New York Musical Theatre Festival

New York Musical Festival
LocationNew York City
Founded2004
Type of play(s)Musical
Websitewww.nymf.org

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual event held each summer from 2004 to 2019 in New York City's midtown theater district. It mounted more than 30 new musicals each year, more than half selected through an open-submission, double-blind evaluation process involving prominent theater artists and producers. The festival's artist staff invited the remaining shows. NYMF premiered some 447 musicals, engaging more than 8,000 artists and attracting over 300,000 attendees.

More than 100 of these productions were later staged in other venues—in all 50 US states and in 27 countries, reaching an audience of about four million people, by festival officials' count.[1] More than 20 NYMF shows produced cast albums.

History

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Besides musicals, the festival offered readings, concerts featuring new music, educational seminars, and explorations of musicals in TV and film.

It also facilitated unique collaborations between New York-based art organizations. In 2011, NYMF launched "NYMF meets NYMIF," a collaboration with the New York Musical Improv Festival.[2] This weekly series paired performers from NYMF with artists from the Magnet Theater to create improvised musicals. Earlier, in 2005, NYMF and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater explored the intersection of improvisation and musical theater.[1] The festival also collaborated with The Paley Center to screen musicals on television.[3]

In 2005, NYMF received the Jujamcyn Award and its $100,000 prize for developing creative talent.[4] That same year, NYMF introduced a Dance Series to celebrate the integration of musical theatre and dance, featuring the musicals "Common Grounds" (2006) and "Platforms" (2007).[1]

NYMF produced numerous concerts and ran The Next Link Project, a year-round writer service program that provided comprehensive support to help writers develop their musicals into fully staged productions. This initiative culminated annually with subsidized productions for 12 writing teams at NYMF's fall festival.[5]

The festival helped launch Broadway shows. "title of show" became the first NYMF production to transfer to Broadway in 2008, followed by "Next to Normal" in 2009, which won three Tony Awards[6] and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[7] In 2009, NYMF began working with the Daegu International Musical Theatre Festival, facilitating a production exchange and fostering international recognition and accolades.[8]

In 2013, NYMF received a Special Drama Desk Award for a decade-long effort to create and nurture musical theater.[9]

In 2016, "Nerds: A Musical Software Satire" was slated to be NYMF's fourth Broadway transfer, its opening was cancelled due to the loss of a major investor.[10]

NYMF abruptly ceased operations on January 2, 2020.[11]

NYMF Awards for Excellence

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At the end of every festival starting in 2006, a jury of Broadway professionals gave awards for excellence to the deserving productions in that year's festival. There was also a "Best of Fest" award that the public votes for.

Year "Best of Fest" Audience Prize Most Promising New Musical Theater for the American Musical Prize Excellence in Writing (Music) Excellence in Writing (Lyrics) Excellence in Writing (Book) Excellence in Direction Excellence in Choreography Excellence in Overall Design Outstanding Orchestrations Outstanding Ensemble Performance
2019[12] Show: Overture

Concert: The Oldenburg Suite

Reading: Mississippi

Leaving Eden Buried Leaving Eden Buried Till Flying Lessons Leaving Eden Flying Lessons
2018[13] Show: An American Hero

Concert: Fatty Fatty No Friends

Reading: Legacy

Between the Sea and Sky Between the Sea and Sky Interstate Peter, Who? Between the Sea and Sky Emojiland Between the Sea and Sky Sonata 1962 Between the Sea and Sky AND Emojiland
2017[14] Show: Errol and Fidel

Concert: Dorian Gray

Generation Me Freedom Riders Georama Generation Me Georama Errol and Fidel Georama Errol and Fidel Generation Me
2016[15] Show: Children of Salt

