MAKING IT HAPPEN Festival of 15-Minute Musicals Unveils Lineup

The Theater Center will present the Making It Happen: Festival of 15-Minute Musicals running on select Wednesdays from August 12 through September 9, 2026 at 7:30 pm in the Jerry Orbach Theater. Designed to introduce and uplift new emerging voices in the theater scene, the festival offers teams the opportunity to showcase their works in an Off-Broadway house.

Submissions were evaluated by the creative team who selected the musicals based on originality, diversity of voices and perspectives, and potential commercial viability. Only 12 musicals made the cut into the Making It Happen Festival. During the preliminary rounds, three musicals will be chosen, with the help of audience feedback and votes, to continue on to the final night of the festival, where they will compete for a $5000 grand prize.

Selected teams performance space at The Jerry Orbach Theater, an intimate Off-Broadway venue in Times Square; access to basic technical support, box office services, and festival-wide marketing; audience feedback in a professional setting; and visibility and credibility through affiliation with an Off-Broadway venue. There was no submission or participation fee for the Making It Happen Festival.

Tickets for the Making It Happen Festival are available for purchase on Eventbrite. Tickets are $15 for the preliminary round (August 12, 19, 26), $20 for the final round (September 9), and $50 for access to all four nights. Making It Happen Festival Show Schedule:

August 12, 2026, 7:30 pm

To Whoever it May Concern

by Daniel Kilmartin

In his free time, Ted writes inspirational letters and hides them in people's bags. Beginning to get uninspired, his passion is reinitiated after meeting a woman who had received one of his letters, Erin.

ADMISSION: A Sitcom Scandal Musical

by Nick Navari & Isa Peña (Book, Music, & Lyrics)

Based on the 2019 college admission scandal, our show follows Gabi, a washed-up sitcom star who will stop at nothing to reclaim her fame. When she learns that her daughter Mia's acceptance into the top high school for nepo-babies and narcissists could lead her back to fame, she will lie, cheat, bribe, and maybe even murder to see that she gets in. How many crimes are worth the price of ADMISSION? 

The Last House in Wyoming

by Kiara Negroni (Book, Music, & Lyrics)

The Last House in Wyoming is a queer romance about Alice, a New Yorker searching for a more meaningful life, and Danny, a Wyoming woman who feels trapped in her marriage. Their chance meeting blossoms into a transformative love story, forcing them to choose between the lives they've known and the future they could build together. The musical explores love, freedom, and whether people enter our lives for a season—or a lifetime. 

Over the Hill

by Meira Marom (Book & Lyrics) & Joe Brauch (Music)

Over the Hill is an upbeat comedy set in Ancient Greece. After 3,000 years of pushing a boulder as punishment, Sisyphus is accidentally freed when Underworld clerk Calyxa makes a mistake. Struggling to find purpose, Sisyphus takes over Calyxa's job administering punishments after Zeus condemns her to replace him. In the end, both return to repetitive work—but with a renewed appreciation for their journeys. Along the way, a wisecracking vulture named Albird provides comic relief.

August 19, 2026, 7:30 pm

Salad Days

by Alex Ratner (Book, Music, & Lyrics)

Salad Days is a dark comedy about four college friends who reunite for their monthly lunch as one prepares for her Hamptons wedding. After becoming infatuated with a charming Italian waiter, the bride-to-be spirals into a dramatic fantasy that ends in tragedy. Her friends quickly move on, highlighting the show's satirical take on friendship, vanity, and obsession. 

Haru Urara

by Jeff Kasanoff (Book & Lyrics) & Ethan Riordan (Music)

Haru Urara tells the true story of a racehorse who never won a single race but somehow became one of the most beloved horses in Japan. The show asks why we're so obsessed with winning and what happens when someone (or something) keeps showing up despite every reason to quit. Through the people whose lives intersect with hers, Haru becomes an unlikely symbol of hope for anyone who's ever felt left behind.

Whiskey, Hope, and the Climate Clock 

by Marissa Raine Carlin (Book, Music, & Lyrics) & Carter Quinn Tanis (Book & Music)

Hope sits alone, watching the Climate Clock in Union Square tick down to zero. As an 'End Of The World' party rages on behind her, someone she would usually ignore sits beside her. They discuss the beauty of the past, the anxieties of the present and their fear of the future.

Happy Wife, Happy Life

by David Jon Banks (Book, Music, & Lyrics)

Betty Shelton, a relationship advice columnist, doles out wisdom on love while her own marriage is on the rocks, and the mountain of pressure pushes her to homicide.

August 26, 2026, 7:30 pm

The Commuter

by Daniel W. Cox (Book & Lyrics) & Katie Horner (Music)

Today is the day of the big merger. Johnson's been eyeing that cushy corner office for years, and this is his chance to prove himself. But before he gets the promotion, he's got to get to work on time. Enter the commute from hell.

Digging You

by Asher Shectman (Book & Music) & Abby Rooney (Book & Lyrics)

Todd is looking forward to his first date with Ally after their meet-cute in the gardening aisle at Home Depot. Little does Ally know that Todd's passion for horticulture hides a sinister ulterior motive: he plans to murder and bury her (in a garden, of course). As the date gets underway, Todd prepares to strike—and much to his surprise, so does Ally, whom he discovers is also a murderer. The two bond over their passion for homicide, ultimately building a life together as a swinging couple and setting out as a murderous team.

Just Four Men in Hats 

by Sarah Rossman (Book & Lyrics) & Alexander Ronneburg (Music)

What is a man without his barbershop quartet? Kevin, the baritone of Just Four Men in Hats (2012 Semi-Divisional Mid-Atlantic Regional Barbershop Quartet Champions), aims to find out. When he brings his date, Kimmy, back to his apartment, his former quartet-mates throw the evening into chaos—and the truth is laid bare.

Salt & Pepper 

by Jesse Ayala (Book) & Justino Tesoro (Music & Lyrics)

Salt & Pepper follows lifelong bandmates Luis and Ollie, whose friendship is tested after impulsive double wedding plans in Las Vegas. When Luis begins questioning his role as Ollie's perpetual follower, the band falls apart. In a final twist, the women reveal they orchestrated the breakup to steal Salt & Pepper's tour. Though left alone, Luis discovers his own identity and learns to forge his own path.

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