New York Musical Festival (NYMF) Announces Awards For Excellence; LEAVING EDEN Wins Big

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) announced today the winners of the 2019 NYMF Awards for Excellence, which were awarded on Sunday, August 4, 2019 at Sony Hall (235 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036). The 2019 NYMF Award for Best Musical was awarded to LEAVING EDEN, with the Best of Fest Awards for Readings, Concerts, and Productions, going to MISSISSIPPI, THE OLDENBURG SUITE, and OVERTURE respectively. LEAVING EDEN took home four awards, followed by BURIED and FLYING LESSONS with three awards each, and TILL with two awards.

2019 NYMF Awards For Excellence

OUTSTANDING OVERALL DESIGN

Winner: LEAVING EDEN - Alayna Klein (Scenic Design), Amanda Clegg Lyon (Lighting Design), Whitney Locher (Costume Design), and Kimberly O'Loughlin (Sound Design).

Runner-Up Finalist:

LADYSHIP - David Goldstein (Scenic Design), Sam Gordon (Lighting Design), Whitney Locher (Costume Design), Patrick Calhoun (Sound Design), and Deb Gaouette (Props Design).

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY

Winner: Kathleen Wessel, FLYING LESSONS

Runner-Up Finalists:

Kenny Ingram, TILL

Katherine Roarty, ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE

OUTSTANDING BOOK

Winner: Tom Williams, BURIED

Runner-Up Finalists:

Leo Schwartz, TILL

Jenny Waxman, LEAVING EDEN

OUTSTANDING LYRICS

Winner: Jenny Waxman, LEAVING EDEN

Runner-Up Finalists:

Tom Williams and Cordelia O'Driscoll, BURIED

Leo Schwartz, TILL

OUTSTANDING MUSIC

Winner: Cordelia O'Driscoll, BURIED

Runner-Up Finalists:

Ben Page, LEAVING EDEN

Leo Schwartz, TILL

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

Winners - tie:

FLYING LESSONS. Cast includes Michelle Coban, Brandon Martin, Desiree Montes, Briana Moten, Esmeralda Nazario, Erick Perafan, Deanna Quintero, Megan Valle, and David Lowe.

BURIED. Cast includes: Sebastian Belli, Niamh Finan, Laurence Hunt, Lindsay Manion, Wilf Walsworth, and Rebecca Yau.

Runner-Up Finalists:

TILL

LEAVING EDEN

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Winners:

Michelle Coban, FLYING LESSONS

Judith Franklin, TILL

Runner-Up Finalists:

Devin L. Roberts, ­TILL
Brian Charles Rooney, ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE
Jennifer Blood, LADYSHIP
Erick Perafan, FLYING LESSONS

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE

Winners:

Elena Shaddow, MY REAL MOTHER

Sarah Anne Martinez, LEAVING EDEN

Runner-Up Finalists:

Janet Krupin, LEAVING EDEN
Katie LaMark, MY REAL MOTHER
Lindsay Manion, BURIED
Deniell Marie Gray, TILL
Maddie Shea Baldwin, LADYSHIP

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION

Winner: NJ Aqwuna, TILL

Runner-Up Finalists:

Susanna Wolk, LEAVING EDEN

Tom Williams, BURIED

BEST MUSICAL

Winner: LEAVING EDEN, Book and Lyrics by Jennifer Waxman; Music by Ben Page

Runner-Up Finalists:

BURIED, Book by Tom Williams, Lyrics by Cordelia O'Driscoll and Tom Williams, Music by Cordelia O'Driscoll
FLYING LESSONS, Book by Donald Rupe; Music by Donald Rupe and Cesar de la Rosa

This year NYMF partnered with Roundabout Theater Company for the Roundabout Writers' Group Award, which is an invitation for the writer of a reading, concert, or musical in the festival to join the Writers' Group. The 2019 Roundabout Writers' Group Award was awarded to Jahn Sood.

2019 Best Of Fest Audience Choice Awards

BEST OF FEST: READING

MISSISSIPPI

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Gregory James Tounquist

Runner-Up Finalists:
Hero, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Aaron James
Abduction, Book by T.J. Pieffer, Music by Becki Toth and Brad Kemp, Lyrics by T.J. Pieffer and Becki Toth

BEST OF FEST: CONCERT

THE OLDENBURG SUITE

Lyrics by James Feinberg; Music by Matthew Dylan Rose

Runner-Up Finalist:
FINDING BEAUTIFUL by Anessa Marie and Danny Bristoll

BEST OF FEST: PRODUCTION

OVERTURE

Book by Krista Eyler and Barbara Nichols; Music and Lyrics by Krista Eyler

Runner-Up Finalists:
BURIED, Book by Tom Williams, Lyrics by Cordelia O'Driscoll and Tom Williams, Music by Cordelia O'Driscoll
FLYING LESSONS, Book by Donald Rupe; Music by Donald Rupe and Cesar de la Rosa

