New York Musical Festival Announces First Ever NYMF Artist Fellowship

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) has announced the first ever NYMF Artist Fellowship, a two-year program that will be awarded annually to an exceptional artist of note who is changing the landscape of musical theater. The fellowship involves the presentation of a reading or concert in the first year of the fellowship and a full production in the second year.

NYMF is proud to award the inaugural fellowship to Anessa Marie. Anessa has graced the stage at Carnegie Hall, Feinstein's/54 Below, Joe's Pub, Green Room 42, and The Duplex, among countless others, and co-founded The Art Garage with Kevin Paley, a NYC-based theatre company dedicated to producing TGNC work, and currently serves as Associate Artistic Director for the organization TGNC/Intersex Rights and has volunteered with the Trevor Project. Her original musicals currently in development include Finding Beautiful (book, music, and lyrics by Anessa Marie and Danny Bristoll), A Glimpse of the Rainbow (book, music, and lyrics by Anessa Marie and Danny Bristoll), and Come From Terminal C (book by Charles Baran, lyrics by Charles Baran and Anessa Marie, and music by Anessa Marie).

In the 2019 Festival, Anessa will present Finding Beautiful as a concert at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre and she will present a full production in the 2020 Festival, to be announced at a later date.

NYMF has also announced the following educational opportunities:

MUSICAL SONGWRITING WORKSHOP AND CONCERT PRESENTATION

Led by Ben Bonnema with special Guest Artist Joe Iconis.

Workshop: July 23-30, 2019.

Concert Presentation: July 30th at 6:30pm.

This introductory workshop led by Ben Bonnema (The Apple Boys, Peter Panic, Boys who tricked Me) takes participants through an authentic musical theater songwriting process. Participants have explored the relationship between music and language, learned key songwriting tools, discovered the power of writer and performer collaborations, performed original work, and received guidance and feedback in a safe and open environment. This week-long experience culminates in an open presentation and Songwriting Master Class with Special Guest Artist Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter). Open to individuals and teams of all backgrounds. 20 spaces available; applications have been extended through Monday, June 18th.

Learn More and Apply: http://www.nymf.org/songwriting-workshop

AUDITIONING FOR MUSICAL THEATER

Led by Michael Cassara.

July 10, 2019 at 6:00 pm.

Work out your musical theater audition material with guidance from a leading casting director! Michael Cassara will hear your best audition song and work with you from his unique vantage point "behind the table." Class will include a Q&A and a discussion of the "business of the business." Michael Cassara has cast more than 70 NYMF productions and has served as the Resident Casting Director for NYMF since 2007.

CREATING A SPECTACLE; THE INTERSECTION OF MUSICAL AND CIRCUS

Led by West Hyler.

July 12, 2018 at 10:30am.

NYMF Artistic Director West Hyler (Cirque du Soleil's Paramour, Big Apple Circus, Air Play, Djembe!), along with a select group of circus-theater professionals, will speak about the intersection of circus and musical theater and share experiences of creating circus-musical hybrid productions from pre-production to opening night and answer questions on how to integrate circus into your theatrical bag of tricks, or introduce compelling narrative into your circus act.

NYMF Passes are now on sale and offer discounted tickets, early ticket booking, and priority seating. Visit nymf.org/tickets for more information.

Now in its sixteenth year, the 2019 Festival will take place July 8th through August 4th with Mainstage productions at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, Readings at The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Rehearsal Studio, and Concerts at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, all on West 42nd Street in New York City. Scott Pyne serves as NYMF Executive Director and West Hyler serves as Producing Artistic Director.

2019 Next Link Productions: BLACK HOLE WEDDING, Words by Katherine Brann Fredricks; Music by Paul E. Nelson; BURIED, Book by Tom Williams; Music by Cordelia O'Driscoll; Lyrics by Tom Williams and Cordelia O'Driscoll; OVERTURE THE MUSICAL, Book by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols; Music and lyrics by Krista Eyler; LADYSHIP, Book, Music and Lyrics by Linda Good and Laura Good; FLYING LESSONS, Book by Donald Rupe, Music by Donald Rupe and Cesar de la Rosa; Orchestrations by Cesar de la Rosa, Josh Ceballos and Jason Bailey; TILL, Book by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro; Music and Lyrics by Leo Schwartz; LEAVING EDEN, Book & Lyrics by Jenny Waxman; Music by Ben Page; Additional music by Ada Westfall; and ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE, Music and Lyrics by Yuri Worontschak; Book and Lyrics by Paul Western-Pittard.

2019 Invited Productions: CHANCE: A MUSICAL PLAY ABOUT LOVE, RISK, & GETTING IT RIGHT, Book, music & lyrics by Richard Isen; MY REAL MOTHER, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Riley Thomas, based on the bestselling book Open: An Adoption Story in Three Voices.

2019 NYMF Developmental Reading Series: BROTHER NAT, Book and Lyrics by Liana Asim and Jabari Asim; Music by Allyssa Jones and Damien Sneed; KAFKA'S METAMORPHOSIS: THE MUSICAL!, Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Chiorini; Additional Music and Lyrics by Travis Newton; QUEEN E: THE RELUCTANT ROYAL, Book and lyrics by Leola Floren Gee; Music by Rick Lukianuk; HERO, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Aaron James; BISLAND & BLY, Lyrics by Marialena DiFabbio and Susannah Jones; Music by Marialena DiFabbio; Book and Additional Music by Susannah Jones; EVERYTHING IS OKAY (AND OTHER HELPFUL LIES), Book, Lyrics, & Music by Melissa Crum and Caitlin Lewins; ABDUCTION, Book by T.J. Pieffer; Music by Becki Toth and Brad Kemp; Lyrics by T.J. Pieffer and Becki Toth; FREEDOM SUMMER, Music by Charlie H. Ray & Sam Columbus; Book and Lyrics by Charlie H. Ray; MISSISSIPPI THE MUSICAL, Book, Music & Lyrics by Gregory James Tornquist; produced by Noreen Crayton; UNDERGROUND: AN URBAN TALE, Book by John Viscardi; Music and Lyrics by Thomas Hodges; HERO, Book, Music, & Lyrics by Mark Aaron James; THE DISAPPEARING MAN, Book, Music, & Lyrics by Jahn Sood.

2019 NYMF Concerts: ALIVE! THE ZOMBIE MUSICAL, Music and Lyrics by Josh Canfield; FINDING BEAUTIFUL, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Anessa Marie and Danny Bristoll; HEAD AND HEART; INTERSECTING CHORDS; Joe Iconis IN CONCERT; PERFECTLY VICTORIAN, Music by Bryan Adam, Lyrics by Adam and Matthew Kelly; SAVAGE THE MUSICAL, Book by Nicolette Blout & Lindel Hart, Music & Lyrics by Blount & John Waynelovich; SLIDE; A TALE OF MENTAL ILLNESS, Written & Conceived by Caren Tackett; THE F*CK AM I DOING, Lyrics by Ali Keller, Music by Emily Rose Simons; THE OLDENBURG SUITE, Lyrics by James Feinberg, Music by Matthew Dylan Rose.

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