, donors, developers and creative administrators in Regional Theatre, Broadway, Music, Film & TV from all around the globe. As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions which underwrite all production costs.

FULL FESTIVAL CASTING

The cast for the 36th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS includes Reanne Acasio (Hamilton), Stephanie Adumatioge (NYTF: Underground), Renee Albulario (Here Lies Love), Joan Almedilla (Miss Saigon), Cameron Amandus (The Lion King), Major Attaway (Disney's Aladdin), Ava Olivia Barnett, Julie Benko (Harmony), Will Blum (Beetlejuice), Emily Borromeo (School of Rock), TyNia René Brandon (The Heart of Rock and Roll), Jane Bruce (Jagged Little Pill), Sydney Carmona (Hangar Theatre: Ragtime), Gabi Carrubba (Dear Evan Hansen), Adante Carter (Off-Broadway: Here We Are), Manik Choksi (…The Great Comet of 1812), Emy Coligado (FOX: Malcolm in the Middle), Red Concepcion (Chicago), Bobby Conte (A Bronx Tale), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Andrew Faria (The Met: Dead Man Walking), Michael Samarie George (The Muny: Mamma Mia), Stephanie Gibson (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jessica Hendy (Cats), Diana Huey (Tour: Disney's The Little Mermaid), Amy Jo Jackson (Off-Broadway: Dirty Laundry), Taylor Iman Jones (Six: The Musical), Kiana Kabeary (Off-Broadway: Empire: The Musical), Danny Kornfeld (Harmony), Elizabeth Ward Land (Scandalous), Storm Lever (Six: The Musical), Jaygee Macapugay (Suffs), Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages), Elijah Matson, Jordan Leigh McCaskill (Tour: Jagged Little Pill), Grace McLean (Suffs), TJ Newton (Tour: Spamilton), Desi Oakley (Waitress), Mamie Parris (Cats), Kevin Trinio Perdido (Once Upon a One More Time), David Scott Purdy (Merrily We Roll Along), Aaron Michael Ray (Off-Broadway: Ghost of John McCain), Jon-Michael Reese (A Strange Loop), Nathan Salstone (Sweeney Todd), Molly Samson (Tour: Come From Away), Allie Seibold (Tour: Footloose), Graham Stevens (Spamalot), Reuben Uy (Cleveland Playhouse: The Great Leap), Natalie Walker (Off-Broadway: The Big Gay Jamboree), Akron Watson (The Color Purple), Tatiana Wechsler (Mr. Saturday Night), Sarin Monae West (The Skin of Our Teeth), Maria Wirries (Tour: Dear Evan Hansen).

The casting director for the Festival of New Musicals is Michael Cassara, CSA.

SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE CASTING & LINEUP

NAMT's SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE features innovative music from three new musical projects currently in development, this year highlighting grantee projects through the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals Writers Residency Grant program. This year's Songwriters Showcase lineup will include:

BLACK GIRL IN PARIS

Book & Lyrics by AriDy Nox

Music by Jacinth Greywoode (Fest '19)

Frank Young Fund Grantee at Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY)

Featuring performances by Arica Jackson & Andrew O'Shanick

BUILT FOR THIS

Music & Lyrics by Kira Stone

Book by Lauren Gunderson

Frank Young Fund Grantee at Olney Theatre Center (Olney, MD)

Featuring performances by Naomi Serrano and more.

ZAPATA: A Folklórico Superhero Musical

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jesse J. Sanchez

Frank Young Fund Grantee at ZACH Theatre (Austin, TX)

Featuring performances by Alysia N. Beltran & Kris Carrasco

FESTIVAL ROADTRIP UPDATE

Julia Murney will join the set for Red Mountain Theatre's Human Rights Festival presentation of songs from Love Somebody Now by Andrew Lippa (Fests '05 & '06), Nathan Brewer & Matt Webster, replacing previously announced Kate Baldwin.

Cat Brindisi will join the set for Theater Latté Da's NEXT Festival presentation of songs from musicals by David Darrow (Fest '19), Michael Holland and The Kilbanes.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which was created to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country, has introduced musical theatre producers to 300 musicals and 575 writers from around the world. More than 85% have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours; been licensed; and/or recorded on cast albums as a direct result of the Festival. Past Festival shows include Come From Away, Lempicka, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lizard Boy, Teeth, Gun & Powder, King of Pangea, Benny & Joon, Darling Grenadine, Ordinary Days, It Shoulda Been You and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others.

Registration for industry members is now open at www.namt.org/festival. All industry members must select a professional affiliation (i.e. NAMT, the Broadway League, TCG, many more) to register. Industry members may upgrade their Festival passes for priority admission and access to supplemental events, including the Festival Closing Night Party, through a donation to NAMT. Free General Standby passes are available to industry members only and may provide seating at Festival presentations on a first-come, first-served basis as available after all other passholders have entered.

This year, a committee of 23 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 583 submissions—marking a record-breaking submission season for the second year in a row. The musicals chosen for the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals are:

The Brass Teapot (Book by Tim Macy & Ramaa Mosley, Music & Lyrics by Chaz Cardigan, Co-conceived by Erik Kaiko), Dear Ex (Book, Music & Lyrics by Be Steadwell), Helsinki (Music & Lyrics by Barrett Riggins, Book & Lyrics by Graham Techler), In Clay (Book & Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds, Music & Lyrics by Jack Miles), Lewis Loves Clark (Book and Lyrics by Mike Ross, Music by Dylan MarcAurele), LIGHTHOUSE (Book, Lyrics & Story by abs wilson, Music & Story by Veronica Mansour), Medusa (Book, Music & Lyrics by Parisa Shahmir), Proud Marys (Book and Lyrics by Jennifer Paz, Music & Lyrics by Anthony Fedorov).