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New York Musical Theatre Festival Seeks Submissions for 2006

By: Jan. 18, 2006
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The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), a three-week celebration highlighting the next generation of musicals and the vibrant community of writers and artists working in musical theater today, will be accepting open submissions for its 2006 season from January 10 through March 10. This year's festival will run from September 10 through October 1, 2006.

"Hailed as the theatre industry's rookie of the year by The New York Times, the 2005 Festival built on the achievements of its inaugural season. Turnout increased by more than 25% from the previous year, with attendance at NYMF 2005 at 90% of capacity. Over half of last years productions played to capacity houses for their entire runs, prompting NYMF to add performances for ten shows as early as three days into ticket sales," state press notes. Sold-out houses and strong reviews have led to commercial options for many festival shows, including Altar Boyz, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Captain Louie, and [Title of Show].

Writers are invited to submit production-ready musicals to the Festival's Next Link Project, for which 18 shows will be chosen by a jury of theater luminaries. Past juries have included directors Gabriel Barre, Kathleen Marshall, Susan H. Schulman and Scott Schwartz; producers Robyn Goodman, Kevin McCollum and Jack Viertel; Tony Award-winning writers Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez; and Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason, among others. Selected shows will be presented in repertory over the three-week festival in key venues in the theater district.

"So many of the musicals that come through my office have little room to receive development," said Christie Evangelisto, head of Musical Theatre at Playwrights Horizons.  "But now that there is NYMF, theres a really obvious place to send them."

In addition to The Next Link Project, the 2005 Festival included almost twenty additional productions invited from around the world; a series of panels and seminars featuring industry leaders; numerous readings, concerts, and cabaret performances; as well as an array of umbrella events co-presented with other musical theater organizations around the city.

Dedicated to discovering new work and new artists, The New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrates the diversity, creativity, and future of musical theatre. NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is America's largest annual musical theatre event.

Applications for The Next Link Project can be made through March 10th on the Festival website, www.nymf.org.

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