Marshall, Lopez, Trujillo Join NYMF Panel For 2009 Next Link

Tony® Award winners Kathleen Marshall (Pajama Game, Wonderful Town) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), and Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) have joined the panel of Jurors for The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) for the 2009 Next Link Project along with lyricist Susan Birkenhead, composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, producer Robyn Goodman, and director Francesca Zambello.

The New York Musical Theater Festival is currently accepting open submissions for its Next Link Project for the sixth annual festival taking place September 28 - October 18, 2009. The Next Link Project will accept submission registrations until Monday March 2, 2009; all materials must be turned in by March 6th. PLEASE NOTE: this represents an extension from the previously announced deadline, which was a postmark deadline of the 2nd.

Twelve of the Festival's full production slots are reserved for participants in The Next Link Project, NYMF's primary writer service program. The Next Link Project empowers emerging musical theatre writing teams as both artists and entrepreneurs by providing the training and relationships needed to help them move their musicals from mere readings to fully-realized productions and to advance their careers by maximizing the exposure they receive in the Festival.

Any work that has not been produced professionally in New York City may be submitted by authors with or without industry representation, but scripts should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure NYMF provides. All entries undergo double-blind evaluations by several members of NYMF's reading team, with finalists referred to a grand jury of celebrated industry professionals. Previous jury members have included such Tony winning talents as Victoria Clark, Raul Esparza, Robyn Goodman, Margo Lion, Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx, Kathleen Marshall, Kevin McCollum, Tom Meehan, Phylicia Rashad and BD Wong.

Authors submitting to The Next Link Project will need to provide a demo recording of their songs, a detailed synopsis of their show, a 15-page script sample (15 consecutive pages representing the heart of the show and including lyrics for at least one of the songs), a complete script, and, if applicable, proof of rights to adapt underlying material.

For important additional information, including details about what it takes to produce your show in NYMF (and what you get in return!), please visit www.nymf.org.