The National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced the eight musicals that will be presented during the 30th Annual Festival of New Musicals, which will take place October 25–26 at New World Stages.
The industry-only event showcases 45-minute concert adaptations of new musicals in the final stages of development for producers and artists from around the world, helping them to find future life and development at regional theatres across the U.S. and the globe.
The selections for the 30th annual event include 17 Again (book by Marco Pennette, music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner), A.D. 16 (book by Bekah Brunstetter, music and lyrics by Cinco Paul), Gun & Powder (book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri, music by Ross Baum), Monstersongs (book, music, and lyrics by Rob Rokicki), Row (book by Daniel Goldstein, music and lyrics by Dawn Landes), The River Is Me (book and lyrics by Sukari Jones, music by Troy Anthony), The Wicker Husband (book by Rhys Jennings, music, and lyrics by Darren Clark), and XY (book, music, and lyrics by Oliver Houser, developed with Hunter Bird).
NAMT helped launch such musicals as Benny & Joon, Come From Away, The Drowsy Chaperone, It Shoulda Been You, Striking 12, Ordinary Days, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Take a closer look at the 2018 lineup below:
17 Again
Life doesn't always work out the way we want, or expect it to. What would happen if you could turn back the clock to a younger version of yourself and start over? 17 Again—a new musical based on the hit 2009 film starring Zac Efron and Matthew Perry—tells the story of a married 35-year-old man who fears his best days have passed him by…until he mysteriously wakes up as a 17-year-old high school basketball star with the chance to rewrite the future he believes he was meant to have.
Gun & Powder
Gun & Powder is inspired by the true story of Mary and Martha Clarke: African American twin sisters who passed for white and were outlaws. Set in Post-Emancipation Texas, the musical follows our heroines’ journey of defying racial boundaries and seizing what rightfully belongs to them. They are successful, until a little romance shakes everything up.
Monstersongs
Monstersongs is a unique theatrical event that immerses audiences in a synthesized world of graphic novels, rock musicals, live performance and new technology. A portal into the psyches of often misunderstood creatures, Monstersongs flips the switch on the monster narrative, inviting audiences to explore the humanity that binds us all.
The River Is Me
The River Is Me is a coming-of-age musical theatre adventure, about a little boy who dreams of becoming an underwater superhero to save his mother from the grown-up world of violence. Bo—a funny kid with a big imagination—travels from Chicago to Mississippi in 1955 to win friends with his hijinks. But when he whistles at a white woman, he’s kidnapped, killed and thrown into the Tallahatchie River. Rather than be destroyed in death however, Bo transforms into the water-powered superhero he dreamed of as a living boy, returning to walk the earth to change it forever to save his Ma.
Row
Adapted from the book A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure
In 1998, Tori Murden set out in her homemade rowboat attempting to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo. She unknowingly rowed into the heart of Hurricane Danielle. Row tells a heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story of finding your heart in the middle of the ocean.
The Wicker Husband
Based on the original short story by Ursula Wills-Jones
Woven from a blend of folk music, storytelling and puppetry, The Wicker Husband is a magical story of love, redemption and revenge. It tells the timeless tale of the outsider, of the battle for self-acceptance in a society that constantly reminds us what it means to be “Ugly.”
XY
Chris can’t shake Christine. She’s with him everywhere he goes, staring back when Chris looks in the mirror. But when Chris falls in love, the divide between then and now begins to blur. XY is a musical drama about accepting the past and coming home to the most unfamiliar of places: ourselves.
Registration for industry members is free and now open at NAMT.org/festival. The public can also receive passes to the Festival through a donation to NAMT. There is also a day-of standby line for the general public for free admission (based on availability).
