Latiné Musical Theatre Lab to Present NEW MUSICALS MIXTAPE Featuring Songs From Six Work-in-Progress Musicals

Latiné Musical Theatre Lab and Prospect Theater Company have partnered to present New Musicals Mixtape, a first look at new musicals written by members of the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab’s Julia de Burgos Cohort. This 90-minute concert evening features songs from six work-in-progress musicals, alongside interviews with the writing teams, providing insight to their creative process.

Part of Prospect Theater Company’s IGNITE Concert Series, New Musicals Mixtape will be presented on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 5:00pm and 8:00pm at Chelsea Factory (547 West 26th Street).

The evening will feature songs from each new musical and interviews with each writing team, discussing their project and process: Jessie Field and James Martinez Salem - Fat Girl Starving; Miranda Holliday, Reginald Bennett Jr., and Justin D. Cook - Brother; Rebecca Murillo - Harvest Of Empire; Nico Raimont - Como Correr: A Hip Pop Musical; SMJ, Maggie Marie Rodgers, and Rebecca Wahls - This Old Haunt; and Paloma de Vega - Next Door.

During Fall 2023, the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab hosted six teams of writers working on new musicals as part of their in-person Julia de Burgos Cohort. This program propels Latiné writers in their journey to further develop their shows, offering mentorship and support. Over the course of three months, the cohort met bi-weekly, facilitated by Rose Van Dyne and Amelia Johnson, creating a dynamic space for collaboration, creativity, and growth.


Now, in partnership with Prospect Theater Company’s IGNITE Concert Series, the Lab showcases each of the six shows that were developed in the cohort, introducing audiences to an exciting line-up of emerging Latiné writers and their projects!

Single tickets are $26.50 (price includes a $1.50/ticket fee) and may be obtained through online purchase at www.chelseafactory.org, www.latinemtlab.org, or www.ProspectTheater.org.

Additional information, including hosts, creative team, and performers, will be announced in January.

For more information, please visit www.ProspectTheater.org.

WRITER BIOS

REGINALD BENNETT JR. (Co-Writer, Brother) is a highly regarded singer, actor, author, musician, multi-hyphenate creative and music educator, whose integration of diverse music genres in performance carries a special distinction among his peers. A native of Beacon, New York, Mr. Bennett offers a unique repertoire of Art Song, Arias, American Songbook, Hip Hop, and Art Rap—an original fusion of hip hop and art song. In concert, his work has been recognized by the New York Times and received enthusiastically by diverse audiences across the United States. Recent theatrical performances include roles in Ragtime, Velveteen Rabbit, An American Warrior, 26501 and Brother—an extraordinary new play about the black experience in Vietnam. Mr. Bennett holds a Bachelors of Music degree in Vocal Performance from The Boston Conservatory and a Master of Music Education degree from New York University. 

JUSTIN D. COOK (Co-Writer, Brother) (he/him) is a composer and music director from Minneapolis, MN. Having graduated with a degree in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he specializes in composing for the stage. His compositions have appeared at venues such as Lincoln Center, UCLA, Syracuse University, NYU, Rattlestick Theater, Nautilus Music-Theater, and numerous others. As a music director, he has worked with Children’s Theatre Company, UCLA, University of Northwestern - St. Paul, among many other schools and theaters. His musical, The Myth of the Mountain (written with librettist Danielle Koenig), debuted at OPERA America in NYC, was performed this past December at UCLA, and was produced at Syracuse University’s New Works New Voices. His new show, Brother (written with Miranda Holliday and Reginald Bennett Jr.), was selected as part of the Julia de Burgos Cohort, and portions of it will be presented in NYC in January ‘24. 

