The Foundation for New American Musicals is Now Accepting ShowSearch 2025 Applications

The Foundation for New American Musicals is now accepting submissions for its 2025 ShowSearch, a Southern California-wide program designed to discover emerging talent and support the development of original short musicals created by high school and college students.
 
Open to enrolled students ages 13 to 25 and free for all participants, ShowSearch is a juried competition in which applicants submit unedited 10-minute videos of original musicals in development. Submissions are evaluated on storytelling, musicality, and originality. Six finalists will be selected, each receiving a month-long intensive mentorship with a leading musical theatre professional. Past mentors have included Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), John Bucchino (A Catered Affair), Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon!), and Michele Brourman (The Land Before Timeseries), among others. All finalists receive cash awards, with additional prizes awarded to the top submission in each category.
 
Finalist musicals are then presented as professionally produced staged readings in Los Angeles, with casts and creative teams drawn from the city’s top industry professionals. Venues have included the Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, UCLA’s Little Theater, and Santa Monica College’s Main Stage. 
 
Past ShowSearch alumni have gone on to successful careers in musical theatre as composers, writers, orchestrators, and conductors on Broadway and beyond, many citing the program as a formative step in their creative journey, including writers Nicholas Connors (Paper Valley) and Jimmy Marino (Homecoming).
 
“Every year, we are blown away by the incredible talent and skill of the young participants who apply and become finalists in this program,” expressed FNAM president Michael Donovan. “We’re thrilled to offer a platform that showcases them as emerging artists and provides the necessary resources to take the next step in their professional development. We are especially grateful to California Arts Council and our other supporters for making it possible to continue building a pathway for the next generation of musical theatre creators.”
 
“In a region as creatively rich as Southern California, the Foundation for New American Musicals’ ShowSearch program gives young artists the rare chance to see their original work come to life on stage, mentored by industry professionals,” shared FNAM board member and ShowSearch producer Christopher Sepulveda. “Programs like this don’t just inspire — they empower new voices and ensure the future of American musicals is diverse, dynamic, and deeply relevant.” 
 
Applications are open now through Friday, September 26, 2025 at FNAM.US/SHOWSEARCH. Finalists will be announced on October 10, 2025 and the public staged presentation will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Details on the final showcases will be shared at a later date.