August 18, 2006

NYMF-o-mania

Filed under: Listings,Press Releases — offoffbway @ 7:36 pm

Okay, bad pun. But when you see the enormous outpouring of thee-tah stuff that the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival is bringing to the Big Apple, you’ll see it’s not misplaced (although it is still a bad pun).
So read on, and then visit NYMF.org to find out about tickets. Right now tix are only available to members, which you can find out more about here. It’s not a bad deal – even if you only plan on buying two tickets, that would run you $40, and there’s a membership that only costs $60. So you can get your tickets and do something good for the Festival.
Blah blah blah, right? Enough talk! More SINGING!
Full press release (it’s looong) after the jump.


THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES ITS
FULL SLATE FOR THE 2006 FESTIVAL

PLUS THE 1ST ANNUAL
NYMF DANCE SERIES

INCLUDING NEW VENUES, SPONSORS AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), now in its third year, is a three-week event in NYC that has premiered over 70 musicals in its first two years, becoming the largest musical theatre event in American history. Hailed as “the Sundance of Musical Theatre,” it is now widely regarded among the entertainment industry as the key source for new material and talent discovery. This year’s festival will run from September 10 – October 1 at the following venues:
· 37 ARTS – 450 West 37th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues)
· NEW WORLD STAGES – 340 West 50th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
· ARS NOVA – 511 West 54th (between 10th & 11th Avenues)
· MAKOR at the 92nd STREET Y – 53 West 67th Street (between Columbus Avenue & Central Park West)
· STEINHARDT CENTER – West 67th Street (between Columbus Avenue & Central Park West)
· 45TH STREET THEATRE – 354 West 45th (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
· THE SAGE – 711 7th Avenue (between 47th & 48th Streets)
· THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S – 423 West 46th (between 9th & 10th Avenues)
· TBG – 312 West 36th (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
· RED ROOM – 85 East 4th (between Bowery & 2nd Avenue)
· PS 122 – 150 1st Avenue (between 9th & 10th Streets)
· THE LAMBS THEATRE – 130 West 44th Street (between Broadway & 6th Avenue)

NYMF 2006 will feature 312 performances, including the premiering of 34 new musicals and 84 musical theatre events and a broad range of programming that will include full productions, developmental works, concerts, seminars and panels, partner events, commissions and, for the first time, the NYMF Dance Series. NYMF is proud to announce that in 2006 it will be moving into larger midtown venues, including, for the first time, the use of 37 Arts and New World Stages; and it will see the beginning of new sponsorships as NYMF will be working in partnership with PLAYBILL and VERIZON WIRELESS.

NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is produced in association with New World Stages, Playbill and Virgin Megastores, and proudly supported by amNewYork, King Displays, Manhattan Living, Niaterra Arts and Entertainment, Points.com, the Production Resource Group, One Dream Sound, Receptasign, Rosco, Tekserve, Verizon Wireless, the Village Voice and WNYC in partnership with Ars Nova, Big City Graph-X, Broadway.com, Broadwayworld.com, Brooklyn Brewery, HX Magazine, TheMENevent.com, Metphoto, Panasonic Astrovision and TheaterMania.com. NYMF is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council o­n the Arts, a state agency.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival is proud to announce the full slate of events for 2006:

NYMF FULL PRODUCTIONS: The Next Link

NYMF was created with a belief that supporting innovation means providing opportunities for the broadest possible range of talented artists, and with the idea that NYMF should be not a final destination but rather a launching ground for new musicals. Of the more than 30 full productions in the Festival this year, half have been selected through the Next Link Project, an open submission process in which musicals undergo blind evaluations by a reading committee before being selected by a jury of leading theater professionals. From almost 400 submissions, 15 works were awarded the opportunity for full production in the 2006 Festival.

DESPERATE MEASURES
A new musical comedy loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure”
Book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg, music by David Friedman. Johnny Blood, a hotheaded young cowboy, is sentenced to hang for killing a man in a bar fight. When his sister Susanna, a novice nun in a nearby Franciscan mission, pleads for his life, the Governor offers to pardon Johnny – if Susanna will sleep with him. What to do? The sheriff suggests Susanna say yes and then, under cover of darkness, switch places with one of the saloon girls. What happens next makes for a desperate mix of comedy, suspense and romance in this Western musical loosely based on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 12 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 4:30 PM.

EMERALD MAN
A comic book Don Quixote
Book and lyrics by Janet Cole Valdez, music by Marc Bosserman and Tom Valdez. Duncan, obsessed with comics and superheroes, witnesses a murder by his evil stepdad. Donning the ring of the father he never knew, he dubs himself “Emerald Man” and vows to right the world’s wrongs. With his stepdad hot on his trail, Duncan begins a Quixotic quest to bring honor to a world gone mad. Based on a true story and featuring an exciting pop/rock score, EMERALD MAN challenges us to ask, “Who’s Really Crazy?”
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 12 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 4:30 PM.

FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN
A new musical about a guy with a dream, a chair, and 400 helium-filled balloons
Book by Peter Ullian, music and lyrics by Robert Lindsey-Nassif. Based on a concept by Robert Lindsey-Nassif. Meet Jerry Gorman. He’s a regular guy from Passaic, New Jersey who just wants to fly. The neighbors think he’s nuts. His mother disapproves. But Gracie (Donna Lynne Champlin) believes in him. Laugh and cheer as Jerry (Christopher Sutton) soars to 16,000 feet with nothing but a lawnchair and 400 helium balloons. FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN is a new musical that reminds the world that dreams can come true if you believe in yourself. Two-time Tony Award nominee Lynne Taylor-Corbett directs and choreographs the New York premiere after her successful staging of the show for Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM.

