NewsNew York Musical Theatre Festival Begins Ninth Season July 9; Leslie Kritzer, Melissa Van Der Schyff, Jeremy Kushnier StarThe ninth annual New York Musical Theatre Festival, showcasing new musicals from around the country, begins its first-ever summer run July 9 in Manhattan.
By
Adam Hetrick
July 09, 2012
Ben Vereen
NYMF offers a varied selection of musicals penned by established and emerging artists. Aided by industry buzz and casts peppered with Broadway performers, NYMF productions sell at a brisk pace, with many productions nearly sold out before performances begin. Tony Award winner Ben Vereen is the honorary chair of the 2012 festival.
Highlights of the season include Re-Animator the Musical, which earned the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Score. It has music and lyrics by Mark Nutter, with a book by Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon and William J. Norris. Stuart Gordon directs the July 17-22 run at the PTC Performance Space.
Michael Bartoli, Jeff Keller, Leslie Kritzer, Ravi Roth and Cheryl Stern are part of Letter to Harvey Milk, which has a book by Jerry James, music by Laura I. Kramer and lyrics by Ellen M. Schwartz. It will run July 23-28 at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Gerard Canonico and Trista Dollison lead the cast of Stand Tall, by Lee Wyatt-Buchan, Aldie and Sandy Chalmers, which runs July 19-29 at the 45th St. Theatre.
Leslie Kritzer, Matt Bogart, Jeremy Kushnier and more took part in a special preview of this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival shows on July 3. Corbin Bleu hosted.
