Beth Malone, Isabelle McCalla, and More Join FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced the complete casting and more details about the lineup for the 37th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 23 and Friday, October 24, 2025, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

Now in its 37th year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is an industry-only professional development event offering the chance to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute concert presentations over two days to hundreds of producers, presenters, artistic & executive directors, investors, donors, developers and creative administrators in Regional Theatre, Broadway, Music, Film & TV from all around the globe. As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions which underwrite all production costs.

FULL FESTIVAL CASTING

The cast for the 37th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS includes Jill Abramovitz (Beetlejuice), Reanne Acasio (Here Lies Love), Aeden Croix Alvarez (Perelman PAC), Whitney Bashor (MJ The Musical), Gabriel Bernal (Tour: The Lightning Thief), English Bernhardt (Tour: Mean Girls), Mayelah Berrera (Theatreworks: El Otro Oz), Klea Blackhurst (New York City Center: Party Face), Reece Boyle (Random Farms: The Addams Family), Annie Piper Braverman (Paper Mill: White Christmas), Jane Bruce (Jagged Little Pill), Letitia Bullard (BerkleeNYC), Sydney Carmona (Hangar Theatre: Ragtime), Chad Carstarphen (Hell’s Kitchen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Lincoln Clauss (La Jolla Playhouse: The Heart), Genesis Adelia Collado (59e59: Notes from Now), Angélica Concepción (Florida State University), Brandon Contreras (Operation Mincemeat), Andrew Montgomery Coleman (Buena Vista Social Club), Jay Copeland (The Wiz), Major Curda (KPOP), Taylor Marie Daniel (SIX The Musical),  Dexter Darden (Peacock: Saved by the Bell), Sidney Dupont (Paradise Square), Latoya Edwards (White Girl in Danger), Natalie Charlé Ellis (Death Becomes Her), Charlotte Ennen (Florida State University), Andrew Faria (Paper Mill Playhouse: Rent), John Michael Finley (Swept Away), Andrea Frierson (Once on This Island), Charlie Fusari (Tour: Pretty Woman: The Musical), Abe Goldfarb (Beetlejuice), Sam Gravitte (Wicked), Ted Guzman (Pittsburgh CLO: Anything Goes), Grey Henson (Shucked), Avionce Hoyles (Titanique), MaryAnn Hu (Frozen), Timothy Huang (The View from Here), Rodney Ingram (Disney’s Alladdin), Ryan Jacobs (Starlight Theater: School of Rock), Dillon Klena (Tour: Jagged Little Pill), Claire Kwon (Maybe Happy Ending), Raymond J. Lee (Masquerade), Nathan Levy (Disney’s Aladdin), Cassie Lloyd (Nazareth University: Legally Blonde), Beth Malone (Fun Home), Madison Manning (Syracuse Stage: Cinderella), Ellyn Marie Marsh (Pretty Woman: The Musical), Isabelle McCalla (Water for Elephants), Belén Moyano (Hadestown), Ari Notartomaso (Paramount+: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), James Olivas (West End: Evita), Mamie Parris (School of Rock – The Musical), Samantha Pauly (The Great Gatsby), Ryann Redmond (Once Upon A One More Time), T. Oliver Reid (Hadestown), Lindsay Roberts (Encores!: Wonderful Town), Jack Roden (Tour: Parade), Isa Rodriguez (Arena Theatre: Twelfth Night),  Jamila Sabares-Klemm (Merrily We Roll Along), Sophie Sagan-Gutherz (2024-26 New Georges Jam Member), Jennifer Sanchez (Real Women Have Curves), Isabel Santiago (Tour: Dear Evan Hansen), Justin Sargent (NBC: Jesus Christ Superstar Live), AJ Shively (Bright Star), Evan Michael Smith (The Tank: ANTONIO!), Elizabeth Teeter (Heathers: The Musical), Cindy Tsai (Ars Nova: The Jordan and Avery Show), Romelo Urbi (TheatreWorks: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Vishal Vaidya (Groundhog Day), Hannah Verdi (Baryshnikov Arts Center: In Pieces), Oscar Williams (Fun Home), Lucas Wu (AppleTV+: Wonder Pets), Xosé (Amazon Prime: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Anna Zavelson (The Notebook).

The casting director for the Festival of New Musicals is Michael Cassara, CSA.