GO-GO BEACH
The beach party gang go-go-goes flower power!
Book and lyrics by John Wimbs, music by Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord. WINNER! Audience Choice Award – SummerWorks Festival, Toronto. A coming-of-age story about a surfer who gets into trouble with his girlfriend when he falls for a runaway teen pop star, and the flower child who helps him find the true meaning of love. GO-GO BEACH is a new musical fable told in the style of the 1960s beach party movies, featuring an original score inspired by the surf sound, girl groups, and swinging go-go music.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 1:00 PM.

HAVE A NICE LIFE
A musical about six strangers in a group therapy session
Book by Matthew Hurt and Conor Mitchell, music and lyrics by Conor Mitchell. Six strangers and their therapist gather to confess their funniest, scariest, darkest and most embarrassing personal moments. This new musical by one of England’s hottest up-and-coming composers explores the barriers we put up and what happens when they come crashing down.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 11 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 12 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM.

HOT AND SWEET
An all-girl ‘40s big band strives to make it to the top
Book, music and lyrics by Barbara Schottenfeld. It is 1945 and the men are overseas. Who is going to keep Americans dancing back home? The Honeytones, the Chicagoan all-girl swing band, who will risk everything in order to play! HOT AND SWEET interweaves the personal stories of these pioneering musicians—their dreams, their loves, their struggles, and their bittersweet triumphs—through an exhilarating jazz score by 14-time ASCAP Award-winner Barbara Schottenfeld. THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 3:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 5:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 5:00 PM & 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 5:00 PM.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST
A classic Chinese legend reincarnated as a multi-cultural theatrical experience
Book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, music by Richard Oberacker. JOURNEY TO THE WEST combines elements of Peking Opera, kabuki, modern dance and martial arts to tell the story of a scholar’s messianic quest across the Asia in search of mankind’s salvation. With a varied and exciting score by the writing team of “Ace” and the musical director of Cirque du Soleil’s “KA” in Las Vegas.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 25 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 5:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 9:00 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 1:00 PM.

KINGDOM
King Dres rises to power in the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation
Book, music and lyrics by Ian Williams and Aaron Jafferis. Who can you turn to when the world turns its back on you? How far will you let your pride take you? KINGDOM chronicles the story of Andreas and Juan, two kids from the barrio who quit their deadend jobs to join a well-known underground pride organization, the Almighty Latin Kings & Queens Nation, in a search for honor and respect. When tragedy rocks the group, struggle for leadership of the Nation tears the two friends apart with devestating results. Featuring an original rap/hip-hop/Latin score, KINGDOM will be directed by Louis Moreno.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 19 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 1:00 PM.

LUNCH
A musical about love in the eighth grade
Book, music, and lyrics by Shawn Northrip. At Benjamin Franklin Middle School, lunch is everyone’s favorite subject. First crushes and first kisses, best friends growing jealous of girlfriends, and the all-important battle for Queen of the eighth grade formal dance. Developed at the Kennedy Center, LUNCH features a fresh, raw new punk/ska/rock score by Shawn Northrip, whose Titus X was featured at NYMF 2004.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 1:00 PM.

OEDIPUS FOR KIDS
A kid-friendly “Oedipus Rex” goes horribly, horribly wrong
Book and lyrics by Kimberly Patterson and Gil Varod, music by Robert J. Saferstein. Hey kids! Join your pal Oedipus, a little boy a lot like you, as he takes an exciting journey across ancient Greece to become king! You’ll learn all about blind people, family love, and communicable diseases! Sing along to favorite songs like “A Little Complex” and “My Lover Is My Husband Is My Son” [Warning: May contain manslaughter, eye-gouging and parental incest].
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 12 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 7:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 25 @ 8:00 PM.

RIVER’S END
The mysterious disappearance of real-life honeymooners, presented from two points of view
Book and lyrics by Cheryl Coons, music by Chuck Larkin. Based on the real-life disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde, who vanished on their daredevil river-rafting honeymoon to the Grand Canyon in 1928, RIVER’S END weaves together two completely different versions of their journey, with two pairs of actors playing the Hydes—and two surprising theories of what might have happened to them.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 9:00 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 1:00 PM.

SMOKING BLOOMBERG
When the NYC smoking ban ruins a dry cleaner’s business, she seeks revenge o­n Mayor Bloomberg
Book, music & lyrics by David Cornue, Sam Holtzapple, Warren Loy, and Chris Todd. A raucous musical satire about a Korean dry cleaner’s quest for revenge against Mayor Bloomberg and the smoking ban that has ruined her business. Full of pissed-off New Yorkers, rich white guys, and potential WMD’s, the show offers a biting, irreverent lampoon of American democracy and the individual’s place within it. SMOKING BLOOMBERG is the winner of AnyMinuteNow Productions’ NEXT BIG MUSICAL Competition.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 5:00 PM & 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 5:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 8:00 PM.

THE SCREAMS OF KITTY GENOVESE
A new musical drama inspired by the murder that shocked the nation
Music by Will Todd, libretto by David Simpatico. Kitty Genovese fights for her life in the dark of the street while thirty-eight neighbors watch from their windows – silent, afraid, paralyzed. Why do decent people look away? With a thrilling score by Will Todd and libretto by Jonathan Larson Award-winner David Simpatico, THE SCREAMS OF KITTY GENOVESE explores the tragic events of that fateful night.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 9:00 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 3:00 PM.

THREE SIDES
Three people, one relationship—even the simplest things can get complicated
Music and lyrics by Grant Olding, book by Grant Olding with Toby Davies. After a depressing new year in London, a chance meeting leads to Carrie’s involvement with two very different blokes. But when she can’t decide which to ditch, things start to get complicated. A hot new import from England with a hip contemporary score.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 1:00 PM & 7 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 4:30 PM.

WARRIOR
The life of Native American athlete Jim Thorpe
Book, music and lyrics by Marcus Hummon. Born in the Indian territories before the massacre at Wounded Knee, before the emasculation of the full-blown reservation system, Jim Thorpe was the last of a generation of Native Americans to know an America that is gone forever. With a score by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon, WARRIOR is the story of America’s tragic inability to come to grips with the inclusion of its native population.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 12 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 5:00 PM & 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 3:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 5:00 PM.

