Nicole Coady to Direct Off Broadway's OCEAN IN A TEAPCUP

Acclaimed writer, director, and immersive theater visionary Nicole Coady-best known as the co-creator of the gothic sensation Dreams of Dracula-has officially joined the Off-Broadway musical production as the director of Ocean In A Teacup, the headlining work of the 2025 Next Step Theater Festival.

The Next Step Festival launches this spring with a bold new mission: to showcase boundary-pushing performances and contemporary storytelling. Running from May 27 through June 8 at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at ART/NY (502 W 53rd St, New York, NY), the weeklong festival features a vibrant slate of original works from playwrights and creators across the country. Productions span drama, comedy, musical theatre, and staged readings-all designed to spotlight emerging voices and unfiltered creative expression.

Ocean In A Teacup: A Love Story, A War Story, A Spiritual Quest Musical

Headlining the festival is Ocean In A Teacup, a sweeping and deeply human musical with book and music by Joel Krantz, Lyrics by Joel Krantz & Neil Selden. The production tells the gripping journey of Tom Anderson, a young American and devout pacifist who joins the Red Cross in WWII. When he is forced to take a life during the brutal jungle war in Burma, Tom is consumed by guilt and unable to return home to his fiancée. A transformative encounter with a spiritual healer in India offers Tom a path to redemption-if he can let go of everything he once held dear.

Nicole Coady's addition to the creative team brings a distinctive immersive sensibility to the production, expanding its emotional depth and theatrical vision. Her track record of innovative, audience-engaging work in Dreams of Dracula positions her as a powerful new voice in the development of this spiritually rich and emotionally complex musical.

"This is the show the world needs now," said Coady. "Its beautiful message, so perfectly expressed, in our showstopping song, Nothing Can Stop You From Loving, is a balm in turbulent times. It's an honor to work with Joel Krantz on this inspiring musical."