Theater News

Kerry Butler, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Kate Shindle, et al. Set for NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals

Kate Shindle
Kate Shindle

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) has announced the directors and preliminary casting the eight musicals that have been selected to be part of the 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at New World Stages. Limited seating will be available to the public.

Kate Wetherhead, Brynn O’Malley, Steven Booth, Josh Breckenridge, Kevin Carolan, Olli Haaskivi, Olivia Oguma, Adam Overett, and Casey Tuma will appear in Bernice Bobs Her Hair, based on the classic short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald,. The work is written by Julia Jordan and Adam Gwon. Joe Calarco directs and Andy Einhorn is music director.

Joe Iconis’ Bloodsong of Love will be directed by John Simpkins and have music direction by Brian Usifer. The cast will feature Rebecca Naomi Jones, Carrie Cimma, Jeremy Morse, Lance Rubin, and Jason ‘Sweet Tooth’ Williams.


Scott Schwartz will direct Deni Girl, which has music by Michael Koonman and book and lyrics by Christopher Dimond. This show, whic is about a young girl’s battle with a life-threatening illness, will feature Kate Shindle, Rozi Baker, and River Alexander.

Kerry Butler and Alex Brightman will headline The Dogs of Pripyat, which has music by Aron Accurso, lyrics by Jill Abramovitz, and a book by Abramovitz and Leah Napolin. Peter Flynn will direct this show, which is ased on the true story of the dogs left behind in Pripyat after the Chernobyl meltdown in Russia in 1986.

The company for Peter Mills and Cara Reichel’s Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge will feature Anika Larsen and Andrew Durand. The show transplants J.M. Synge’s classic Irish comedy The Playboy of the Western World to 1930s Appalachia. It will be directed by Gordon Greenberg, with music direction by Eli Zoller.


notes to MariAnne, with book, music and lyrics by David Rossmer & Dan Lipton, will be directed by Jeremy Dobrish and will have music direction by Chris Fenwick. The cast will feature Haley Bond Patterson, Charlie Brady, and Ken Triwush.

Phoebe Strole, Emma Hunton, Emily Walton, Robi Hager, Krystina Alabado, and Ally Bonino will be featured in Pregnancy Pact, a pop-rock musical inspired by the 2008 Time magazine article about a group of teens who made a pact to become single mothers together. The show is written by Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald. Mark Brokaw directs the production, and Rich Silverstein is music director.

Steve Cosson will direct WATT?!?, with book and lyrics by David Javerbaum and music by Brendan Millburn. The show, which revisits the heroic true story of James Watt, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior and his policies, which included opening millions of acres of federal land for exploitation. .

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