NYMF FULL PRODUCTIONS – Invited Productions

Never one to stop at 15, NYMF rounds out its production schedule with the Invited Works series – musicals from around the world scouted and reviewed by its artistic staff for their potential to enhance the diversity and vivacity of the Festival.

BEHIND THE LIMELIGHT
A new musical that explores the life and art of the legendary Charlie Chaplin
Music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis. BEHIND THE LIMELIGHT follows the life of Charlie Chaplin, one of the world’s most beloved performers with one of history’s most turbulent careers. Featuring three actors as Chaplin—the child, the tramp, and the old man—BEHIND THE LIMELIGHT takes us from his vaudeville days to his groundbreaking work behind and in front of the camera, from his first wife to his third (and many women in between), and from his American naturalization to his exile brought about by Hollywood’s gossip mill and the House Un-American Activities Committee. THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 19 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 1:00 PM.

CAPTAIN GRAVY’S WAVY NAVY: WHERE’S THE MOON?
Book, music and lyrics by David Cooper & Jeffrey Katz. A zany musical adventure in the tradition of Yellow Submarine and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. In the psychodelic utopia, “The River of Life”, something has Captain Gravy’s Technicolor Mood Hair flashing wildly. Someone has stolen the moon! Join the Captain and his colorful Wavy Navy aboard the Magical Hip Ship for an unforgettable musical experience that will send your imagination soaring.
45TH STREET THEATRE, SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 19 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 10:00 PM

GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!
DANGER! ROMANCE! EVIL! And even DESPAIR! Not to mention a PRINTING PRESS!
Book, music and lyrics by Anthony King and Scott Brown. Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450, so Bud Davenport and Doug Simon wrote a musical about it. It’s the ‘true’ story of Gutenberg, his buxom wench Helvetica, and an Evil Monk, hell-bent on keeping the masses illiterate. Gutenberg! The Musical! is Bud and Doug’s backers’ audition: a tuneful, tasteless triumph, celebrating the monstrous success of their idiocy. Shown in development at NYMF 2005, and following a limited West End run at the Jermyn Street Theatre, NYMF 2006 presents the first American production of the epic two-act extravaganza.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 22 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 25 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM.

HAVING IT ALMOST
Sometimes it takes a little darkness to see the light
Book by David Goldsmith and Wendy Perelman, lyrics by David Goldsmith, music by John Kavanaugh, with additional songs by Jeff Blumenkrantz, Annie Kessler & Libby Saines, and Stephen Schwartz. A blackout maroons five women in their 40s at JFK Airport. This new musical addresses contemporary issues like infidelity, infertility, career vs. family, being single by choice and not-by-choice, and the myths of motherhood as these women open up to and learn from each other, ultimately changing one another’s destinations for the better.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM.

J.O.B. THE HIP-HOPERA
The biblical book of Job. Remixed.
Book and lyrics by Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion, music by Jerome Sable, Eli Batalion and Joe Barrucco. Two stories. Two turntables. Ready? Remix. Hoover Records is the producer of the biggest, illest, baddest and phattest hip-hop in the west. At the top, label president J. Hoover is pitted against Job, his right hand man, in a test of loyalty, compassion and friendship. At the bottom, in the jingle department, it’s MC Cain against his brotha and fellow rapper MC Abel in their struggle for success. Sable & Batalion hold it down by playing all the parts of the story and get mad support from an ensemble of breakers, an R&B vocalist and a scratch DJ. It’s the Old (School) Testament retold as an allegory of contemporary corporate life in the music biz. New York premiere.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 25 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 1:00 PM.

PARTY COME HERE
An outrageous musical comedy about sex, spirituality, mistaken identity, hope, and family
Book by Daniel Goldfarb, music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum. A nervous groom, a statue of Christ, and a 500-year-old Jewish caveman converge to make miracles happen during a tropical storm on one magical night in Rio. Part farce, part fable, PARTY COME HERE offers a hilarious collision of cultures as tantalizing as those found in the sexiest city in the world. Mistaken identity, spirituality, hope, family, sex—all set to irresistible Latin rhythms. From the author of Modern Orthodox and the composer of Summer of ’42, this is an outrageous, oddball, optimistic, ohmygod, one-of-a-kind show.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 25 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 26 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM.

THE CHILDREN
Who doesn’t love a bus full of zombies?
Book and lyrics by Stan Richardson, music by Hal Goldberg. THE CHILDREN is a hilarious new musical based on the low-budget 1980 b-horror movie of the same title. A low-hanging cloud of radioactive waste turns a school bus full of children into second-rate zombies, who proceed to track down and zap their negligent parents one by one.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 12 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 1:00 PM.

THE MAN IN MY HEAD
Full story. Full cast. One-man musical.
Book by Thomas F. DeFrantz, music and lyrics by Michael Wartofsky. Drew Durango wants it all: a loving relationship with a rock-steady African American man, solid friendships with Chelsea party boys, and a way to share his world with his Granny in Indianapolis. But after seven years living in New York, he still hasn’t quite figured it out, as he careens in and out of love and entanglements with a handsome but closeted attorney, a Zen-like children’s basketball coach, a sister on a mission to find a husband, a hard-partying nurse, and his teenage nephew from the Midwest. A one-man rhythm-and-blues-laden tour-de-force starring Obie Award-winning actor Darius de Haas.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 8:00 PM.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
A warm coming-of-age story and a gripping thriller, combined
Book and lyrics by Stephen Cole, music by Claibe Richardson. Love and hate co-exist in all of us, but when an evil West Virginia depression era preacher with those words tattooed on his hands goes after $10,000 that’s hidden in a little girls doll, the eternal battle between good and evil becomes a musical thriller that takes a little boy on a coming of age journey that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM’ SEPTEMBER 27 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 5:00 PM.

