In 1989 the Festival of New Musicals was created to provide members of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre with a forum to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country. Since then, the Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 170 musicals and 300 writers from around the world. More than three-fourths of these shows have gone on to subsequent productions and tours, been printed in publishers' catalogues, and recorded on cast albums.

Held every fall over two days in New York City, the Festival showcases a select group of new musicals before an invited audience of NAMT members and industry professionals, with the experience and resources to move the work forward. The musicals are presented as 45-minute staged readings.

Past Festival productions include Bob Martin, Don McKallar, Lisa Lambert, and Greg Morrison's The Drowsy Chaperone, Richard Morris, Dick Scanlan and Jeanine Tesori's Thoroughly Modern Millie, Stephen Schwartz and John Caird's Children of Eden, Kirsten Childs' The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, George Stiles and Anthony Drewes' Honk!, Jason Robert Brown's Songs For A New World, and Hunter Foster and David Kirshenbaum's Summer of '42.

2005 Workshop
(Tuesday, November 1st; Thursday November 3rd; Friday November 4th)
Produced by Playing Pretend Productions
General Managed by The Charlotte Wilcox Company
Times TBD. By invitation only. More information to follow.

Songwriters Showcase;
National Alliance for Musical Theatre
(Festival of New Musicals; September 25th, 2005 at the New Dogers Stages)
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), founded in 1985, is the only national service organization dedicated to musical theatre. Its membership includes theatre institutions, universities, and independent producers. Located throughout 33 states and 6 countries, member companies vary substantially in size and structure; yet all share a commitment to preserve and enhance this uniquely American art form. Last season, NAMT Members cumulatively staged over 23,000 performances attended by over 17 million people and reached revenues of over $510 million.

TheatreWorks, Palo Alto
(New Works Theatre Festival; April 30th & May 1st, 2005)
TheatreWorks deepens its commitment to the creation and development of new works with the New Works Initiative. Broadly defined, this program includes traditional and non-traditional musicals, plays with music, and plays with soundscapes. The program encompasses staged readings, workshops, special events, and main stage world premieres. Starring Linda Hoy, Alison Ewing, Molly Bell, Lianne Marie Dobbs, and Dani Marcus.

Playing Pretend Productions, LLC
(29 hour staged reading at New 42nd Street Studios; February 10 & 11, 2005)
General managed by The Charlotte Wilcox Company. Starring Liz Larson (Hairspray), Lisa Brescia (Aida), Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast), Kate Wetherhead (Spelling Bee) and Susan Pellegrino.

Artists Showcase Series
(Benefit reading October 17th, 2004)
The series was created by producer GEOFFREY SOFFER to present readings of plays and musicals, as well as concerts featuring stars of Broadway, cabaret, TV and film. Proceeds from all events are donated to a charity chosen by the artists involved. The cast was comprised of Lisa Brescia (Aida), Beth Thompson (Bare), Courtney Balan (I Love You, You’re Perfect...) and Kate Wetherhead (Spelling Bee). Musical direction by Kimberly Grigsby (Caroline or Change).