AWARDS PER PRODUCTION:

• LEAVING EDEN - 4
• BURIED - 3
• FLYING LESSONS - 3
• TILL - 2
• MY REAL MOTHER - 1
• OVERTURE - 1

The 2019 Festival took place July 8th through August 4th with Mainstage productions at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, Readings at The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Rehearsal Studio, and Concerts at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, all on West 42nd Street in New York City. Scott Pyne serves as NYMF Executive Director and West Hyler serves as Producing Artistic Director.

2019 Next Link Productions: BLACK HOLE WEDDING, Words by Katherine Brann Fredricks; Music by Paul E. Nelson; BURIED, Book by Tom Williams; Music by Cordelia O'Driscoll; Lyrics by Tom Williams and Cordelia O'Driscoll; OVERTURE THE MUSICAL, Book by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols; Music and lyrics by Krista Eyler; LADYSHIP, Book, Music and Lyrics by Linda Good and Laura Good; FLYING LESSONS, Book by Donald Rupe, Music by Donald Rupe and Cesar de la Rosa; Orchestrations by Cesar de la Rosa, Josh Ceballos and Jason Bailey; TILL, Book by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro; Music and Lyrics by Leo Schwartz; LEAVING EDEN, Book & Lyrics by Jenny Waxman; Music by Ben Page; Additional music by Ada Westfall; and ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE, Music and Lyrics by Yuri Worontschak; Book and Lyrics by Paul Western-Pittard.

2019 Invited Productions: CHANCE: A MUSICAL PLAY ABOUT LOVE, RISK, & GETTING IT RIGHT, Book, music & lyrics by Richard Isen; MY REAL MOTHER, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Riley Thomas, based on the bestselling book Open: An Adoption Story in Three Voices.

2019 NYMF Developmental Reading Series: BROTHER NAT, Book and Lyrics by Liana Asim and Jabari Asim; Music by Allyssa Jones and Damien Sneed; KAFKA'S METAMORPHOSIS: THE MUSICAL!, Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Chiorini; Additional Music and Lyrics by Travis Newton; QUEEN E: THE RELUCTANT ROYAL, Book and lyrics by Leola Floren Gee; Music by Rick Lukianuk; HERO, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Aaron James; BISLAND & BLY, Lyrics by Marialena DiFabbio and Susannah Jones; Music by Marialena DiFabbio; Book and Additional Music by Susannah Jones; EVERYTHING IS OKAY (AND OTHER HELPFUL LIES), Book, Lyrics, & Music by Melissa Crum and Caitlin Lewins; ABDUCTION, Book by T.J. Pieffer; Music by Becki Toth and Brad Kemp; Lyrics by T.J. Pieffer and Becki Toth; FREEDOM SUMMER, Music by Charlie H. Ray & Sam Columbus; Book and Lyrics by Charlie H. Ray; MISSISSIPPI THE MUSICAL, Book, Music & Lyrics by Gregory James Tornquist; produced by Noreen Crayton; UNDERGROUND: AN URBAN TALE, Book by John Viscardi; Music and Lyrics by Thomas Hodges; HERO, Book, Music, & Lyrics by Mark Aaron James; THE DISAPPEARING MAN, Book, Music, & Lyrics by Jahn Sood.

2019 NYMF Concerts: ALIVE! THE ZOMBIE MUSICAL, Music and Lyrics by Josh Canfield; FINDING BEAUTIFUL, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Anessa AMrie and Danny Bristoll; HEAD AND HEART; INTERSECTING CHORDS; Joe Iconis IN CONCERT; SAVAGE THE MUSICAL, Book by Nicolette Blout & Lindel Hart, Music & Lyrics by Blount & John Waynelovich; SLIDE; A TALE OF MENTAL ILLNESS, Written & Conceived by Caren Tackett; THE F*CK AM I DOING, Lyrics by Ali Keller, Music by Emily Rose Simons; THE OLDENBURG SUITE, Lyrics by James Feinberg, Music by Matthew Dylan Rose.

For a full list of productions, readings, events, and concerts, visit NYMF.org.

Photo: NJ Agwuna, Winner of Outstanding Direction for TILL, with West Hyler and Scott Pyne at the 2019 NYMF Closing Night Ceremony - Photo by Russ Rowland

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