THE PAISLEY SISTERS’ CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
The all-new, all-original 1964 musical comedy!
Book by Jim Ansart, Joel Benjamin, Bret Silverman, Steve Silverman, music by Bret Silverman, lyrics by Jim Ansart, Joel Benjamin, Bret Silverman. It’s 1964. The Paisley Sisters (Connie, Bonnie, Lonnie, and Abigail) are airing a brand-new color television holiday extravaganza that they hope will put them back in the Top 40. A book musical with 20 original songs wrapped in a hilarious send-up of early holiday television specials and the people who did them.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 19 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 25 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM.

THE TRAGIC AND HORRIBLE LIFE OF THE SINGING NUN
The story of Sister Smilie’s pop-star fame and tragic decline
Book by Blair Fell, music and lyrics by Andy Monroe. The dark, dangerous, and hilarious story of the ill-fated nun who sang the Grammy-winning 60’s hit “Dominique-nique-nique.” Told through the eyes of a nun named Sister Coco Callmeishmael, SINGING NUN gazes through an irreverent pop-culture prism, pulling every candy-colored piece of Catholic camp out of the box to recount Sister Smilie’s uproariously funny, but ultimately tragic story of sky-rocketing fame and meteoric decline. THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 9:00 PM.

THIS COULD BE LOVE
Sweet and cynical, joyous and jaded: a love story
Book, music, and lyrics by Brock Simpson. He’s a jingle writer; she’s a full-time temp. Stood up and fed up, they decide to cheat fate and fall in love…whether they like each other or not. A charming, quirky two-hander direct from Canada, THIS COULD BE LOVE cuts classic romantic comedy with contemporary urban angst.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 18 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 8:00 PM.

VIRGINS
Rated G—it hits the spot!
Book and lyrics by Dean Bryant, music by Mathew Frank. Direct from the smash-hit Melbourne premiere, writers Dean Bryant and Matthew Frank (Off-Bway’s Prodigal) weave three unique stories into one seductive evening of musical theatre. Focusing on the fairer sex, these five totally righteous babes sing and dance their way through this original musical about friendship, success and making their dreams come true.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM.

WHITE NOISE
It’s better to be a star than to wear one
Book, music and lyrics by Joe Drymala, Additional songs by Rick Crom, Glen Kelly, Laurence O’Keefe and Eric Svejcar. Adorable teen sisters Blanche and Eva lead the band White Noise, which mixes irresistible harmonies… with white power rhetoric. Their controversial rise to fame parallels a growing white supremacist movement that threatens to engulf America, and Blanche and Eva prove themselves to be masters of the most terrifying and unstoppable form of fascism in today’s culture: Top Forty pop. With songs from the writers of Bat Boy, Legally Blonde, Newsical: The Musical, and NYMF 2004 hit Caligula.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 18 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 24 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 8:00 PM.

THE NYMF DANCE SERIES

New this year, NYMF presents The Dance Series, a group of choreographically-driven productions exploring the relationship between dance, theatre, and music in ways that are sure to knock your legwarmers off.

ALL IS LOVE
Arriving in our city – a story in dance
Music by Travis Sullivan and Alex Fortuit. A new dance musical from Walden Dance Theatre, ALL IS LOVE follows the journeys of three women disillusioned as they adjust to life in New York City. Inspired by classic movie musicals from the 1940s and 1950s, ALL IS LOVE marries the traditions of musical theatre choreography with the electronic sounds of contemporary music, and explores the magnitude of hope and survival in a story told entirely through dance.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 19 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 4:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 9:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 9:00 PM.

SCHOOL DAZE
A senior prom fantasia
Conceived and created by Wendy Seyb. SCHOOL DAZE tells the tale of six students and their fantasies that are played out at a high school dance in the 1980’s. In the tradition of Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, choreographer Wendy Seyb (But I’m a Cheerleader) interprets her story without spoken dialogue and soley through movement and classical music. In a twist on the jukebox musical, Seyb uses the ‘hits’ of Mozart, Rossini, Bizet, Tchaikovsky and Bach, and proves that dance can be outrageously funny. Remember everything you’ve hated and loved about high school? It’s all here, told through classical music, heartfelt romance, drunken moments, comedy, and dance.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 7:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 3:00 PM.

BORN AT NYMF – Commissioning Innovation

NYMF is devoted to reinvigorating musical theatre by constantly pushing the boundaries that define it. With the goal of revolutionizing the art form, NYMF promotes new ideas and new approaches by commissioning artistically innovative collaborations each year. In 2005, NYMF partnered with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater to commission and develop a new musical through improvisation. This year, it brought together a group of choreographers with a team of musical theatre writers to create a unique new dance musical, Common Grounds.

COMMON GROUNDS
Collisions in the daily grind
Book by Sammy Buck, music by Doug Katsaros. New York City. Eight million people. Eight million stories. Eight million coffee shops. An innovative dance musical set in a midtown coffee shop that explores how, in the most mundane of places, we can intersect with, ricochet off of, and greatly impact each others lives. Commissioned by NYMF, this unique collaborative piece matches six of the most talented up-and-coming choreographers working today with writers from past NYMF productions, who created the new score and book.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 20 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 1:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 6:30 PM.
THE NYMF DEVELOPMENTAL SERIES

NYMF is dedicated to providing artists with the critical opportunity to try out their work in front of an audience, and in 2006, is delighted to offer you an exciting series of readings and workshop productions of new musicals. Several of the readings presented in this year’s festival are winners of the National Music Theatre Network’s Director’s Choice Award. NMTN, the parent organization of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, has supported the creation and development of new musicals for more than 20 years through its writer development and evaluation programs. This year’s winners, CUMBERLAND BLUES and HOT AND SWEET, will each receive financial grants toward their Festival presentations. For more information, visit www.nmtn.org .

