I GOT FIRED Wins Best Int'l Musical At Daegu Int'l Musical Fest in South Korea

I Got Fired, the 2010 New York Musical Theatre (NYMF) selection to The 2011 Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) in Daegu, South Korea has been awarded The Best International Musical Prize at The Festival. The award was decided by a panel of theater journalists and critics, and was accepted by NYMF Executive Director and Producer Isaac Robert Hurwitz. In addition, Keith Varney, who stars in the production, won the award for Best Actor for the festival. I Got Fired won the Theater for the American Musical Prize at the 2010 NYMF Festival.

I Got Fired, directed by Steve Bebout, has book, music and lyrics by Keith Varney, choreography by Dontee Kiehn, musical direction by Chris Haberl, lighting design by Grant Yaeger, set design by Ji-Youn Chang, sound design by Gary Alan Busch, Jr., and costume design by Michael Kale.

The Korean run of I Got Fired was part of NYMF's exchange with DIMF, the only theatre event of its kind in Asia. The DIMF cast included Keith Varney (Titanic), Savannah Wise (Rock of Ages), Toni DiBuono (Wonderful Town), Devon Goffman (Grease), Eric Anderson (South Pacific), Collin Leydon (The Full Monty), EJ Zimmerman (Avenue Q), and Robyn Corujo (American Schemes).

NYMF and DIMF share a dedication to ensuring that musical theater stays vibrant as both an art form and an industry while celebrating the important role musical theater plays in their respective communities. As a joint initiative to support and promote the next generation of musical theater writers, the partnership consists of a production exchange between the two festivals. This provides NYMF and DIMF with the exciting ability to introduce fresh American talent to Korea's passionate theater fan base and burgeoning musical theater industry, as well as the tremendous opportunity to introduce Korea's best new musicals to New York audiences.

The Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) is the only exclusive international musical festival in Korea. Established in 2007, DIMF's mission is to share the beauty and joy of musicals with international theatre-lovers, as well as local residents. Packed with top-notch productions and exciting events, DIMF has firmly established itself as a showcase for gifted artists, an amusement ground for audiences, and a diverse market for the musical theatre industry. DIMF's programming is divided into several categories, including: Official Invitational Musicals, Homegrown Musicals, College Students' Musical Festival, and DIMFringe Festival.

This year's 2011 New York Musical Theater Festival will take place from September 26 - October 16.

Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and ensuring their creators the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.