FESTIVAL EVENT CAST LISTS

Below are the casts and creatives for all Festival Events:

ALICE BLISS

Book by Karen Hartman
Music by Jenny Giering
Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Based on Laura Harrington’s novel

Director: Chay Yew
Music Director: Chris Fenwick
Creative Assistant: Arnaldo Galbán Rivero
Line Producer: Kira Harris
Festival Consultants: Elissa Adams (Theater Latté Da) & Liz Ulmer (Sony Music Publishing)
Stage Manager: Merrick A.B. Williams
Cast: Whitney Bashor, Klea Blackhurst, Annie Piper Braverman, John Michael Finley, Andrea Frierson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, Elizabeth Teeter, Romelo Urbi

FINN

Created by Chris Nee, Michael Kooman & Chris Dimond
Book and Lyrics by Chris Dimond & Chris Nee
Music by Michael Kooman

Director: Marc Bruni
Music Director: Meg Zervoulis Bate
Creative Assistant: Bibiana Torres
Line Producer: Kira Harris
Festival Consultants: Braley Degenhardt (Atlantic Theater Company) & Ann-Carol Pence (Aurora Theatre)
Stage Manager: Jaclyn Lusardi
Cast: Natalie Charlé Ellis, Sam Gravitte, Grey Henson, Isabelle McCalla, Ryann Redmond, Lindsay Roberts, Vishal Vaidya 

THE KING OF HARLEM

Book, Music & Lyrics by John-Michael Lyles & David Gomez

Director: Raja Feather Kelly
Associate Director: Dominique Rider
Music Director: Paul Byssainthe, Jr.
Creative Assistant: Angus King Williams
Line Producer: Abbie Thomas
Festival Consultants: Rick Edinger (Carnegie Mellon University) & Kian Kline-Chilton (Diversionary Theatre)
Stage Manager: Kathleen Rose Gallardo
Cast: Gabriel Bernal, Chad Carstarphen, Genesis Adelia Collado, Jay Copeland, Sidney Dupont, Latoya Edwards, Avionce Hoyles, T. Oliver Reid

LOVE IS DEAD

Book & Music by Brett Ryback
Book & Lyrics by Jeff Luppino-Esposito

Director: Amy Anders Corcoran
Music Director: Patrick B. Phillips
Creative Assistant: Caitlyn Primous
Line Producer: Abbie Thomas
Festival Consultants: Jaime Bartolett (Shea Theatricals & Neil Gooding Productions) & Adam Immerwahr (Village Theatre)
Stage Manager: Julie Gottfried
Cast: English Bernhardt, Brandon Contreras, James Olivas, Samantha Pauly 

PARTICLE

Book by Selda Sahin, Autumn Reeser & Derek Gregor
Music by Derek Gregor
Lyrics by Selda Sahin

Director: Zi Alikhan
Music Director: Andy Collopy
Creative Assistant: Matthew Nassida
Line Producer: Kira Harris
Festival Consultants: Dev Bondarin (Prospect Musicals) & Amber Wallace (Ogunquit Playhouse)
Stage Manager: Kelly Merritt
Cast: Taylor Marie Daniel, Dexter Darden, Andrew Faria, Claire Kwon, Nathan Levy, Cassie Lloyd,  Ellyn Marie Marsh, Jennifer Sanchez, AJ Shively, Oscar Williams

ROJA

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jaime Lozano & Tommy Newman

Director: Florencia Cuenca
Music Director: Gonzalo Valencia-Peña
Creative Assistant: Amanda Saboia
Line Producer: Abbie Thomas
Festival Consultants: Jen Bender (Paper Mill Playhouse) & Roy Lightner (Red Mountain Theatre Company)
Stage Manager: Scott Yezzi
Cast: Mayelah Barrera, Miguel Cervantes, Rodney Ingram, Belén Moyano, Isabel Santiago, Xosé

SOFT MAGICAL TOFU BOY(S)

Book, Music & Lyrics by Kevin Wong

Director: Telly Leung
Music Director: Steven Tran
Creative Assistant: Sarah Shin
Line Producer: Kira Harris
Festival Consultants: Joe Barros (New York Theatre Barn) & Lily Tung Crystal (East West Players)
Stage Manager: Nina Schatell
Cast: Aeden Croix Alvarez, Major Curda, Ted Guzman, MaryAnn Hu, Raymond J. Lee, Cindy Tsai, Lucas Wu, Anna Zavelson