Concert: Illa! A Hip Hop Musical

Newton's Cradle Dust Can't Kill Me Newton's Cradle Eh Dah? Questions for my Father Newton's Cradle Nickel Mines A Scythe of Time Dust Can't Kill Me Dust Can't Kill Me
2015[16] The Calico Buffalo Songs for the Fallen The Cobalteans The Cobalteans The Cobalteans Claudio Quest What Do Critics Know? Claudio Quest Acappella Acappella
2014[17] Cloned! Academia Nuts The Gig The Gig Bayonets of Angst Academia Nuts Propaganda! The Musical AND The Mapmaker's Opera (tie) The Snow Queen The Gig Bayonets of Angst
2013[18] Volleygirls Volleygirls Crossing Swords Julian Po Gary Goldfarb: Master Escapist Crossing Swords Crossing Swords Castle Walk The Awakening of Angel DeLuna The Awakening of Angel DeLuna Volleygirls
2012[19] Baby Case A Letter to Harvey Milk Stuck Baby Case Baby Case AND A Letter to Harvey Milk (tie) A Letter to Harvey Milk Baby Case Prison Dancer Le Cabaret Grimm Foreverman Prison Dancer
2011[20] Crazy, Just Like Me Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Kiki Baby Central Avenue Breakdown Date of a Lifetime Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Central Avenue Breakdown Pride and Prejudice Central Avenue Breakdown This One Girl's Story
2010[21] Things As They Are My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding I Got Fired Trails Frog Kiss My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding Petrouchka Shine! Without You[note 1] Fellowship! AND The Most Ridiculous Thing You Ever Hoid (tie)
2009[22] Fat Camp My Scary Girl Under Fire Academy Judas & Me Fucking Up Everything Hurricane Fat Camp Hurricane Academy
2008[23] Idaho! Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale The Jerusalem Syndrome Bonnie & Clyde College: The Musical Love Jerry Idaho! Ward 9 Idaho! Love Jerry
2007[24] Unlock'd The Boy in the Bathroom Sherlock Holmes (The Early Years) The Yellow Wood Such Good Friends The Boy in the Bathroom Such Good Friends Platforms The Boy in the Bathroom Going Down Swingin'
2006[25] Smoking Bloomberg Kingdom River's End Have a Nice Life Three Sides Desperate Measures AND Gutenberg! The Musical! (tie) Common Grounds[note 2] Journey to the West Have a Nice Life

References

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  1. ^ a b c "New York Musical Festival". NYMF.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020.
  2. ^ Rosky, Nicole. "CYCLOPS, BIG BANK, et al. Set for 2011 NYMF; Full Line-Up Announced!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  3. ^ "Musicals on Television". Paley Center.
  4. ^ Jones, Kenneth (12 February 2007). "Jujamcyn Award Recognizes NYC's Irish Rep; Troupe Gets $100,000 in Green". Playbill. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  5. ^ Hetrick, Adam (1 June 2010). "New York Musical Theatre Festival Announces 2010 Next Link Projects". Playbill. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Next To Normal – Broadway Musical – Original". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Next to Normal, by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey". Pulitzer.org. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  8. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (8 July 2010). "NYMF's Academy Wins Best Musical Award at South Korea's Daegu International Musical Festival". TheaterMania.
  9. ^ "NYMF wins a Drama Desk Award". New York Musical Theatre Festival. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013.
  10. ^ Cox, Gordon (2016-03-08). "Steve Jobs-Bill Gates Musical 'Nerds' Nixes Broadway Run". Variety. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
  11. ^ Cristi, A.A. "NYMF To Shut Down After Fifteen Seasons". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  12. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2019-08-06). "Leaving Eden Wins 2019 NYMF Award for Best Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  13. ^ McPhee, Ryan (2018-08-06). "New York Musical Festival Names 2018 Award for Excellence Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  14. ^ "THE NEW YORK MUSICAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2017 WINNERS FOR THE NYMF AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE". NYMF.org. August 6, 2017. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  15. ^ Rickwald, Bethany (August 8, 2016). "Lesli Margherita, Victoria Clark, and More Win 2016 New York Musical Festival Awards". TheaterMania. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  16. ^ [1] 2015 Awards
  17. ^ [2] 2014 Awards
  18. ^ [3] 2013 Awards
  19. ^ [4] 2012 Awards
  20. ^ [5] 2011 Awards
  21. ^ [6] 2010 Awards
  22. ^ [7] 2009 Awards
  23. ^ [8] 2008 Awards
  24. ^ [9] 2007 Awards
  25. ^ [10] 2006 Awards

Notes

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  1. ^ 2010 was the first year to give an award for Outstanding Orchestrations.
  2. ^ In 2006, there was one award given for Excellence in Direction and Choreography.
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