Open Submissions for NYMF's 2013 Next Link Project Begin 9/17; Next Broadway Sensation Competition Auditions Set for 9/20

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced today that open submissions to the Next Link Project, which guarantees production slots in the 2013 Festival, will begin on September 17th. Registration runs through November 2 and those who submit materials by Friday, October 5 will receive a $20 discount off the standard $75 application fee. The 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF's tenth season, will run July 8 – July 28, 2013. For more Next Link Project info and submission guidelines, visit www.nymf.org.

Ten of the 2012 Festival's full production slots are reserved for participants in the Next Link Project, NYMF's primary writer service program. The Next Link Project empowers emerging musical theatre writing teams as both artists and entrepreneurs by providing the training and relationships needed to help them move their musicals from mere readings to fully-realized productions and to advance their careers by maximizing the exposure they receive in the Festival.

Authors submitting to The Next Link Project will need to provide a demo recording of their songs, a detailed synopsis of their show, a 15-page script sample (15 consecutive pages representing the heart of the show and including lyrics for at least one of the songs), a complete script, and, if applicable, proof of rights to adapt underlying material.

Next Link Project participants receive the following benefits:

• A subsidized production slot at NYMF 2013 (including savings in production fees,
and discounted technical and marketing support)
• Individualized support from a member of our team of Next Link dramaturges
• Seminars and workshops geared toward helping them successfully prepare, present, and
promote their NYMF production
• Access to exclusive industry networking events

Any show that has not received a professional New York production may be submitted, by authors with or without industry representation. Scripts, however, should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure that NYMF provides. All entries undergo double-blind evaluations by several members of NYMF's reading team, with finalists referred to a Grand Jury of leading theater artists and producers.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) also announced details for its 2012 NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation Competition (NNBS). The singing competition returns for its seventh year and will take place at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street).

Produced by NYMF in association with Broadwayworld.com and New World Stages, with support from the ASCAP Foundation's Irving Caesar Trust, this talent competition seeks to find the newest musical theatre star. The winner of the competition will receive a special solo concert, co-presented by NYMF and Grammy Award-winning producer Sh-K-Boom Records.

In a new addition to the program this year, NYMF will also partner with the ASCAP Foundation to present a Showcase Concert, hosted by multi-award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz and featuring all eight NNBS finalists performing the work of up-and-coming musical theatre composers. Following their selection as finalists, each performer will be paired with a composer or composing team with whom they will collaborate to select and prepare a song for the Showcase the following week.

A panel of industry professionals will preside over two days of auditions and will select 20 entrants to take part in the competition. Ten contestants will perform at each of two competition heats, with four performers selected from each evening to move on to the Grand Final. Two finalists from each night will be selected by a panel of industry judges, with two additional finalists chosen from live audience votes and from online votes at BroadwayWorld.com (where every stage of the competition will also be aired).

This year's judges include Tony-nominated performer Celia Keenan-Bolger, composer Ryan Scott Oliver, casting director Michael Cassara, ASCAP's Director of Musical Theater Michael Kerker, producer Ken Davenport, and others still to be announced. In addition to casting votes, the judging panel will offer live performance advice to the contestants. Alexander Rovang serves as musical director for the competition.

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