ALIVE IN THE WORLD
Music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman. ALIVE IN THE WORLD is a new musical-in-progress by the composer of Bright Lights Big City, Him and Her, and NYMF 2005 hit Rooms. A cast of four explore what it is to be alive in the world of modern-day New York City, in a revue that follows the mold of Jacques Brel. Directed by Kurt Deutsch, president of Sh-K-Boom Records, with cast TBA.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 14 @ 7:00 PM & 10:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 7:00 PM & 10:00 PM.

CHANG & ENG
Book by Burton Cohen, lyrics by Stephen Hoffman, music by Mark Campbell. What happens when two exotic men, the toast of the world’s great capitals, decide to settle down with two sisters in the tiny, provincial town of Wilkesboro, North Carolina? An unconventional love story between conjoined twins and two “normal” women, CHANG & ENG explores the conflict between our need to be emotionally attached to someone and the threat to independence caused by that attachment, with all the passion and sweep of a classic romance.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 25 @ 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM

CUMBERLAND BLUES
Book by Michael Norman Mann, music by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, lyrics by Robert Hunter, with additional material by Phil Lesh and Greg Anton. Peter Jones, Sr. came to the town of Cumberland, MD with two dollars in his pocket and not a friend in the world. By the end of his first night, he’d found a poker game and won a mining claim. Now, all these years later, all he has left is the Palace Hotel, the Mine, a case of Black Lung, and a date with the grave. Word of Jones’s failing health is music to the ears of Jesse Steel, the region’s most influential and infamous businessman. With the Mining Wars threatening to reignite his independent mining operation right in the crosshairs, Jones wants one last chance at reconciliation with his estranged sons, Pete Jr. and Mick.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 22 @ 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM.

DRIFT
Book by Craig Pospisil, music and lyrics by Jeremy Schonfeld. Based on the critically acclaimed concept album by Jeremy Schonfeld, DRIFT follows the turbulent journey of a struggling songwriter in the midst of the devastating break-up of his family. In an attempt to make sense of this emotional upheaval, David joins a men’s divorce-therapy group led by his therapist, Dr. Schneider and is introduced to a variety of men, whose circumstances mirror his own. Both sad and darkly humorous, DRIFT is, ultimately, a deeply personal story of survival and triumph.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 13 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 15 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM & 10:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM.

MAGPIE
Book by Steve Jacobson, music by Gary William Friedman, lyrics by Edward Gallardo. An original musical with Latin overtones, MAGPIE is the story of star-crossed lovers set in the fast-paced world of New York City bicycle messengers. Presented by Amas Musical Theater.
TBG THEATER: SEPTEMBER 27 @ 3:00 PM & 6:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 6:00 PM.

SAINT HEAVEN
Book by Martin Casella, music and lyrics by Keith Gordon. Thom Rivers, a young doctor, returns home to Saint Heaven, Kentucky for his father’s funeral. Met with unhappy memories – and strong pressure to follow in his beloved father’s footsteps – Thom is determined to forget the pain of his past, settle Daddy’s affairs, and head back north. But his plans change when he falls in love with a black preacher who speaks in tongues. Believing her to be suffering from epilepsy, he attempts to treat her, sparking a chain of events that affect their lives and all those who live in Saint Heaven. A contemporary country/gospel/R&B score propels this intimate and inspiring love story.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 29 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM.

THE TALES OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON
Book by Mary Hall Surface, music by Brad Ross and lyrics by Danny Whitman. I breathe Fire! I blow smoke from my snout like a chimney! But “they all call me cowardly. S’pose that’s the way it’s meant to be…” Join Custard the Dragon along with his friends Ink, Blink and Mustard as they embark on a musical journey in which our most unlikely hero finds the courage to rescue his beloved Belinda from a menacing Pirate and a wicked Knight! Ogden Nash’s beloved books The Tale of Custard the Dragon and Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight come to life in a new musical theatre piece originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center. For audiences aged 5 and older. MAKOR/STEINHARDT CENTER: OCTOBER 1 @ 2:00 PM.

THE CHOCOLATE TREE
By Al and Marshall Pailet. THE CHOCOLATE TREE is inspired by the true story of a young girl who turned adversity into inspiration and touched an entire nation. Moving between reality and fantasy, the show depicts a family’s journey through the unthinkable, led by a child’s spirit and determination to bring the impossible to life.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM.

WALLENBERG
Book and lyrics by Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman, music by Benjamin Rosenbluth. This epic musical tells the fascinating story of one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. Between face-offs with the notorious Nazi colonel Adolf Eichmann and a probable affair with the wife of one of Hungary’s most prominent fascist leaders, Raoul Wallenberg was able to accomplish more in six months than most people do in a lifetime. After saving the lives of over 100,000 Hungarian Jews in World War II—more than were rescued by any other individual, organization or government during the entire Holocaust—Wallenberg was abducted by the Russians as the war ended, never to be seen again. Thom Christopher Warren (The Lion King, Once Upon a Mattress, Harmony) performs the title role, heading a talented cast of 35.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 17 @ 7:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 20 @ 8:00 PM.

THE NYMF CONCERT AND SPECIAL EVENT SERIES

To highlight the breadth of musical theater artistry, NYMF is bringing a diverse array of special performances under its umbrella—featuring new work, new writers, unusual performances and unique collaborations.

BABY WANTS CANDY
Based in Chicago, BWC has amazed audiences around the world with its signature show—a completely improvised hour-long musical that has been described as a cross between “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and “The Simpsons.” Truly every aspect of The Musical—the plot and characters, musical accompaniment, song lyrics and even what they call “choreography”—is made up on the spot. The group, which also created the scripted holiday musical, “Moulin Scrooge,” was named Best Improv Troupe by Chicago Magazine in 2003 and Best Visiting Comedy Act by Time Out NY in 2002. BWC returns after a sold-out run at NYMF 2005.
45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 27 @ 10:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 10:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 10:30 PM.

BLUE LOU AND THE BULLYFISH
A concert version of the musical storybook by Stephanie Arasim Portnoy. A family-friendly show featuring puppetry and an exciting score by award-winning composer Andrea Green Feigenbaum. 45TH STREET THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM.

