Full Line-Up Set For Kokandy's CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

Kokandy Productions has revealed the official selections for the return of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, a celebration and showcase of the growing field of musical theatre creators from Chicago and beyond. The 2024 Festival will feature concert presentations of five new musicals over the course of one weekend, as part of Steppenwolf's dynamic and genre-defying LookOut series. The Festival will be performed August 8 – 11, 2024 in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago.

Tickets are currently available at steppenwolf.org/CMTF.

Since its inception in 2014 by Underscore Theatre Company, the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival has brought over 50 new musicals to Chicago stages. The festival provides much-needed artistic resources for emerging composer/lyricist teams to have their work supported, explored and most importantly – performed! Kokandy is thrilled to steward the much-anticipated return of this vital opportunity for new musical development in Chicago.

Festival Producer Nicholas Reinhart comments, “On behalf of the entire Kokandy Productions team, it is an absolute honor to be bringing the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival back for its own ‘Act Two.' We are forever grateful for and indebted to Underscore Theatre Company for their long endeavor to create a home for new, original work, and we humbly pick up the mantle with this new iteration of the Festival. This year, we had over 100 fantastic submissions, and in these five presented musicals, Chicago's eager and astute audiences will be able to hear the future of musical theatre.”

The full-line up and performance schedule includes:

Thursday, August 8 at 8 pm: WANDERLUST

Friday, August 9 at 8 pm: The Brass Teapot: A New Musical

Saturday, August 10 at 3 pm: Jenny: A New Musical

Saturday, August 10 at 8 pm: ei hytte (the cabin), an a cappella musical

Sunday, August 11 at 3 pm: Out of Focus

WANDERLUST

Book and Lyrics by William Nedved

Music by Grant Escandón

Directed by Becca Holloway 

Desmond finally takes a vacation – only for Henry, his tech mogul boss, to show up at his Sydney surfer's hostel. While Desmond works overtime to save their company, Henry parties it up with the international backpackers. Soulful surfer Tico flirts with Henry. Social media influencer Sonja films him. Homesick Jessica calls him out. Corporate fixer Alex kidnaps him. And hostel manager Kit wants Henry gone. As day turns to night and the truth comes to light, will Desmond save Henry or himself? WANDERLUST is a modern-day, old-fashioned musical comedy about learning to live outside of your comfort zone.

The Brass Teapot: A New Musical

Music and Lyrics by Chaz Cardigan

Book by Tim Macy & Ramaa Mosley

Co-Conceived by Erik Kaiko

Directed by Landree Fleming

Alice loves John. John loves Alice. Their only problems are that they are underemployed, broke, their high school bully is the landlord, their former friends are either too rich to care about them or just as broke as they are, and their luck shows no signs of improving. That is, until a seemingly random series of events brings a mysterious ancient object into their life: a brass teapot. The teapot magically spouts money, but only when it senses pain. Pretty soon, Alice and John are debt free and living large, with just a few bumps and bruises… but people are starting to notice, and ask questions. Not only that, but the teapot is demanding more, different, deeper pain to keep the money flowing. How far would you go to win unlimited fortune if it meant hurting those you love? Would you break a tooth? Break their arm? Break their heart?

Jenny: A New Musical

Book and Lyrics by Maryanne Boaz

Music by Elizabeth and Maryanne Boaz

Directed by Andrew Lund

When Jenny gets the opportunity to follow her dream far away, she must choose between pursuing her purpose or staying home with her family. As the deadline draws near, Thomas, her boyfriend, struggles to find peace with Jenny leaving as their plans to move-in end. Lana, Jenny's sister, fights a mental-health spiral, trying to reorganize life without Jenny. Hopeful for what's next, Jenny decides to leave; but when tragedy strikes, the family must confront the unthinkable. Through self-discovery, everyone finds a new chapter of life where they don't move on – but maybe move forward.

ei hytte (the cabin), an a cappella musical

Book, Music and Lyrics by Eric Matthew Richardson

Directed by Noah Watkins

During an unseasonable blizzard, two strangers become trapped inside one of Norway's many off-grid public cabins. Without access to electricity, phone or internet service, the hikers wait out the storm. Veronica is a true crime author, and Colin is a warehouse worker. Neither are inclined to reveal too much about their personal lives beyond that. Pressured by the forces of the unseen Valkyries, the strangers push each other to their breaking points.

Out of Focus

Music and Lyrics by Kelan M. Smith

Book and Lyrics by Quinn Rigg

Directed by Frankie Leo Bennett

Out of Focus is a coming of age rock musical about a young photographer named Nick in his first year of college. As Nick struggles with his newfound independence, he is faced with his mother's own struggle of a newly diagnosed case of early onset dementia. In his journey to find himself, and grapple with familial uncertainty, he comes of age alongside a cast of other young characters, all of whom are dealing with their own unique familial imperfections. As demons from the past threaten their clarity of the future, each of them attempts to fill in the missing pieces of their lives. But only through one another can they bring what's out of focus into frame.

To post a comment, you must register and login.