Wakeman

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jenn Grinels

Director: Sarna Lapine
Music Director: PJ Ju
Creative Assistant: Miranda Paiz
Line Producer: Abbie Thomas
Festival Consultants: Sonia Desai (Center Theatre Group) & Matt Morrow (Center Repertory Company)
Stage Manager: Allison Leah Hohman
Cast: Reanne Acasio, Reece Boyle, Lincoln Clauss, Andrew Montgomery Coleman, Abe Goldfarb, Ryan Jacobs, Dillon Klena, Ari Notartomaso, Beth Malone, Jack Roden

COLLEGE ROADTRIPS

Florida State University
PREVIEW@FSU (Tallahassee, FL)

Featuring songs from musicals by Sam Caps, Annie Dillon, Phillip Palmer & Stacey Luftig with performances by Angélica Concepción & Charlotte Ennen.

Michigan State University Department of Theatre
New Musical Laboratory (East Lansing, MI)

Featuring songs from musicals by Joey Contreras, Ryan Scott Oliver, Sonya Hayden & Matt Lowy with performances by Hannah Verdi, Isa Rodriguez & Jill Abramovitz.

Syracuse University Department of Drama
New Works/New Voices (Syracuse, NY)

Featuring songs from musicals by abs wilson, Veronica Mansour, Letitia Bullard & Nathan Leitão with performances by Sydney Carmona, Madison Manning & Letitia Bullard. 

San Diego State University
Musical Theatre Program (San Diego, CA)

Featuring songs from musicals by Bobby Cronin, Caroline Prugh, Lynne Shankel, Crystal Skillman, Derek Gregor, Phoebe Kreutz, T.C. Lind & Ryan Scott Oliver with performances by Justin Sargent, Mamie Parris, Jane Bruce & Charlie Fusari.

SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE

NAMT’s SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE will feature a live recording of NAMT’s New@NAMT podcast, hosted by Jean-Paul Yovanoff and presented in partnership with Musical Theatre Radio. Songwriters Showcase will include:

Timothy Huang
Festival Writer, 2015 Festival of New Musicals
Performing a song from his new musical

Tabitha Moore
Winner, 2024 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students
With a performance by Latoya Edwards

Tom Morrissey (Theatre Now New York) + Andrew Strano and Yuriko Shibata of Kusama
Grantee, 2025 Writers Residency Grant of the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals
With a Performance by Evan Michael Smith

The Music Director for SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE is Dylan Glatthorn (The Pelican, Fest ’22).

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which was created to celebrate the new musicals that were being produced and presented around the country, has introduced musical theatre producers to 300 musicals and 575 writers from around the world. More than 85% have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours; been licensed; and/or recorded on cast albums as a direct result of the Festival. Past Festival shows include Come From Away, Lempicka, The Drowsy Chaperone, Children of Eden, Lizard Boy, Teeth, WANTED, King of Pangea, Benny & Joon, Darling Grenadine, Ordinary Days, It Shoulda Been You and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others.

Registration for industry members is now open at www.namt.org/festival. All industry members must select a professional affiliation (e.g. NAMT, the Broadway League, TCG, many more) to register. Industry members may upgrade their Festival passes for priority admission and access to supplemental events, including the Festival Closing Night Party, through a donation to NAMT. Free Industry Standby passes are available to industry members only and may provide seating at Festival presentations on a first come, first served basis as available after all other passholders have entered. The general public may also receive passes to the Festival through a donation to NAMT.

This year, a committee of 23 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 537 submissions. The musicals chosen for 37th ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS are:

Alice Bliss (Book by Karen Hartman, Music by Jenny Giering, Lyrics by Adam Gwon, Based on Laura Harrington’s novel); FINN (Created by Chris Nee, Michael Kooman & Chris Dimond, Book and Lyrics by Chris Dimond & Chris Nee, Music by Michael Kooman); The King of Harlem (Book, Music & Lyrics by John-Michael Lyles & David Gomez); Love Is Dead (Book & Music by Brett Ryback, Book & Lyrics by Jeff Luppino-Esposito); PARTICLE (Book by Selda Sahin, Autumn Reeser & Derek Gregor, Music by Derek Gregor, Lyrics by Selda Sahin); ROJA (Book, Music & Lyrics by Jaime Lozano & Tommy Newman); Soft Magical Tofu Boy(s) (Book, Music & Lyrics by Kevin Wong); Wakeman (Book, Music & Lyrics by Jenn Grinels).