NYMF'S NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION 2014 Finalists Announced

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced finalists for the 2014 NYMF'S NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION competition. The first two rounds of competition were held Friday and Saturday at New World Stages.

A panel of industry professionals presided over two days of auditions to select 20 entrants to take part in the competition. Ten contestants performed at each of two competition heats, with four performers selected from each evening to move on to the Grand Finale. Two finalists from each night were selected by a panel of industry judges, with one additional finalist chosen from live audience votes.

The Heat 1 finalists are Rachel Zatcoff, Mara Jill Herman and Paul Ianniello. The Heat 2 finalists are Corey Desjardins, Kathryn Allison and Melanie Burg.

A fourth finalist will be chosen by online vote at NYMF.org. Fans can log on to NYMF.org/nnbs, watch performance videos from the competition, and vote to save their favorite from each heat. Voting is now open, and will close on Wednesday, December 10.

Produced by NYMF in association with New World Stages, with support from the ASCAP Foundation's Irving Caesar Trust, this talent competition seeks to find the newest musical theatre star. The winner of the competition will receive a special solo concert presented by NYMF as part of its 2015 Festival.

This year's judges include NYMF resident casting director Michael Cassara, Tony nominee Michael Cerveris, Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan, Drama Desk nominated director Scott Schwartz, Tony nominee J. Robert Spencer, and others still to be announced. In addition to casting votes, the judging panel will offer live performance advice to the contestants.

As a highlight of the competition, NYMF will once again partner with the ASCAP Foundation to present "SINGERS & SONGWRITERS: A NYMF/ASCAP CONCERT EVENT" featuring the elite eight NNBS finalists performing the works of prolific musical theatre composers. Composers appearing at the concert will include Andrew Lippa, Adam Gwon, Ryan Scott Oliver, Anna Jacobs, John Bucchino, Michael Patrick Walker and Laurence O'Keefe. The concert will be hosted by Michael John LaChiusa.

All performances will take place at New World Stages (340 W. 50th St.).

SINGERS & SONGWRITERS: A NYMF/ASCAP CONCERT EVENT
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 7:00 pm ($20)

NYMF partners with The ASCAP Foundation to present a concert featuring all eight Next Broadway Sensation finalists for 2014, performing the works of some of the hottest contemporary ASCAP musical theatre composers.

NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation 2014: Grand Finale
Friday, December 19, 2014 at 11:00 pm - doors open at 10:30 pm ($10 in advance, $15 at the door)

This is it! See who will be crowned the 2014 Next Broadway Sensation! The winner of the competition will receive a special solo concert presented by NYMF!

"We are thrilled to once again partner with the ASCAP Foundation for this year's newly named SINGERS & SONGWRITERS concert," said General Manager Jeremy Youett. "This incredible partnership provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our contestants, and a not-to-be-missed evening of entertainment for anyone who loves musical theatre."

Past contestants have gone on to appear in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, including Newsies, The Last Ship, Violet, American Idiot, Dogfight, F#%king Up Everything, Hair, Les Miserables, South Pacific, West Side Story, and more.

Tickets for each stage of the competition, including SINGERS & SONGWRITERS: A NYMF/ASCAP CONCERT EVENT are now on sale at nymf.org/nnbs.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL - The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize musical theatre culture by discovering and promoting new musical theatre artists, producers and projects; nurturing a vibrant and innovative artistic community; and connecting one of America's greatest art forms with a diverse, contemporary audience.

Now in its eleventh year, the Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theatre fans. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theatre, ensuring the future of this essential art form."

For more information, visit www.nymf.org.