John Carrafa Leads The Creative Team Of NYMF?s ACADEMY As Director

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre is excited to announce that two-time Tony nominee, John Carrafa, will lead the team of Academy as its Director which will be part of the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF)'s Next Link Project. Originally part of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's inaugural Emerging Artist Series in Musical Theater Playwriting, Academy will perform in New York October 6 - 17, 2009 at NYMF.

Academy, seen at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in October 2008, was conceived and developed by Andrew Kato, Maltz Jupiter Theatre's Artistic Director, with book, music and lyrics by John Mercurio. The story takes place at St. Edward's Academy where two senior boys make a harmless bet on whether they can influence an unsuspecting freshman to break a few rules in order to succeed. However, when the deal goes recklessly out of control, the boys become entangled in a fight for their own academic and personal survival. Inspired by Goethe's Faust, Academy is a pop chamber musical about boys learning to become men and remaining true to themselves.

Carrafa is the two-time Tony nominated choreographer of Into The Woods and Urinetown The Musical on Broadway. He also won an Obie Award, Lortel Award and Dora Award for Urinetown The Musical as well as nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Carrafa is active in the development of new musical theater and recent developmental workshops he has directed include: Meanwhile On The Other Side of Mt. Vesuvius, commissioned by the Yale Repertory Theater and Dani Girl at the American Conservatory Theater, Kennedy Center and also seen at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre as part of the Emerging Artist Series.

Carrafa will lead the Academy creative team to include: Alexander Rovang, Music Director; John Mercurio and Glenn Rovinelli, Orchestrators; Jeff Croiter and Grant Yeager, Lighting Designers; Michael Schweikardt, Scenic Designer; Michelle Eden Humphrey, Costume Coordinator; Bob Cline, Casting Agent; and Andrew Tucker, Stage Manager.

"When Andrew and I develop a show, we always talk in terms of "doing of what's best for the baby," well, with this creative dream team, it's clear this "baby" is in pretty amazing hands," says Mercurio.

Since its inception in 2004, The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has premiered more than 175 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions on and off-Broadway, in nearly every state, and in over a dozen countries. NYMF alumni include the Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal, currently playing at the Booth Theater on Broadway; NYMF 2004 hit [title of show], which enjoyed a Tony Award-nominated run last season; and Altar Boyz, now in its fifth year off-Broadway at New World Stages.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," the three-week annual festival works to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.

NYMF 2009 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, HX Magazine, King Displays, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, The New York Blade, Next Magazine, Panasonic Astrovision, Queerty.com, Tekserve, and TheMENEvent. Major supporters include ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Tickets to individual festival events will go on sale to NYMF Members on August 1 and to the general public on September 1. NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org.

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre is an award-winning professional not-for-profit regional theatre dedicated to the performing arts whose mission is to entertain, educate and inspire our community. The Theatre is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres and is located east of U.S. Highway 1 at 1001 East Indiantown Road and State Road A1A in Jupiter.