NYMF Hit VOLLEYGIRLS Receives New World Stages Development Prize

VOLLEYGIRLS, the breakout hit from the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), adds The New World Stages Development Prize Award to their list of accomplishments. VOLLEYGIRLS, produced by NYMF, Monica Raymund of SISU THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, and JACOB HARVEY of CAVE 76 PRODUCTIONS, performed to sold-out houses for nine performances in the 10th Anniversary Season of NYMF at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre (The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street, NY, NY 10036) in July.

On, July 28th, VOLLEYGIRLS, which starred [title of show]'s Susan Blackwell, took home top honors from the NYMF awards for excellence, including the Best of Fest audience choice award, Outstanding Ensemble Award and the coveted most Promising New Musical Award-winning musical.

With the New World Stages Development Prize Award, New World Stages recognizes one show each year that is exceptionally promising with an appeal to a commercial audience. Michael Coco and his team at New World Stages attend and vet all of the shows, ultimately selecting one show to win this award which includes free rehearsal space, backline and sound support and marketing support that culminates in a reading at their state of the Art Theatre complex just west of Times Square.

Blackwell played Kim Brindell, a disgraced Olympian coaching an oddball team of high-school volleyball players in this girl-powered musical VOLLEYGIRLS with book by Rob Ackerman (Tabletop - 2001 Drama Desk), lyrics by Sam Forman (Sleepless in Seattle, book for F#%king Up Everything), music by Eli Bolin (I Sing, Roller Boogie TV: Sesame Street), choreographed by Ryan Kasprazak (TV: Smash Tour: Billy Elliot) and directed by Neil Patrick Stewart (LA theatre: The Elephant Man - Ovation Award nominations).

"Together this talented cast," included, Chuck Karel (Hello Dolly (OBC)) as Ref, PJ Adzima as Xavier Ives, Juliane Godfrey (Goodspeed's Good News!) as Katie Kavett, Jennifer C. Johnson as Flo Hartline, Julia Knitel (Bdwy: Bye Bye Birdie) as Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland, Gerianne Pérez as Marisol Rodriguez, Allison Jill Posner as Jocelyn Andrews, Dana Steingold (Bdwy: Godspell) as Stretch Mandelbaum, Allison Strong (Bdwy: Bye Bye Birdie) as Jess Hartline and Benjamin Howes (Bdwy: Scandalous, [title of show]) as Glenn Kavett.

For more information, visit www.volleygirlsthemusical.com.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF): 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 tenth 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 theater fans. More than 85 festival shows have gone on to productions on and off-Broadway, in 48 states, and more than 20 countries worldwide, and Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form." For more information, visit: www.nymf.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.