JESSIE FIELD (Co-Writer, Fat Girl Starving) (she/her) is an award-winning queer NYC playwright and director. Jessie’s short play, Too Much Lesbian Drama: One Star was a winner of the 47th Annual Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival and was published in 2023. Jessie and collaborator James Martinez Salem were commissioned to adapt James Brandon's novel, Ziggy, Stardust, and Me, into a TYA musical which was workshopped at SDSU in March 2023, was produced in the Prebys Theatre in Fall 2023. Additional selected writing credits include Charlotte Lucas is 27 and Not Dead (with James Martinez Salem; 2023 Top 20 NAMT Finalist; Winner: 2022 Musicals Now Competition (awarded sold-out workshop production); O’Neill NMTC Semi-Finalist; SDSU NMI Semi-Finalist), Madam President (New Musicals Lab at Ferguson Center), and La Maupin (Winner: 2018 International MUT Competition, Winner: Audience Favorite – 2017 Fresh Fruit Festival). Jessie earned her MFA at NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

James Martinez SALEM (Co-Writer, Fat Girl Starving) (he/him) is a Puerto Rican/Syrian-Jewish queer bookwriter, composer, lyricist, and screenwriter based in NYC. Recent projects include Charlotte Lucas is 27 and Not Dead (with Jessie Field; 2023 Top 20 NAMT Finalist; Winner: 2022 Musicals Now Competition (awarded sold-out workshop production); O’Neill NMTC Semi-Finalist; SDSU NMI Semi-finalist), Ziggy, Stardust and Me (with Jessie Field; commissioned adaptation of James Brandon's novel into a TYA musical workshopped at SDSU in March 2023 and produced in the Prebys Theatre in Fall 2023), and #Masc4Masc:A Totally Masculine Musical (music by Josh Ben-Ami; Latiné Musical Theatre Lab’s 2022 Table Reading Series). In 2021, James was a finalist for the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award for emerging musical theatre artists. James is a practicing attorney, board game enthusiast, and dog lover.

MIRANDA HOLLIDAY (Co-Writer, Brother) Miranda Holliday is an award-winning playwright, librettist, and vocalist from Columbus, NJ. Their works, including Arroz Con Pollo, have graced renowned New York stages like Feinstein’s 54 Below and the Rattlestick Theater. A literary/producing associate and dramaturg for the Latiné Musical Theatre lab, Miranda is also part of the Julio De Burgos Writers Cohort. They've mentored at the National Musical Theatre Institute and performed in Off Broadway productions like Ain’t Misbehavin' and Ragtime, earning a Kennedy Center Honor for Distinguished Performance. As a designer, Miranda specializes in masking and puppetry. A graduate of NYU Tisch with an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, they hold a unique co-major in Theatre and Political Science from Albright College, where they received training in music and theatre. Miranda is a Miranda Family Fellowship recipient, recognizing their excellence as an artist of color. 

REBECCA MURILLO (Writer, Harvest Of Empire) is a performer, director, and composer/lyricist originally from Orange County, California. Recent Credits: Bhangin It (Music Assistant), Evita at New York City Center (Assistant Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Lolita, My Love (Assistant Director), A Man For All Seasons (Assistant Director). Music: Breathe - a new musical (Co-composer/lyricist/book writer), A Seat at the Table (Composer/Lyricist/Book Writer; Theater Now New York), Write Out Loud 2021 Finalist. Performing: Footloose (TBTS), West Side Story at IHI StageAround in Tokyo, Japan (Consuelo u/s Anita), A Chorus Line (Directed by Baayork Lee). B.F.A. Musical Theater from Pace University.

NICO RAIMONT (Writer, Como Correr: A Hip Pop Musical) is a Latin musical-comedy writer, rapper, performer & director from South Florida. Writing credits include Como Correr: A Hip-Pop Musical (Book, Music, Lyrics), The Busy Bees' Great Adventure (Music; World Premiere, Adrienne Arsht Center, Fall 2023) and Romeo y Julieta; LIMEÑO (Music, Dramaturg). He's currently developing Chasing Paper Skies, a musical miniseries, with Christian Jimenez. Select Honors: The Hip-Hop Theatre Creator Award, Distinguished Achievement in Latinx Playwriting Award & Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award from The Kennedy Center, 2022 Eugene O’Neill NMTC Finalist (Como Correr: A Hip-Pop Musical) and ASCAP’s Max Dreyfus Scholarship. As a Razor’s Edge Shark Talent Scholar, Nico received his BA in Theatre from Nova Southeastern University. Nico just graduated from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. UPCOMING: Como Correr (PEAK Performances, 29-hour Reading, Spring 2024).

