FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS

The Festival is not only a first step for development— it is an opportunity to light the fires that must burn long and strong to bring a new musical to fruition. By investing artistically and financially in the development of new works for the musical theatre, and in emerging writers, Village Theatre hopes to help secure the continued growth and dynamism of the American musical, for the benefit of all its audiences.

With six new musicals, panel discussions, parties, and more the Festival of New Musicals provides a unique, energized engaging new musical experience. Works are unveiled or seen anew; the new musicals process is studied and celebrated; artists, audience, and staff interact formally and informally, inspiring new ideas, new approaches, and boundless excitement for new work. The Festival comprises a full week of performance, exploration, study, and celebration of new musicals and their creation:

  • PERFORMANCE: Six new musicals are presented in staged reading—rehearsed, fully sung presentations of new work, performed and directed by the region’s foremost theatre artists and guest artists from across the country—for audiences of Village Originals members and theatre professionals.

  • DIALOGUE: A moderated talkback follows every reading, audience surveys are collected for each show, and a stand-alone panel discussion takes on a central issue in the development of new musicals. A recent Festival, for instance, saw Stephen Schwartz, David Armstrong of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, Robb Hunt, Seattle Times critic Misha Berson, and others discuss the role of the critic in new musical development.

  • INTERACTION: Meet the Author and Meet the Artists events, receptions, and opening and closing celebrations encourage and enable interaction among actors, directors, writers, Village Originals members, and guest artists and administrators from other institutions.

FESTIVAL PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SERVICE AND OPPORTUNITY


  • To initiate or continue the development of six compelling new musicals that are of the highest quality, are ready for and will benefit from audience involvement, and would represent a worthwhile addition to the canon of American musical theatre.

  • To identify works suitable for future development in the Village Originals program, and works suitable for referral to other programs and theatres. The Festival is an essential centerpiece of the Village Originals program—one of the few musical theatre programs in the nation designed to provide development opportunities at every step from first reading to full Mainstage production.

  • To provide authors the chance to hear their new work performed—a too-rare and all-too-essential opportunity to try new material, at an early stage, in front of an audience.

  • To involve Village Originals members, an avid and engaged group of musical theatre supporters and fans, in the development of new musicals at the earliest stages—thus growing an adventurous, informed, opinionated, enthusiastic audience for new musicals.