9th Annual Festival of New Musicals

JAN 17-19, 2014

STAGED READINGS  |  SCHEDULE OF EVENTS  | PHOTO GALLERY |  FESTIVAL ARCHIVES

Every musical got its start somewhere! Don't miss your chance to see the next big hit at Goodspeed's Ninth Annual Festival of New Musicals. Hundreds of musical theatre lovers will gather on the Goodspeed campus for staged readings of brand new works as the brightest new writers and performers collaborate to create the future of America's greatest art form. It's something different...come join us!

STAGED READINGS

ADAM LIVES

FRIDAY, JAN 17, 7:30 PM

Book, Music & Lyrics by Rob Baumgartner, Jr.
Adam is an unsuccessful songwriter who doesn’t know how to settle into his long-term relationship with Claudia. When he has an opportunity to write for an emerging pop superstar, Adam is forced to decide which he values more: an enduring partnership or a love that is worthy of song. Adam Lives is about finding and keeping the important things in life, but at what cost?

A PROPER PLACE

SATURDAY, JAN 18, 7:30 PM

Book by Leslie Becker and Curtis Rhodes
Music by Curtis Rhodes
Lyrics by Leslie Becker
Additional Lyrics by Curtis Rhodes
It is 1902. Mayfair, England. When an upper class British family is shipwrecked on an island with only their butler to help them survive, traditional class systems are questioned and unexpected love blossoms. Based on J. M. Barrie’s play The Admirable Crichton, this musical fantasy with a sumptuous score, dubbed a “cross between Downton Abbey and Gilligan’s Island,” is a classic tale of equality, survival and forbidden love.

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

SUNDAY, JAN 19, 1:00 PM

Music & Lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill
This unconventional new musical from the writers of The Story of My Life is a joyous and moving look at our surprisingly interconnected lives. Through a collection of songs, scenes and monologues, The Theory of Relativity introduces a compelling array of characters experiencing the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• Exclusive Silver Package Event
• Exclusive Gold Package Event

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

ADAM LIVES | 7:30 p.m. | Goodspeed Opera House
Adam is an unsuccessful songwriter who doesn’t know how to settle into his long-term relationship with Claudia. When he has an opportunity to write for an emerging pop superstar, Adam is forced to decide which he values more: an enduring partnership or a love that is worthy of song. Adam Lives is about finding and keeping the important things in life, but at what cost?

FESTIVAL CABARET | 10:00 p.m. | Gelston House •
Showcasing new songs by our Festival writers.

Saturday, January 18

GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE TOURS | 10:00 a.m. | Opera House Lobby
Go behind the scenes of our award-winning theatre on the Goodspeed Opera House tour and learn about its vibrant history.

SEMINAR SESSIONS 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.  | Gelston House & La Vita   • 
Choose one

•  An Actor’s Life Get to know your favorite stars from Goodspeed’s Hello, Dolly!. The beloved Klea Blackhurst (Dolly) and the Tony-nominated Tony Sheldon (Horace) will share stories of their lives as actors – including the triumphs, struggles and heartaches.

• Uncovering Goodspeed Treasures Tucked away on a top shelf or buried in a dusty box, many one-of-a-kind treasures have been uncovered and preserved for generations to come in Goodspeed’s Scherer Library. Noted author and theatre historian Ken Bloom will guide a discussion about some of the most fascinating objects in this rare collection.

•  They’re the Top! What makes a Broadway hit? Marc Acito, Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright, novelist, and theatre historian, will discuss the common threads among the 100 top-selling Broadway shows of all time.

• Casting 101 Back by popular demand! Learn the ins and outs of the casting process as Goodspeed’s Casting Director Paul Hardt uncovers tricks-of-the-trade.

• The Business of Show Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes before production and rehearsals start? Alvin Deutsch, Intellectual Property Attorney for the entertainment industry for the past 50 years will pull back the curtain on copyrights, contracts and negotiations.

• Recording Broadway In many cases, cast albums are the only tangible record of landmark and long-forgotten musicals. Brian Drutman, Recording and Theatre Executive and former Vice President of Decca Broadway, shares the inside story on some of the hundreds of Broadway cast albums that he has produced and remastered.

NEW MUSICAL PREVIEW | 2:30 p.m. | Goodspeed Opera House ••
Attend a preview of an exciting new musical headed to Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre in 2014.

MUSICAL THEATRE SYMPOSIUM | 4:00 p.m. | Goodspeed Opera House
On the Road to Holiday Inn: Creating a World Premiere Ever wonder what it takes to move a musical from conception to full-blown stage production? Now at the halfway mark of the process, a panel of theatre experts and members of the creative team will explore the work that’s been done and what’s still to come for Goodspeed’s world premiere of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn.

FESTIVAL DINNER | 5:30 p.m. | Gelston House or La Vita •
Enjoy a three-course meal with fellow Festival-goers. Check ticket for location.

A PROPER PLACE | 7:30 p.m. | Goodspeed Opera House
It is 1902. Mayfair, England. When an upper class British family is shipwrecked on an island with only their butler to help them survive, traditional class systems are questioned and unexpected love blossoms. Based on J. M. Barrie’s play The Admirable Crichton, this musical fantasy with a sumptuous score, dubbed a “cross between Downton Abbey and Gilligan’s Island,” is a classic tale of equality, survival and forbidden love. 

FESTIVAL CABARET: Benjamin Scheuer and Sam Willmott | 10:00 p.m. | Gelston House  •
Both alumni of the 2013 JMF Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals, Benjamin Scheuer and Sam Willmott will perform new music written during the Festival right here at Goodspeed. Scheuer won the 2013 ASCAP Cole Porter Award for Songwriting. Willmott is the recipient of ASCAP’s 2013 Harold Adamson Award and the 2012 Fred Ebb Award.

Sunday, January 19

MID-CAMPUS TOUR | 11:00 a.m. |
Tour Goodspeed's Rehearsal Studio, Costume Shop, Library and Music Department.

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY | 1:00 p.m. | Goodspeed Opera House
This unconventional new musical from the writers of The Story of My Life is a joyous and moving look at our surprisingly interconnected lives. Through a collection of songs, scenes and monologues, The Theory of Relativity introduces a compelling array of characters experiencing the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection.

MEET THE WRITERS RECEPTION | 2:30 p.m. | Gelston House  •
Gain insight into the inspirations and processes of the writers. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cash bar.

PHOTO GALLERY

Click photos to enlarge.

Lead Corporate Sponsor:	Additional Support by:

FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL:

Amy and Frank Campbell, Terri and Don Coustan, Brenda and Chad Floyd, Susan F. Gonsalves,
Joanna and John Hamby, Christopher Joy and Cathy Velenchik, Mary M. Wilson and Jeff Riley,
Jessica and Carl Thompson, Richard and MaryAnn Valinski, George Vinick and Margaret Saxe