The 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival, which runs Sept. 27-Oct. 17 at various theatres in Manhattan, will feature full productions of nearly 30 new musicals. This week, we chat with five of the gifted singing actresses who will give voice to these productions: Farah Alvin (The Tenth Floor, American Theatre of Actors/Chernuchin), Kerry Butler (Pandora's Box, The Theater at St. Clements), Ann Harada (My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, TBG Theater), Liz McCartney (Nighttime Traffic, Urban Stages) and Dee Roscioli (Therapy Rocks, Urban Stages). I posed the same five questions to each of these artists; their answers follow:

FARAH ALVIN
Question: How did you get involved in The Tenth Floor?
Farah Alvin: I became involved with The Tenth Floor when I received a call from casting director Michael Cassara asking about my interest. When I saw that the book was written by Sara Cooper (with whom I worked earlier this year on the new musical Loving Leo) and was directed by Igor Goldin (of whom I am a big fan), I said yes!

Question: How would you describe the character you're playing?
Alvin: I play a social worker named Georgia Jones. She's a very complicated person. She's so invested in her work that she's not only lost sight of the rest of her life, but she can no longer really tell what or whom she is working for anymore. I can't say too much without giving away major plot points, so you'll just have to come see it to figure out how she fits in to the story. It's a dramatic role, which I haven't done much of in New York, so I'm very excited to play her.

Question: Why do you think NYMF is important?
Alvin: So often when you read the New York Times or major papers that review large-scale, high-budget shows, you read a complaint about how no one is writing innovative, interesting, envelope-pushing theatre. It's simply not true, and NYMF is proof of that. By giving writers and composers a forum for their work that they might not have without huge amounts of money and connections, NYMF gives audiences an opportunity to see some of the absolutely brilliant work that's being written. And hopefully, if audiences get behind a piece, it can gain the momentum to have a larger production. In the meantime, it's a treat for theatregoers who are tired of the standard fare.

Question: Do you have other projects in the works?
Alvin: At the moment, I'm focusing on The Tenth Floor. As part of NYMF, I'll be performing in "If It Only Ever Runs a Minute," a concert featuring songs and anecdotes from short-lived musicals, on Oct. 14. I'm singing a concert with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in late October and singing music from Loving Leo with Sara Cooper and composer Zach Redler at Lincoln Center. Additionally, there's a big push to bring in Sycamore Trees, the new Ricky Ian Gordon musical, which I did at the Signature in Virginia earlier this year. So keep your fingers crossed, Playbill readers!

	Kerry Butler

KERRY BUTLER
Question: How did you get involved in Pandora's Box?
Kerry Butler: It's all thanks to Elmo! My husband wrote a Muppet movie that Gary Halverson directed. Then Gary asked me to be a part of a workshop of Pandora's Box. That went great, and here we are!

Question: How would you describe the character you're playing?
Butler: Pandora is content being a suburban housewife. Her family is the most important thing to her, so when she finds out her husband has been lying and cheating their whole marriage, her world is turned upside-down.

Question: Why do you think audiences should come see this particular NYMF production?
Butler: It's funny, great music, wonderful cast...and normally it costs a lot more to see me in lingerie!

Question: Why do you think NYMF is important?
Butler: NYMF gives new writers a chance to have their works produced. But it also offers an invaluable experience for successful writers. There are so many elements that go into making a good musical. And, the final part is the audience. We need that feedback to know what works and what doesn't. That's why so many shows start out of town. So when you go see a NYMF show — know that you are contributing to the process — and this is not the finished product!

Question: Do you have other projects in the works?
Butler: I have been working on many new shows, most recently The Nutty Professor and Catch Me If You Can.