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
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.
Justin Guarini, Jessica Hecht, Taylor Iman Jones, and Jay Armstrong Johnson are among the roster of Broadway favorites helping to develop new works at the annual summer series.