Kafka's Metamorphosis: The Musical! and More Added to New York Musical Festival Lineup

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) has announced further selections for the 2019 NYMF, which will take place from July 8-August 4 at venues in midtown Manhattan in New York City. Scott Pyne serves as executive director, and West Hyler serves as producing artistic director.

My Real Mother, featuring book, music, and lyrics by Riley Thomas, based on the bestselling book Open: An Adoption Story in Three Voices has been announced as an additional invited production selection. The work is described as follows: "Alaina and Alex are strangers when Alaina and her husband adopt Alex's baby girl, but they form an unexpected bond that transforms them both. Chronicling 25 years of their tumultuous and powerful relationship, Alaina and Alex make up the rules as they go along, colliding with their families, jobs and obligations, determined to ensure the child turns out alright."

Invited productions are selected for the festival on a rolling basis. They receive five performances in the festival each summer. There is no fee to apply, and they are open to any writer — produced or unproduced, with or without agency representation.

Several productions have also been announced for the Developmental Reading Series. New additions include Brother Nat, featuring book and lyrics by Liana Asim and Jabari Asim, with music by Allyssa Jones and Damien Sneed; Kafka's Metamorphosis: The Musical!, featuring book, music, and lyrics by Matt Chiorini, with additional music and lyrics by Travis Newton; Queen E: The Reluctant Royal, featuring book and lyrics by Leola Floren Gee with music by Rick Lukianuk; Hero, featuring book, music, and lyrics by Mark Aaron James; Bisland & Bly, featuring lyrics by Marialena DiFabbio and Susannah Jones, music by Marialena DiFabbio, and book and additional music by Susannah Jones; Everything is Ok (And Other Helpful Lies), featuring book, lyrics, and music by Melissa Crum and Caitlin Lewins; Abduction, featuring book by T.J. Pieffer, music by Becki Toth and Brad Kemp, and lyrics by T.J. Pieffer and Becki Toth; Freedom Summer, featuring music by Charlie H. Ray and Sam Columbus with book and lyrics by Charlie H. Ray; Mississippi the Musical, featuring book, music, and lyrics by Gregory James Tornquist; and Underground: An Urban Tale, featuring book by John Viscardi, with music and lyrics by Thomas Hodges.

Now in its 16th year, NYMF nurtures the creation, production, and public presentation of stylistically, thematically, and culturally diverse new musicals to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.