At the 2013 intensive, four new musicals currently in development, and participants in previous NAMT (National Alliance of Musical Theatre) Festivals of New Musicals, are presented. They are followed by a discussion and analysis of their commercial creative potential.

The conference promises "practical information of interest to prospective producers, general managers and investors." Sessions consist of presentations and panel discussions with experienced producers, general managers, entertainment attorneys, press representatives, advertising and marketing directors, designers and more, all of whom offer specific case histories that explore the various methods of developing theatrical productions.

"The conference is open to anyone interested in producing, co-producing, or investing in the commercial theatre — Broadway, Off-Broadway, touring Broadway and elsewhere," said CTI executive director Jed Bernstein in a statement. "This year's line-up is especially well-rounded, combining all of the cornerstone sessions with a focus on the creative development process. It is a terrific introduction to the entire CTI curriculum."

On the programs at CTI, Bernstein previously told Playbill.com, "There are a couple areas that people are most interested in. One of them is investors and money raising. That's the [topic] that has a great cloak of mystery around it for people who haven't [produced] before and where people are particularly hungry for information and advice. The other useful [topic] is understanding the financial and capital structure of the industry — what are the deals, how are shows capitalized and organized… So I would say those are two key areas. And, the whole area of marketing and promotion…because the rest of it isn't worth anything if people don't show up to see your show!"

For more on CTI, read the earlier Playbill.com interview with Bernstein here. For more information, visit CommercialTheaterInstitute.com.

Here's a glance at the shows that will be presented at the three-day intensive:

The Legend of Stagecoach Mary:
By Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore
"Ex-slave Mary Fields turns the idea of the real Wild West hero on its head when she travels to 1880's Montana to find freedom, adventure and her long-lost best friend. Along the way, she discovers a gaggle of square-dancing nuns and a town full of cowboys in need of a little lesson in the American Dream."
Presented in NAMT's 20th annual Festival of New Musicals

How Can You Run With a Shell on Your Back?
By Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler
"After-school detention becomes an adventure when a stranger shows six students the power of a good story. The Tortoise and the Hare, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Androcles and the Lion… Aesop's timeless fables take an entertaining turn in this new musical that reveals universal truths through simple, appealing, age-old allegories."
Presented in NAMT's 21st annual Festival of New Musicals

The Trouble With Doug
Book and music by Will Aronson
Book and lyrics by Daniel Mate
"A contemporary comedic reimagining of Kafka's Metamorphosis in which a happy, healthy young man transforms inexplicably into a giant talking slug. Thrust together awkwardly under the same roof, Doug, his family, and his fiancée all struggle to understand and respond to this strangest of crises."
Presented in NAMT’s 22nd annual Festival of New Musicals

The Circus in Winter
Music and lyrics by Ben Clark
Book by Beth Turcotte
"Meeting an elephant can change a man's life. The Circus in Winter is based on the novel by Cathy Day, where legend and lore collide under the big-top filled with disheveled hustlers, death-defying acrobats and a dreamer named Wallace Porter searching for redemption and grace."
Presented in NAMT's 24th Annual Festival of New Musicals

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CTI, now in its 31st year, is a project of Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and The Broadway League. The nation's only formal program, which specifically trains commercial theatre producers, CTI provides "resources and guidance to individuals interested in the various paths one can take towards creating commercial productions for the stage."