LITTLE BY LITTLE
Book by Ellen Greenfield and Annette Jolles, music by Brad Ross, lyrics by Ellen Greenfield and Hal Hackady. Boy + Girl + Girl = Trouble. Three childhood pals end up in a tricky love triangle that will change their friendship—and their lives—forever. The hit musical originally seen in New York at The York Theatre comes to NYMF as a one-night-only concert that will leave you humming the tunes and taking another look at your life.
MAKOR/STEINHARDT CENTER. SEPTEMBER 25 @ 8:00 PM.

THE MACGUFFIN?
By Terry Withers and Jason Rhyne. When an eccentric socialite is accused of murdering her husband, it falls to a wily insurance claims adjuster—and a cast of misfits who share his apartment/office space—to prove her innocence. Hailed by critics as a “Monday Night Must” (Showbusiness) and “Slyly Subversive” (Backstage), this serialized mystery musical reunites the original cast that earned “The MacGuffin?” a devoted downtown following.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 11:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 11:00 PM.

THE TALES OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON
Book by Mary Hall Surface, music by Brad Ross and lyrics by Danny Whitman. I breathe Fire! I blow smoke from my snout like a chimney! But “they all call me cowardly. S’pose that’s the way it’s meant to be…” Join Custard the Dragon along with his friends Ink, Blink and Mustard as they embark on a musical journey in which our most unlikely hero finds the courage to rescue his beloved Belinda from a menacing Pirate and a wicked Knight! Ogden Nash’s beloved books The Tale of Custard the Dragon and Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight come to life in a new musical theatre piece originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center. For audiences aged 5 and older. MAKOR/STEINHARDT CENTER. OCTOBER 1 @ 2:00 PM.

THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICOLOGY OF BEN FOLDS
Broadway and Off-Broadway’s best take on the songs of pop sensation Ben Folds in a one-night-only NYMF concert event! Folds’s offbeat cast of characters have infiltrated concerts and cabarets by performers from Bette Midler to Michael Arden. His biting lyrics and virtuosic melodies have influenced theatre composers such as Tom Kitt (High Fidelity, Feeling Electric, NYMF 2005) and Groovelily (Striking 12). Now NYMF takes it one step farther with an evening of songs from Ben Folds Five, Whatever And Ever Amen, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner and Songs for Silverman. A must-see fusion of pop and musical theatre.
37 ARTS: SEPTEMBER 24 @ 7:00 PM.

NYMF AT ARS NOVA
The New York Musical Theatre Festival has formed a partnership with Ars Nova, New York City’s hot spot for new artists, to help bring the next generation of modern musical entertainment to producers, artists and young adult audiences alike. Both strongly committed to providing a home for the development of new talent, the two organizations will jointly present a series of concerts and special events showcasing New York’s top theatre artists, with a focus on some of musical theatres most promising newcomers. The series will include special appearances by Broadway favorites including Donna Lynne Champlin (Sweeney Todd, Hollywood Arms), Merle Dandridge (Tarzan), Annie Golden (The Full Monty, Assassins), Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), Kate Reinders (Wicked) and Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast); evenings with composers like Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party) and Ann Marie Milazzo (vocal arrangements for Spring Awakening); concerts by theatre-friendly bands like Old Springs Pike, Kevin Cahoon and Ghetto Cowboy, Groovelily (Striking 12) and The Petersons. The complete lineup, which will span the three weeks of the 2006 Festival, will be announced shortly.

NYMF @ NIGHT

This year, NYMF’s going bump in the night with a hot series of FIVE parties and mixers, created especially for YOU by our Junior Prom Committee. Small admission may apply.

OPENING NIGHT: THE BACK-TO-NYMF FALL PEP RALLY
Kick the Fest off right with the NYMFettes on the megaphone and the casts and creative teams of all of our shows, concerts and special events in the house for good food, plenty of drink, a little dancing, and some good old-fashioned spirit. Give us an N! Give us a Y! Give us an M! Give us an F! What does it spell?? PARTY.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 10 @ 8:00 PM.

NYMF LUAU
FEATURING BROADWAY IDOL ROUND #1: MY FAVORITE THINGS
Our first of three “T. G. I. NYMF-day” parties: The Festival Luau. Sip mojitos, shoot tequila, nibble pineapple and hula your rump off as NYMF whisks you away to Hawaii for a fabulous LUAU dance party. Featuring the NYMFettes as Hawaii 5-0! And after the limbo contest, Broadway Strikes Back with Round One of NYMF Broadway Idol: My Favorite Things. Watch as 9 contestants, hand-picked out of hundreds of Broadway hopefuls, belt, croon and vibrato through their favorite showtunes to make it to the next round. Have they got what it takes? Will they survive at the hands of our celebrity Broadway judges? Come find out.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 15 @ 10:00 PM.

NYMF SPEAKEASY
FEATURING BROADWAY IDOL ROUND #2: ANYONE CAN IDOL
You’ll need the secret password to gain access to this den of sin, gin, fizz…and fun. Put out the news: we’ve got a wild party… featuring the NYMFettes! And be sure to stick around for Round Two of Broadway Idol and see our 6 remaining contestants try to falsetto their way to the finals by taking on…the Sondheim canon. 3 will go on. 3 will get stopped in their tracks by our celebrity judges. Who will it be?
NEW WORLD STAGES. SEPTEMBER 22 @ 10:00 PM.

NYMFTOBERFEST
FEATURING BROADWAY IDOL FINALS: A STAR IS BORN
The good times will be on tap, the sausages on display and the NYMFettes…in lederhosen. Don’t miss the biggest, baddest, booziest, boogiest party of them all. And watch as our toughest panel of judges yet asks the three finalists to strut their stuff without missing a beat not once but TWICE: first with a song that catapulted another performer to stardom…and then with the one that’ll make them a legend. The tears. The fights. The finals. Who will be the FIRST Broadway Idol?
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 29 @ 10:00 PM..

