Kate Wetherhead to Host NAMT's SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE; Cabaret Lineup Complete!

National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced this year's line-up for the SONGWRITERS CABARET and SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE hosted by Drama Desk Nominee Kate Wetherhead, which are part of the 28th annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS.

The festival will take place on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28, 2016 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

NAMT's SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE is an informal introduction to new musicals currently in development. Drama Desk Nominee Kate Wetherhead leads a Q&A with the creative team, who then present two numbers from the show. The SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE is open to registered attendees with a Premiere, Select or Access Pass. There is a day-of standby line for the general public for free admission.

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This year's SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE will be held on Thursday, October 27 at 2:00pm and will feature:

The Family Resemblance by Masi Asare
Featuring: Shelley Thomas (Broadway: BROOKLYN, Triassic Parq) and Talia Thiesfield (Off-Broadway: Marie Christine)

Akosua and her family are expecting an ordinary Christmas back home in Pennsylvania, but heavy winds, a corporate crisis, and a visit from an African ancestor mean nothing goes as planned. This semi-autobiographical musical about a mixed-race family asks: When everyone in your family looks very different, how can you be sure of who you really are?

How I Paid for College by Marc Acito
Featuring: Marc Acito

How I Paid for College is a one-person musical comedy by Marc Acito based on his award-winning semi-autobiographical novel. One actor playing twenty roles tells the tale of a Ferris Bueller-type teen who schemes to steal his college tuition money when his wealthy father refuses to pay for acting school.

What I Learned from People by Will Aronson (The Trouble with Doug, NAMT Fest '10) and Hue Park
Featuring: Ashley Park (The King and I), Josh Dela Cruz (Aladdin), and Marcus Choi (Wicked, Allegiance).

What I Learned from People is a romantic comedy set in late 21st century Seoul, Korea. Looking past the age of technology-driven isolation, the musical imagines a magical and bittersweet reawakening to the things that make us human.

The White City by Avi Amon and Julia Gytri
Featuring: Jenni Barber (Wicked, The Nance) and Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening, First Date)

Change is in the air. It's 1893, and Chicago is hosting the World's Columbian Exposition, where scientists, scholars and business tycoons hope to propel society into a shining new era. But trouble simmers beneath the façade of the shimmering "White City" when it reveals that its citizens, old and new, all have something to hide.

The SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE is directed by Amy Corcoran and produced by Ciera Iveson with Karin Nilo.

Kate Wetherhead is the co-creator, writer and star of the web comedy Submissions Only, as well as the co-author of the Jack & Louisa series for Penguin Young Readers. Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Legally Blonde. Off-Broadway: Clever Little Lies, The Other Josh Cohen (Drama Desk Award nomination), Ordinary Days, Tatjana in Color, and Sarah, Plain and Tall. Regional: The Heidi Chronicles, Clever Little Lies, Cabaret, Company, The Spitfire Grill and Almost, Maine.

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The SONGWRITERS CABARET gives songwriters the opportunity to highlight selections from their recent and in-progress shows in the intimate Green Room Lounge. The SONGWRITERS CABARET is open to registered attendees with a Premiere or Select Pass. There is a day-of standby line for Access Pass holders only.

This year's SONGWRITERS CABARET features:

Thursday, October 27 at 12:40pm
Michael Cooper & Hyeyoung Kim (Sunfish, NAMT Fest '06)
Performers include: Drew Arisco (Regional: Dog Fight), Joanna Carpenter (National Tour: Cirque Dreams Holidaze), Lizette Cruz, Jeremy Gaston (Regional: Beauty and the Beast), Cadden Jones (Regional: Pygmalion) and Ryan Stutz (National Tour: Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries)

Thursday, October 27 at 1:20pm
Paulo K Tiról & Kathleen Wrinn
Performers include: Dana Aber (Regional: Ragtime), Billy Bustamante (Broadway: The King and I), Katie Emerson (Regional: The Who's Tommy), Enrico Lagasca, Rogelio Peñaverde, Jr. (NY: The Poisoned Kiss), Gwynne Richmond, Barry Shafrin (NY: Bedbugs!!!), Paulo K Tiról and Kathleen Wrinn

Friday, October 28 at 12:10pm
Emma Lively & Tyler Beattie
Performers include: Andi Alhadeff (NY: Jasper in Deadland), Jay Klaitz (Broadway: Rock of Ages, Lend me a Tenor), Tracy McDowell (Broadway: Motown, Rent), Claire Neumann (Triassic Parq) and Babs Rubenstein (National Tour: Priscilla Queen of the Desert)

Friday, October 28 at 12:50pm
Michael R. Jackson
Performers include: Joelle Lurie (Lincoln Center, Rainbow Room), Eric William Morris (Broadway: Mamma Mia!) andMichael R. Jackson (54 Below)

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Now in its 28th year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS attracts theatre producers from around the world for this industry-only event to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute concert presentations over two days. All production costs are underwritten by NAMT, at no cost to the writing teams. As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions.

The Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 236 musicals and 448 writers from around the world. As a direct result of the FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, more than 85% of the musicals presented have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions and tours, been licensed, and/or recorded on cast albums. Some past festival shows include the Broadway-bound Come From Away (Spring 2017), The Drowsy Chaperone, It Shoulda Been You, Striking 12, Ordinary Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others.

This year, a committee of 14 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 193 blind submissions.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a national service organization dedicated exclusively to musical theatre. Their mission is to advance musical theatre by nurturing the creation, development, production and presentation of new musicals, and to provide a forum for musical theatre professionals to share resources and exchange information. Their 200 members, located throughout 32 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers. Among the 236 musicals launched by NAMT's annual Festival of New Musicals are Broadway-bound Come From Away (Spring 2017), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Children of Eden, Honk!, The Drowsy Chaperone, It Shoulda Been You, Songs for a New World, I Love You Because, Striking 12, Vanities, Ordinary Days and many others, representing 448 writers.

NAMT's FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is the cornerstone of NAMT's mission to nurture the creation, development and production of new musicals. The Festival presents eight musicals in 45-minute presentations before an audience of over 600 industry professionals. In the short run, the Festival's goal is to connect producers with writers, so that their shows can continue their development trajectory. The long-term goal is to expand the musical theatre repertoire, bringing new musical theatre to thousands of audience members around the world.

The 28th ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is overseen by NAMT New Works Director Ciera Iveson and Festival General Manager is Lisa Dozier King.

The 2016 Festival Committee is co-chaired by Paige Price, Theatre Aspen (CO) and Robert Lee, NYU Tisch School of the Arts-Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (NY) and NAMT Festival Alumnus Writer. Committee members include: Pamela Adams, Atlantic Theater Co. (NY); Bob Alwine, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Carlos Armesto, Theatre C (NY); Victoria Bussert, Baldwin Wallace University (OH); Amy Corcoran, Aria Entertainment (UK); Keith Cromwell, Red Mountain Theatre Co. (AL); Ian Eisendrath, The 5th Avenue Theatre (WA); Lori Fineman, The Transport Group (NY); Kate Galvin, 11th Hour Theatre Co. (PA); Lucas McMahon, Alchemation (NY); Michael Rubinoff, Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College (ON); Alumni Writer Representative, Janice Lowe (Composer of Lil Budda, Fest '02); and chair emerita Mara Isaacs, Octopus Theatricals (NJ).

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