Fourth Annual Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival Announces Selections

The Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival (AMTF) is proud to announce the selections for the Fourth Annual Festival, which will be held August 5, 6, 12, 13, 2019 at Theatrical Outfit in the heart of Downtown Atlanta. The AMTF will be four nights of original musical theatre performances, welcoming both local and national writers, actors, and directors to the Balzer Theater at Herren's.

Entering into its fourth year, the AMTF is once again looking to redefine all expectations, with a new home and four new musicals that speak to the essence of culture and community. AMTF is moving into the heart of downtown Atlanta with a new Presenting Sponsor - Theatrical Outfit. Known for stories that stir the soul, this new home is perfect for a line up of musicals that tackle todays headlines in unexpected ways. Year four of AMTF promises to be bigger, better, and braver than ever before.

"The third annual festival was a big step forward for AMTF. We had four totally diverse pieces, from both local and national writers," said Artistic Director and Founder Benjamin Taylor Davis. "We're living in a time period when the recipe for the new Broadway musical is changing, and we love being a part of that new process. Atlanta has proven for three years now, that the community is craving an event like ours. I can't wait to see what happens in year four."

2019 Official Selections

Land Girls

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Stefni Colle and Syneva Colle

From the era of Big Band Swing and Rosie the Riveter, comes a story of friendship and perseverance on the home front of World War II.

In Land Girls, gutsy teenager Helen Martin enlists in the Women's Land Army to do farm labor while the men are at war. But she soon faces unexpected prejudice from the very people she came to help. As she attempts to stay in control of a spiraling situation, she risks losing everything. Inspired by the 80,000 young women who sustained the farms of Great Britain in wartime, Land Girls offers a reminder that friendship and forgiveness are powerful forces against hate.

Closing Doors

Music and Lyrics by Ali Ramsaier

Book by Ali Ramsaier and Quinn Xavier Hernandez

Additional Music and Lyrics by TUCKER and Aria Lanelle

Closing Doors is a musical about liberation, validation, and appreciation of one's self through the lens of the "Me Too" movement and online dating trend.

Alex, a budding singer/songwriter, and Guy, a fellow musician, meet the way many young couples do today - through an online dating app. Guy seems to be the perfect person. He's smart, talented, and romantic. But what devastating truth hides beneath this façade of musical dreams? Will Alex have the courage to face her fear and close the door Guy keeps opening?

The Collins Boy

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brad Bass and Cari Joy

Against the backdrop of Los Angeles, a hunger for front-page news, and the corruptive ways of the LAPD, The Collins Boy examines the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders and a mother's love against all odds.

It's 1928 and Christine Collins is a dedicated single mother to her son, Walter. Christine allows nine-year-old Walter to venture to the picture show without her, leaving him with a dime and a newfound independence. Later that night, she returns home to find the dime and no sign of Walter. Five months later, prayers are answered when Walter is found in Illinois but to Christine's horror, the boy who steps off the train is not her son. Shoddy police work, lies, and cold-blooded murder give this tale an electric current that sends Christine to the brink of insanity and brings her face to face with the devil himself.

Ebenezer: A Reconstruction Concert

Music and Lyrics by Harry N. Haines

Ebenezer: A Reconstruction Concert follows the mold of the contemporary song cycle to explore how we reinvent ourselves in the face of truth.

Inspired by the events of Ebenezer Creek, which saw countless freed slaves betrayed by their Northern liberators, the songs of Ebenezer weave Civil War era stories with lush melodies, focusing on the fallacy of memory both during and after the war. In this fashion, Ebenezer paints a complex and haunting picture of our true southern heritage.

Individual tickets start at $17.50 (not including taxes and fees), and full festival passes are available for just $50. All four productions will be performed at Theatrical Outfit, at 8pm on August 5, 6, 12, 13, 2019. Theatrical Outfit is located at the historic Balzer Theater at Herren's (84 Luckie St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30303). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.TheAMTF.com.