NYMF CLOSING WEEKEND PARTY
Details to be announced! Keep your ear to the ground during the Festival to find out more … SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 @ 9:00 PM.

NYMF SEMINARS AND MASTERCLASS SERIES

Don’t let your experience of NYMF just be sitting back and enjoying the tunes – there are ways for you to be an active part of it! Dive right in to one of our masterclasses, or learn something new at a NYMF Seminar.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival’s Educational Programming is made possible through the generous support of the ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Trust.

CROSSING OVER: ADAPTING MUSICALS FROM OTHER MEDIA
What do Spamalot!, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, The Producers and a long list of recent Broadway musicals have in common? They were all adapted from other media. Films, novels, even television shows have become an increasingly desirable source for new material, but it takes more than a good idea to create a successful adaptation. How do you condense a novel that spans decades into a two-hour musical? What does it take to translate a film, which can travel to any location, to the confines of the stage? What are the copyright and other legal issues involved? This panel brings together a group of writers who have successfully managed the transition to discuss the how, why and when to adapt.
NEW WORLD STAGES: SEPTEMBER 21 @ 6:00 PM.

DREAM DIALOGUE: Master Composers Share Their Secrets
Ever wonder how the best composers write their songs? What demons they wrestle with, and how they overcome the creative blocks? Or how they make it look so easy? This intimate demonstration with 2 masters is a unique opportunity to be a fly-on-the-wall and find out exactly how they work. Individual talent cannot be duplicated, but emerging composers can gain insight into their own creative process and take some tips to sustain them through what can be a lonely and isolated journey—writing the next Tony winner for Best Musical! ASCAP: SEPTEMBER 27 @ 6:00 PM.

THE BUSINESS OF SHOW
Think writing your own musical is a challenge? How do you craft a career that allows you to flex your creative muscles again and again? And earn recognition and a living from your work? Join our distinguished panel of composers, agents, and producers and learn how the top artists got there. Hosted by NYMF Executive Director Kris Stewart, the panel reveals insider tips and strategies for building support for your work, getting your musicals produced, finding an agent, and building a track record that gets you noticed.
THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENT’S: SEPTEMBER 28 @ 6:00 PM.

MASTERCLASS ONE: DANCE
Talent and training are only part of the tools necessary to land a Broadway job. This special dance master class is designed to give participants an insider’s edge to the audition. Taught by a Broadway dance captain you’ll learn what the “need to know routines” are, what the auditioners are looking for, and how to make the most of your time in front of them.

MASTERCLASS TWO: HIP HOP
Hip-hop – the ultimate fusion of contemporary music and theatrical performance – is increasingly moving out of the fringe and into the mainstream of commercially-oriented productions. Learning how to create and use this style of writing is not as intimidating as it may seem. Dylakt (featured in the documentary Freestyle), Broadway professional Hero Petah (book writer for Hot Feet, author of A Hip-Hop Story) , and Claudia Alick (HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, producer of Sick Rhymes in the NYC Hip-Hop Theatre Festival) will teach you everything you need to know about integrating hip-hop music and culture, free styling, and poetry into effective production numbers. A hands-on adventure in writing and performance, you will leave with your own original material and a new set of skills!

MASTER CLASS THREE: POP, ROCK, AND R&B VOCAL
Contemporary musical theatre has been dominated by pop music. It’s a fact. Singers are now expected to act a song that was not meant to be acted – a song that was meant to be listened to, danced to or made love to. Wish there was someone who could teach you the ropes so your next audition would be stronger? Felicia Finley (The Wedding Singer, Aida), and Sheri Sanders (Betty Rules, Hair at Encores!) will teach you everything you need to know about succeeding in this unique and demanding genre of musical theatre. Come prepared to work! In addition to group instruction, participants will be selected for team coaching and demonstrations.
THE SAGE: SEPTEMBER 26 @ 2:00 – 4:00 PM.

PARTNER EVENTS

NYMF has joined forces with other organizations celebrating musical theater during the month of September. Support the full spectrum of NYC’s musical theatre activity and check out these partner productions held at numerous different venues around the city. NYMF patrons and Gold and Platinum members receive discounted admission.

THE MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 @ 1:00 PM
Omnibus: The Ballad of Baby Doe
Broadway “try-out production” of the Moore-Latouche musical drama. With Virginia Copeland, William Johnson, and Martha Lipton; host, Alistair Cooke. (1957; ABC; 65 minutes)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 @ 2:15 PM
Annie Get Your Gun
The Berlin Musical was telecast after the completion of a national tour. With Mary Martin, John Raitt, Reta Shaw, and Donald Burr. (1957; NBC; 105 minutes)

BONUS: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 @ 4:00 PM
A Salute to Broadway’s Dorothy Loudon
This compilation reel includes several numbers from the Tony Awards, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and more. (1959-1993; 60 minutes)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 @ 1:00 PM
One Touch of Venus
The Dallas State Fair Musicals production of the Weill-Nash musical. With Janet Blair, Russel Nype, and George Gaynes. (1955; NBC; 90 minutes)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 @ 2:30 PM
Wonderful Town
The Bernstein-Comden and Green musical in a lavish TV production. With Rosalind Russell, Sydney Chaplin, and Jacquelyn McKeever. (1958; CBS; 120 minutes)

A NEW GENERATION OF SONG: THE FUTURE OF MUSICAL THEATRE
A musical showcase featuring the songs of up-and-coming composers in the musical theatre world. In a time when an original musical is a rare occurrence, A New Generation of Song: The Future of Musical Theatre, gives these new musicals a chance to be heard and appreciated in a cabaret-like atmosphere.
ASTORIA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: SEPTEMBER 15 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 16 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 17 @ 6:00 PM.

