Sam Carner

With a faculty led by Sam Carner, Adam Gwon, Andrea Daly, Kevin Hammonds, Marlo Hunter, Anna K. Jacobs, Andy Collopy and more, the Musical Creators' Institute pursues its mission to support up-and-coming lyricists, composers, librettists, and directors in building new work.

The Phoenix Theatre Company's Festival of New American Theatre returns, showcasing diverse works from promising playwrights and composers. The festival includes readings, workshops, and special presentations, offering a platform for new voices to be heard and celebrated.

Slippery Rock University presents 'Grecian Burns,' a hilarious world premiere musical featuring Greek Mythological characters competing on a reality TV dating show. Don't miss this raunchy and out-of-pocket production, running from October 27 to November 2 at the Black Box Theatre.

The Musical Creators' Institute offers online and in-person courses in musical theater writing for the fall of 2023. Learn more about the courses and how to register here!

This May, immersive musical theater company Rooftop Musical Society is proud to present a limited-run production of 'Island Song' (5/18-21), in a warehouse in Bushwick, Brooklyn. From the acclaimed songwriting duo Sam Carner & Derek Gregor, this inspiring pop-rock musical examines the struggle of finding love, success, and oneself in the metaphorical and literal island of New York City.

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work.

54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club, will present Island Song by Carner & Gregor: In Concert on April 6, 2023.

Musical Theater creator Ian Yan is set to release the EP of his new musical RE-ORIENT on 10th February 2023. In writing the musical, Yan was supported and guided by Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then, Almost Famous) through the MUSE (Musicians United for Social Equity) One-on-One Program. RE-ORIENT was a semi-finalist in the Eugene O'Neill National Musical Theater Writers Conference in 2022 and continues its development in New York City.

Out of 163 submissions, the San Diego State University New Musical Initiative has chosen In a Sunshine State as this year's selection. Writers T.C. Lind, Derek Gregor, and Phoebe Kreutz will join with director Stephen Brotebeck, music director Robert Meffe and the SDSU MFA Musical Theatre cohort for a two-year development process and world premiere in the spring of 2024.

MusicalWriters.com has announced the first MusicalWriters Festival and Conference on July 15-16, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. 

In “Triple Threat,” dreams of Broadway stardom meet the realities of adulthood as three long-time friends embark on an unexpected journey of what it means to birth the creation of your heart. “Chloe” (Maltin), “Maggie” (Zhitnikova) and “Gus” (DeYonker) must each make the choice between a Broadway musical and having a baby.  

Bursting with vibrant original music and a distinctly Millennial vibe, “Triple Threat” is for every theater kid yearning to make it big; for every family bonded by friendship; and anyone who has ever put it all on the line to realize a dream.

Following the success of the recent Crazy Coqs production of 'Bare', BJW Productions are set to present 'Island Song', a new musical by Sam Carner and Derek Gregor. Island Song is a tale of five New Yorkers that are caught in a twisted love affair with the city. This unique musical will take you on a journey through their poignant and hilarious lives and tease you with the possibilities the city dangles before them. Driven by its kinetic and eclectic score featuring 5 MAC nominated songs, Island Song captures every urbanites triumphs, disappointments, and ever-tested perspective.

The Dramatists Guild Institute has stepped in to help support the new musical theatre writing program, Musical Theatre Writers Collective, by offering them the use of The Mary Rodgers Room at The Dramatists Guild of America.

The acclaimed online series Cabaret on the Couch kicks off its 2022 programming with an evening of all-new music on Friday, February 25th at 8pm.

New York’s new musical theater writing program, the Institute for American Musical Theatre Creators, will present an evening of original student-written songs from the Fall of 2021 in their upcoming cabaret “Just Running Late” at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd St., on December 9th at 6:30pm.

Staging 'Island Song' virtually seems to fit in this pandemic season since live events are currently limited in the Philippines. However, Artremix Productions successfully made it possible to inspire theater enthusiasts and practitioners not to lose hope, as if theater is still alive [physically]. The internet could also be a platform to present a play or musical, but the difference is that it has to be either pre-recorded or be done live online. This first production of Artremix has various talented actors from different theater organizations, which means all of them are trained very well and can sing.

Want to further your education in the arts? Temple University's Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theater Collaboration could be the program for you!

Slippery Rock University's Theatre Department is presenting the World Premiere musical 'Techies' by the award winning NYC based writing team of Sam Carner and Derek Gregor from November 18th-22nd. Set in Westside High School's theater department, TECHIES chronicles the war between the actors and the technical theater specialists, or 'techies,' for a foothold in the school's social ladder-even if it is the lowest rung.

Artremix Productions, a new multimedia and theater organization, is poised to premiere an online adaptation of 'Island Song,' a musical by Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, and developed with Marlo Hunter. “'sland Song' premiered at the Adirondack Theatre Festival in 2016. Artremix Productions’ adaptation, on the other hand, is the musical’s Philippine premiere, which follows previous productions in Ontario, New York City, London, Singapore, and Tokyo, among others.