The finals kick off Dec. 1 and 2 at Stage 72 at the Triad Theater. The contestants will compete in a series of performance heats, singing for a live audience and a panel of industry judges, including Broadway actors Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Rebecca Naomi Jones. The final round will take place Dec. 15, and the winner will be announced the following day at the Dec. 16 finale concert, featuring all eight finalists. To mark the occasion, each contestant will be paired with a composer or composing team to prepare a song. The performer who is crowned the winner of the competition will have a cabaret-style solo show produced at the 2016 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

The 2015 contestants are Serena Berman, Ryan Bloomquist, Katharine Bragg, Erin Wegner Brooks, Ross Brown, Jessica Crouch, Emma Davis, Alex Gibson, Brian Keith Graziani, Israel R. Hillery, Crystal Kellogg, Sarah Kleist, Anna Landy, Richard Lisenby, Wonu Ogunfowora, Zal Owen, Kris Roberts, Gilbert D. Sanchez, Gerry Vega and Reggie D. White. Contestants needed to be over 18 years old and not yet featured in a Broadway show to qualify.

To purchase tickets to the performance heat, finals or finale concert, visit NYMF.org.