ANGELS
See. Believe. Soar.
Book and lyrics by Ken Lai and Marcus Cheong, music by Ken Lai. An epic tale about the ancient conflict between the angels and Lucifer’s fallen minions. Serra, the Angel of Light, is gifted with power to control light with spectacular effect, but she aspires for a more heroic role. Her ambition is manipulated by Lucifer, which results in tragic consequences for the angels and the humans they protect. Serra must decide how far she is willing to go and what she must sacrifice to turn the tide in this celestial battle. This event is open to NYMF members only.
THE DUKE THEATRE ON 42ND STREET: SEPTEMBER 20 @ 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 21 @ 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 22 @ 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM.

ILLYRIA
A one-night-only concert event
Adapted by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, book, music, and lyrics by Peter Mills. Adapted from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” ILLYRIA was originally workshopped by Prospect Theater Company in 2002, and presented for a limited showcase run at the Hudson Guild Theatre. ILLYRIA had a successful regional premiere in December 2004 at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and is now hoping to return to New York City for a longer run. Don’t miss this laugh-a-minute musical retelling of the Bard’s beloved comedy, which effectively captures both the rollicking energy of the play’s hilarious hijinks and its deeply felt emotions of loss and unrequited love. In partnership with PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY @ THE LAMB’S THEATRE: SEPTEMBER 11 @ 7:30 PM.

MARIA, MARIA
A rock musical based on Mary Magdalene
Book and lyrics by Hye Jung Yu, Music by Gyungchan Cha. After winning Best Musical at the 10th Annual Korean Musical Theater Awards, Joa Musical Company, Chris Yongseok Choi and Jack M. Dalgleish proudly present the U.S. Premiere of the musical MARIA, MARIA in association with NYMF. This award-winning rock musical a la Jesus Christ Superstar is based on the story of Mary Magdalene. While the overall plot is largely based on the Biblical tale, the show offers an intriguing twist. Performed by a Korean cast in Korean (with super-titles).
THE GERALD W. LYNCH THEATRE AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE, 899 Tenth Ave: SEPTEMBER 22 TO OCTOBER 15, TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY @ 8:00 PM; SATURDAY @ 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM; SUNDAY @ 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM.

MOOPIM
A new modern dance piece by Israeli choreographer Saar Harari
Music by Brian Prunka; choreography by Saar Harari; performed by LeeSaar The Company. Four women and one man embody a riveting exploration of occupation, humanity, fear, and the freedom to dream in Harari’s coda to the critically-acclaimed “Herd of Bulls.” Here, the company infuses its physical vocabulary with the sensual, the feminine, and the unknown to create yet another visceral and compelling experience.
In partnership with P.S. 122: SEPTEMBER 27 @ 8:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 28 @ 8:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 29 @ 8:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 8:30 PM; OCTOBER 1 @ 4:30 PM; OCTOBER 4 @ 8:30 PM; OCTOBER 5 @ 8:30 PM; OCTOBER 6 @ 8:30 PM; OCTOBER 7 @ 8:30 PM; OCTOBER 8 @ 4:30 PM.

SOUL SEARCHING
Music & lyrics by Avi Kunstler; Book, Additional Music & Lyrics by Matt Okin. With the help of her three best married friends, a SJR (Single Jewish Female) embarks on a passionate search for her “soul mate” on New York’s Upper West Side. Along the way, she discovers that “it’s the journey, not the destination” that matters most. Entirely sung-thru by a cast of six accompanied by a four piece rock band, SOUL SEARCHING has been called “A real crowd-pleaser…a feel-good date show on the order of I LOVE YOU, YOURE’ PERFECT, NOW CHANGE” by Martin Denton, nytheatre.com.
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY, 155 FIRST AVENUE: AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 17.

WHAT@TRIP!
A cutting-edge performance art-cinema B noir tale.
Created, written and directed by Roi “Bubi” Escudero. what@trip! is a thrilling “real-time” voyage into the daring reality of an alienated world dominated by media phenomena and its virtual reality. A witty satirical spectacle staged as a performance art piece. An enthralling entertainment that fuses media theatre, café concert and Grand Guignol. Be prepared to feel. This chimerical metaphor could give you goose bumps!
THE RED ROOM: SEPTEMBER 16 @ 10:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 18 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 23 @ 10:30 PM; SEPTEMBER 26 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 27 @ 8:00 PM; SEPTEMBER 30 @ 10:30 PM.
PM.

For Updated NYMF information (schedules, events, etc.), please visit www.nymf.org.

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2 Comments »

  1. […] AGAIN with the bad puns. Well, that’s not really a pun, it’s more of a joke. But it’s still bad. (If you don’t get it, it’s a take off on the tag line for Trix cereal. Exciting we know.) IS THERE A POINT HERE? Yes, of course. This is a new production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The trick? It’s ALL WOMEN. Considering how many years Shakey’s plays were done with all dudes, this only seems fair. Press release and the way cool postcard are below. If you see this show (or any other, frankly), contact us (info is here) and let us know. Foolish Mortals Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Directed by Blake Bradford Featuring an all-female cast, Foolish Mortals’ production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows four young lovers as they flee the city of Athens to find freedom and love in the forest. There they discover a place of enchantment, inhabited by fairies and their warring masters, Titania and Oberon. A group of local artisans rehearsing a play also look to the forest for privacy, but everyone’s plans are disrupted by the impish prankster Puck. One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream evokes a world of rebellion, magic and romance, where chaos erupts, lovers are mismatched, and all is reconciled through the wonder and power of love. […]

    Pingback by offoffBway.com » Foolish mortals, Shakespeare is for women — August 18, 2006 @ 7:45 pm

  2. […] Duncan Sheik had one very big hit a bunch of years ago. He never really went away, though – his musical, ‘Spring Awakening’, is moving to Broadway, and now he’s doing a solo appearance as part of the NYMF. Read all about it here, and don’t forget to breathe. NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) […]

    Pingback by offoffBway.com » Barely Breathing, but doing lots of theater — September 11, 2006 @ 9:44 pm

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