Initial casting for this 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS includes Liana Sta. Ana (Broadway: Miss Saigon), Will Blum (Broadway: Beetlejuice), Benai Alicia Boyd (LA: Bronco Billy), Kai An Chee (Regional: Mr. Holland’s Opus), Genesis Adelia Collado (NY: Notes from Now), Nadia Dandashi (NY: Love/Sick), Kayla Davion (Broadway: Tina), Diana DeGarmo (Broadway: Hairspray), Jacob Dickey (Broadway: Aladdin), Michelle Dowdy (Broadway: Hairspray), Was Garlington, Jared Goldsmith (Tour: Dear Evan Hansen), Alan H. Green (Broadway: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory), Darron Hayes (Regional: Joseph… Dreamcoat), Lauryn Hobbs (Chicago: Life After), Diana Huey (Tour: Disney’s The Little Mermaid), Bre Jackson (Broadway: Six), Jade Jones (Olney: Disney’s Beauty & the Beast), Olivia Kaufmann (Broadway: Mean Girls), Rachel Kay, Tamika Lawrence (Broadway: Caroline, or Change), Fay Ann Lee (Broadway: Miss Saigon), Angel Lin (Regional: Mr. Holland’s Opus), Jacob Louchheim (NY: Petrified Lighting), Zonya Love (Broadway: Beetlejuice), Wade McCollum (Broadway: Wicked), Judy McLane (Broadway: Mamma Mia!), Mary Kate Morrissey(Broadway: Mean Girls), Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Sam Primack (Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen), Michelle J. Rodriguez (NY: East o’, West o’!), Graham Rowat (Broadway: Meteor Shower), Nora Schell (Broadway: Jagged Little Pill), Helen J. Shen (Regional: Man of God), Kristen Sieh (Broadway: The Band’s Visit), Mary Testa (Broadway: Oklahoma), Ching Valdes-Aran (Broadway: The Wild Party), Timothy Warmen (Broadway: Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark), Nicole Weiss (Regional: Octet), Lenny Wolpe (Broadway: Wicked), Amra-Faye Wright (Broadway: Chicago), Audrey Rose Young (Tour: Fiddler on the Roof) and more to be announced.
The casting director for the Festival is Michael Cassara, CSA.
NAMT’s Songwriters Showcase features innovative music from three new musicals currently in development. This year’s Songwriters Showcase will include:
HOW TO: YOU
Book, Music & Lyrics by Joriah Kwamé
AFTERWORDS
Music and Lyrics by Zoe Sarnak
Book by Emily Kaczmarek
Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt
IN PIECES
Book, Music & Lyrics by Joey Contreras
Songwriters Showcase will be hosted by John-Andrew Morrison (Broadway: A Strange Loop) and James Jackson (Broadway: A Strange Loop).
The MIDDAY CABARET’s give Festival attendees the chance to listen to short sets of new music in the relaxed Green Room Lounge. During the lunch break on both days, there will be two 20-minute Midday Cabarets, each featuring a different songwriter. This year’s Midday Cabaret writers include Deborah Abramson, David Davila, Andrea Grody and Rona Siddiqui.
Registration for industry members is free and now open at www.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).