MAGGIE MARIE RODGERS (Co-Writer, This Old Haunt) (she/her) is an NYC-based songwriter and actor. She is a graduate of George Mason University and the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. With a passion for new plays and musicals, Maggie strives to create stories that focus on female identifying characters. The music for This Old Haunt has been in the works for over 3 years, and Maggie has used her time with the Fresh Ground Pepper ‘PALS’ Lab, a staged reading at Fort Salem Theatre, and academic premiere at Carnegie Mellon University to continue its development. Maggie is also currently working on releasing her first EP. Selected on-stage performance credits include Noises Off! (Walnut St. Theatre), The Club (Berkshire Theatre Group), and Small Town Icons (PEA Fest at The Tank). Maggie’s co-created comedic short, Back of House is a part of the Official Selection of the 2023 Madavera Expojour JazzTimes Film Festival. She also just wrapped filming / co-developing a short titled Saturn’s Return produced by Stone Street Studios. 

SMJ (Co-Writer, This Old Haunt) (they/them) is an NYC-based, mixed-Latiné, and Trans non-binary playwright, musical theater writer, educator, & theatermaker originally from Mount Vernon, OH. They are a 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. Currently, SMJ is creating work with Ars Nova, The Road Theatre Company, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, The Orchard Project, and American Theater Group. Their work has been seen in various forms at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Lincoln Center, National Queer Theater, Carnegie Mellon University, Otterbein University, Wright State University, Art House Productions, Andy's Summer Playhouse, The Tank, and The Flea. SMJ has been a semifinalist for the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference (two times), Princess Grace Award at New Dramatists, Van Lier New Voices Fellowship, and The Civilians R & D Group as well as a Finalist for the 2023 Parity Development Award, Write Out Loud Contest, 5th Avenue Theater's First Draft Commission, and the Doric Wilson Playwright Award. They’re a member of the Dramatists Guild and Ring of Keys.

Paloma de Vega (Writer, Next Door) is a Spanish artist based in NYC with many years of experience in musical theater, films and performing arts. She wrote and directed the micro-musical Next Door, which was successfully produced in Miami and Madrid with many sold-out shows. She created and directed the short film Smile, selected for the CortoCircuito festival (NYC). Paloma co-directed, choreographed and produced Asi Canta Federico, an original show inspired by the work of Federico Garcia Lorca, which has been presented in NYC at Centro Español de Queens and Teatro Latea. She has performed many roles as an actress, singer and dancer in NYC, Washington DC, and Florida, including Fame at Gala Theatre, directed by Luis Salgado. The musical received Helen Hayes Awards for Best Musical and Best Ensemble (2020).  Paloma is currently nominated by Broadway World regional awards as best supporting performance in La Valentia, Valor at Gala Theatre in Washington DC, directed by José Zayas. 

REBECCA WAHLS (Co-Writer, This Old Haunt) (she/her) is a catalytic leader who tells ensemble stories about the formation of family and the romance of friendship. She directs, writes, and produces film, theatre, and new media. Her first feature film, Him, will play at 2024 festivals. She has served as Artistic Associate for Acting for Young People since 2015, where she has directed and written over 50 plays for children. In 2017, she founded the non-profit theatre Who What Where Productions, where she produced and directed several world premiere plays including Spills by Ruthie Rado, which has gone on to successful runs in NYC and London. She holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a John Wells Fellow from 2020-23. BFA, George Mason University. She is also a TEDx speaker.

SHOW INFORMATION

BROTHER


Book and Lyrics by Miranda Holliday

Book and Lyrics by Reginald Bennett Jr.

Music by Justin D. Cook



Brother is a musical salute to the tragic untold Black history of the first desegregated US war, the Vietnam war. We follow two young Black soldiers named Hezzie and Thomas through the jungles of Vietnam as they navigate their yearning for acceptance, respect, purpose, and meaningful duty. Experience the musical soul of war and the human instinct to survive the hell in your mind. 




FAT GIRL STARVING


Book and Lyrics by Jessie Field

Book and Music by James Martinez Salem



Cam is fat, but she’s finally found the road to recovery: starving! Oh. Wait. No, that’s no good. Fat Girl Starving follows Cam as she enrolls at an in-patient recovery center for Atypical Anorexia, where she meets Rachel, Elle, Ollie, and Arthur, and they connect as they begin their journey toward healthy relationships with eating, their bodies, and themselves. This darkly humorous pop-punk musical challenges societal conceptions around dieting and body size and unblinkingly asks the audience to examine its connection to the widely-accepted and overlooked stigma of fatphobia.




