Four Shows Announced for NYMF Spring Concert Series

The New York Musical Theatre Festival has announced its first-ever Spring Concert series, featuring 4 different shows from March through June - beginning with "More Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds" on Monday, March 26 at the Zipper Theatre (336 West 37th Street).   Jaclyn Huberman, the first-ever winner of NYMF's 2006 "Broadway Idol" will perform an evening of songs on May 8 and 13 at Ars Nova Theatre (511 W. 54th Street).  Kicking off the Next Link Launch Weekend is the "Broadway Battle of the Bands" on Friday, May 18 (at a location tba), and "Undercover Showtunes" on Monday, June 18 at The Zipper Theatre.
 
Ben Folds' show will take place Monday, March 26 at the Zipper Theatre, 7pm.   "Broadway and Off-Broadway's best take o­n the songs of pop sensation Ben Folds, whose offbeat cast of characters, biting lyrics and virtuosic melodies have rocked and touched the music world for over a decade.  Back by popular demand after selling out its NYMF 2006 performance, with more great performers and twice as many songs, the concert will feature such well-known Broadway talents as Stephen Bogardus (Falsettos), Kevyn Morrow (Ragtime), Bob Stillman (Grey Gardens), Michael Arden (The Times They Are A Changin'), Felicia Finley (The Wedding Singer), J. Robert Spencer (Jersey Boys), Michael Winther (Mamma Mia!), and Liz McCartney (Taboo).  General admission tickets are $50.  V.I.P. tickets with a post-show reception with the cast $90.," state press materials.
 
NYMF Executive Director Kris Stewart and Executive Producer Isaac Robert Hurwitz said, "It is really important for us to start making NYMF a year-round endeavor.  We want to kick things off for 2007 with a series of concerts that celebrate all the things we want NYMF to be about - musical theatre as something unexpected, youthful and exciting."
 
"Broadway Idol" is set for May 8 and 13. "NYMF's first-ever 'Broadway Idol' winner Jaclyn Huberman will perform a solo concert at Ars Nova.  Tickets are $20."

"Broadway Battle of the Bands" will take place on Friday, May 18. " Many of musical theatre's most popular artists play in established bands in the NY area, and this May, NYMF's gonna round 'em up for a good old-fashioned play-off, high-school style.  It's a bang-up Bandapalooza blow-out - the perfect kickoff to NYMF's Next Link Launch Party Weekend (May 18 - 20), three days of networking, seminars and work sessions designed to help writers, directors and producers get their shows on the right track as they start down the road to NYMF 2007."
 
"Undercover Showtunes" is set for Wednesday, June 20, the Zipper Theatre).  "'Eleanor Rigby' 'Captain Fantastic'  'Major Tom'  'Roxanne'.  Some of history's best showtunes didn't actually come from musicals.  This June, NYMF surveys the entire pop/rock canon and picks out an evening of its best characters, stories and storytellers, taken on by the best performers in New York.  Spanning the rich, poignant characters created by The Beatles, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, Stephin Merritt, The Decemberists and dozens more, NYMF will show musical theatre and pop-music lovers once and for all that maybe, just maybe ... y'all aren't as different as you think."
 
Now entering its 4th year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America.   Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre,"  NYMF is widely-regarded as an essential source for new material and talent discovery, and has presented over 90 musicals in its first three years - including the hit shows Altar Boyz, [title of show], and The Great American Trailer Park Musical.  In 2007, it will present its 100th musical production.

The Next Link Project is NYMF's central series of new musicals, accounting for 18 of the 30+ productions in each year's festival. NYMF maintains an open submissions policy and a blind evaluation process to ensure that writers from every level of the theatre community, from working professionals to those whose work has not yet been produced, are given the opportunity to participate.
 
In addition to the 18 Next Link productions, NYMF presents another 10-15 musicals in each year's festival as part of the Invited Shows Series.  Potential Invited Shows are submitted privately to NYMF by an industry advocate -- an agent, producer, director or theatre company -- or have been scouted by our programming staff members, who attend developmental workshops and readings throughout the year. The slate of invited shows is ultimately selected to increase and diversify each festival's roster of first-rate musical Theatre Projects.

Already this season in New York, two musicals from past Festivals - The Big Voice: God or Merman (NYMF '04) and Gutenberg! The Musical (NYMF '06) - have launched successful runs Off-Broadway, with a third - Nerds://A Musical Software Satire - enjoying a successful run at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
 
For tickets to "More Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds" and "Broadway Idol," or for more information on the NYMF Spring Concert Series call 212-352-3101 or log onto www.nymf.org.
 
NYMF's 2007 Spring Concert Series is co-sponsored by www.BroadwayWorld.com and by amNewYork, as part of its "Artist Now" Series.

Photo of Jaclyn Huberman by Linda Lenzi