8th Annual New York Musical Improv Festival to Kick Off Next Month

Magnet Theater has announced the return of the New York Musical Improv Festival (NYMIF), now in its eighth year. Featuring more than 200 of the biggest and brightest musical comedy performers from around the U.S. and France, NYMIF will run from October 13­-16 at 254 W. 29th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues).

Ranging from traditional musical theatre fare to adrenaline­pumping rap battles, this year's festival showcases powerhouse groups such as Baby Wants Candy (with cast members whose credits include Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, 30 Rock, The Colbert Report and Broadway's "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson"), Improvised Sondheim Project (comprised of performers and faculty from legendary improv training ground The Second City in Chicago) Broadway the (Improvised) Musical crossing the pond from Paris, France and sensational improvisational vocalist, Mikki Hommel who recently toured the US and Europe with Dweezil Zappa.

This year's festival will culminate in a special Benefit performance by Thank You For Coming Out, a loving and hilarious show featuring LGBTQ improvisers and storytellers from the New York comedy community and Broadway for The Ali Forney Center, an organization that provides support and empowerment programming for LGBTQ youth. Visit www.aliforneycenter.org.

Ticket information, show schedules and other event details can be found at www.nymif.com.

One of New York's top comedy destinations since 2005, Magnet Theater offers shows seven nights a week as well as a full schedule of classes in improv, sketch, musical improv, storytelling and more. For info, visit www.magnettheater.com.