Where are the festivals for musicals?
June 14, 2022 4:16 PM Subscribe
As my collaborator and I finish developing our musical, we are looking for festivals to submit it to.
I've built a spreadsheet to identify those festivals but the number that highlight new musicals only totals five so far. They are:
The Village Theater
New York New Works
NAMT
Musical Writers
Main Street Musicals
The information about them spotty. Some show they are accepting submissions for last year or the year before but not this year even though their social media posts are current. Some have broken links to the submission process. Some give no follow up contact information. Some are only regional. And these five seem to be the major players when it comes to accepting musicals to present to producers.
Are there other companies or organizations that provide opportunities and venues for new, nearly completed musicals like ours to be highlighted? Who else is accepting musicals for review and preferably, presentation?
I've built a spreadsheet to identify those festivals but the number that highlight new musicals only totals five so far. They are:
The Village Theater
New York New Works
NAMT
Musical Writers
Main Street Musicals
The information about them spotty. Some show they are accepting submissions for last year or the year before but not this year even though their social media posts are current. Some have broken links to the submission process. Some give no follow up contact information. Some are only regional. And these five seem to be the major players when it comes to accepting musicals to present to producers.
Are there other companies or organizations that provide opportunities and venues for new, nearly completed musicals like ours to be highlighted? Who else is accepting musicals for review and preferably, presentation?
You want the Chicago Music Theater Festival -- I think they'll be back in 2023.
Its sponsor, Underscore Theater, also fosters the creation of new musicals through other programs, I think -- but I don't know how they are doing currently.
posted by amtho at 6:42 PM on June 14, 2022
Its sponsor, Underscore Theater, also fosters the creation of new musicals through other programs, I think -- but I don't know how they are doing currently.
posted by amtho at 6:42 PM on June 14, 2022
Echoing eotvos: there are many Fringes, local as well as the big ones, and I’ve definitely seen new musicals in their various programs!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:55 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:55 PM on June 14, 2022
Assuming they don't require elaborate production, you could do Fringe Festivals. Lots of cities do them. My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding started at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:30 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:30 PM on June 14, 2022
look into the public theater's under the radar festival i have seen new musicals there. ARS NOVA is also good for this, And HERE could also be worth looking at
posted by wowenthusiast at 8:35 PM on June 14, 2022
posted by wowenthusiast at 8:35 PM on June 14, 2022
So many of the theatre companies are in chaos, or the brink of completely closing, or have already closed, but a shell of a website remains, as you are seeing. Compared to other plays, musicals can be costly to develop, so they are in even direr straits right now. You've found most of the main companies who might showcase folks they don't know, but as you have found, things aren't back on firm ground yet.
The NYC companies mentioned above (that don't do open call festival submissions) have told me that they are mostly interested in developing work by folks who live in NYC.
The Fringes are probably a good idea.
The Canadian musicals that I can think off the top of my head, Drowsy Chaperone - did a Fringe run, Come From Away - NAMT, Onegin - developed through NFP theatres, Ride the Cyclone - independent production, then touring, then NYC producers.
So what are the options in Portland right now? That's your best bet to get off the ground at this point.
posted by miles1972 at 11:37 PM on June 14, 2022
The NYC companies mentioned above (that don't do open call festival submissions) have told me that they are mostly interested in developing work by folks who live in NYC.
The Fringes are probably a good idea.
The Canadian musicals that I can think off the top of my head, Drowsy Chaperone - did a Fringe run, Come From Away - NAMT, Onegin - developed through NFP theatres, Ride the Cyclone - independent production, then touring, then NYC producers.
So what are the options in Portland right now? That's your best bet to get off the ground at this point.
posted by miles1972 at 11:37 PM on June 14, 2022
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posted by eotvos at 4:40 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]