HARVEST OF EMPIRE


Music, Lyrics, and Book by Rebecca Murillo



Harvest of Empire follows the story of a curious young girl as she embarks on a self-guided journey to
learn more about the history of Latino America to help her feel closer to her latino heritage. After opening
a special book which brings the history to life through eight story tellers, however, she realizes the story she thought she would find couldn't be more different than the truth. This is a story that reminds us of the humanity that is sometimes stripped of immigrants and encourages audiences to look to their ancestors to find honor, strength, bravery, and unnerved hope in the face of fear. 




COMO CORRER: A HIP-POP MUSICAL


Book, Music, and Lyrics by Nico Raimont



Como Correr is a romantic comedy about Tomi, a high school outcast who dreams of rap stardom yet is riddled with insecurity. Split between his dreams and a discouraging community, Tomi’s life is interrupted when handsome and free-thinking Camilo pulls up and awakens feelings Tomi has long ignored. Can love survive the dividing rise of BLM and MAGA? Is the world ready for gay rappers? Will they just kiss already!? Find out in the absurd 2016 of Como Correr: A Hip-Pop Musical!




THIS OLD HAUNT


Created by Maggie Marie Rodgers, Rebecca Wahls, and SMJ

Music and Lyrics by Maggie Marie Rodgers

Book and Additional Lyrics by SMJ

Additional Music and Orchestrations by Dillon Feldman



Penelope, Hetty, Selina, and Caroline reunite at their high school choir teacher's cabin in the woods, which she has left to the group in her will. A giant hole opens up in the floor, and relationships are tested as these four old friends slip in and out of time as they revisit their past selves in order to shape the future of their group.




NEXT DOOR - A Six Feet Apart Musical


Book, music, and lyrics by Paloma de Vega



Next Door is the story of two roommates living in New York City whose frenetic and speedy life abruptly comes to a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown gives them the chance to really meet the person they share an apartment with -- while staying six feet apart. Sharing the struggles of immigrants in the Big Apple, these two strangers discover they have much more in common than they thought.

ABOUT THE LATINÉ MUSICAL THEATRE LAB

THE LATINÉ MUSICAL THEATRE LAB, LLC is a groundbreaking organization dedicated to developing and advocating for new Latiné-written musical theatre works. Celebrating the rich diversity within Latinidad, the Lab embraces the identities and works of Afro-Latinx, immigrants, those with indigenous roots, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Lab offers comprehensive programs for new musical development and writer career advancement. Named after Julia de Burgos, the pioneer Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean poet, the Lab Cohort program provides a space for a small group of writers to refine their work in order to redefine the musical theatre industry.

ABOUT PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY

PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY is dedicated to fostering and showcasing today's new voices shaping tomorrow's musicals. Over two decades, the company has premiered almost 40 musicals in New York City, in addition to new plays and numerous re-inventions of classic works. Reflecting its investment in the future of the field, Prospect leads a variety of developmental initiatives: including an annual Musical Theater Lab for emerging writers, and the IGNITE Series of new musical theater in concert. In recognition of its enterprising and risk-taking new musical theater, the company has received an OBIE Award grant, and its role as a community anchor for emerging artists that strengthens the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theater was honored by the American Theatre Wing. Most recently, Prospect produced the NYC premiere of Lizard Boy (2023) with book, music and lyrics by Justin Huertas, and the musical song-cycle Notes From Now – Songs of Resilience & Renewal (2022) featuring a lineup of newly-commissioned original songs created by 21 of today’s brightest musical theater writers. 



ABOUT CHELSEA FACTORY

CHELSEA FACTORY exists to provide responsive partnership to NYC-based artists from historically excluded communities. Launched as a pop-up initiative in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chelsea Factory has quickly become an essential resource for artists, of all creative disciplines, at inflection points in their careers. We provide a range of support customized to our partners, including subsidized rehearsal and performance space, production support and mentorship, and free community programming. In today’s rapidly changing world, we are committed to invigorating an inclusive and sustainable arts sector that long outlasts Chelsea Factory’s physical infrastructure. To learn more, visit chelseafactory.org.
 

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