As his appetite for women threatens to consume him, a tortured rock musician wrestles with his inability to stay faithful during a series of gothic therapy sessions. Jonathan Spottiswoode and his cult band, Spottiswoode & His Enemies, bring a sexy expressionist twist to Don Giovanni that is at once comic, tragic and lyrical, and tinged with jazz, blues, rock, gospel, classical and punk. They say love is a game – so who can you blame for playing?

Schedule: Oct 4th, 8:00 pm, Oct 7th, 5:00 pm, Oct 12th, 9:00 pm, Oct 13th, 4:30 pm, Oct 15th, 8:00 pm, Oct 17th, 1:00 pm at TBG Theater

A very scientific princess meets a frog she is determined to turn into a prince – with the assistance of a troupe of Celestial Tap-Dancing Taoist Masters. In this saucy ‘n’ swingin’ new musical, will Clementine get the Prince of her dreams, or will she find herself in bed with just another horny toad? It’s a bedtime story with a bawdy twist! Based on the Stephen Mitchell novella The Frog Prince.

Schedule: Sep 30th, 8:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 7:30 pm, Oct 4th, 9:00 pm, Oct 6th, 5:00 pm, Oct 10th, 7:30 pm, Oct 11th, 1:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

Spring, 1869: one-armed Civil War hero John Wesley Powell seeks to unite a torn nation with an unprecedented expedition through the Grand Canyon. Powell and his brother Walter, an Andersonville POW survivor, sail down the perilous Colorado River with a crew of war veterans, while his wife Emma Dean becomes ensnared in expansionist politics.  What lies in the undiscovered land ahead? With a score incorporating bluegrass, country, folk, and environmental elements, The Great Unknown is an American musical adventure.

Schedule: Oct 5th, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 1:00 pm, Oct 10th, 3:00 pm, Oct 13th, 5:00 pm, Oct 15th, 9:00 pm, Oct 16th, 1:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

Aspiring writer Keith has been a temp in a wacky office’s soul crushing cubicle for six years. When an evil nemesis emerges to squash his coffee-stained hopes and dreams, Keith makes a decision that causes him to get summarily fired… with security escorts and everything! Naturally he retaliates by writing a musical. Based on a true-ish story. Some names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Schedule: Oct 1st, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 5:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 9:00 pm, Oct 7th, 1:00 pm, Oct 10th, 5:00 pm at TBG Theater

When the noisy buzz of progressive deafness steals away his songs, Jay  becomes one pissed-off composer.  As Jay struggles to hold onto the disappearing notes, can his wife and son get him to strive for something other than fame or death?  A wild pop-rock-rap-dance-classical-disco-experimental-sign language-multimedia mash-up, Jay Alan Zimmerman's Incredibly Deaf Musical is the heartwarming, booty-shaking autobiography of a man trying everything he can to keep the music flying.

Schedule: Sep 30th, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 5:00 pm, Oct 4th, 1:00 pm, Oct 8th, 9:00 pm, Oct 9th, 9:00 pm, Oct 10th, 1:00 pm at The Duke

Who can forget Groucho, Chico and Harpo, those three mirth-makers of the silver screen? No one, that's who! But when the Marx Brothers are let loose in an unsuspecting radio studio, the airwaves will never be safe for detergent commercials again! Featuring all new songs and bursting with mayhem, it’s a laugh-filled, tune-filled, lunacy-filled extravaganza!

Schedule: Sep 30th, 8:00 pm, Oct 1st, 1:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 8:00 pm, Oct 12th, 8:00 pm at Urban Stages

When 18-year old klutzy outcast, Kitty Katz, leaves her suburban gated community for the Ghetto Art School, she finds art’s underbelly to be both seamy and spectacular. With her new friends – an ultra-cool street artist and a kind-hearted boy-genius – Kitty forges through the school’s cutthroat and preposterous melée, yearning to be a true artist. Will she find fame? The ghost of Willem de Kooning? Or something real?

Schedule: Sep 30th, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 5:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 9:00 pm, Oct 6th, 8:00 pm, Oct 10th, 5:00 pm, Oct 11th, 9:00 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Locked inside the Tenth Floor, the Miami-Dade Correctional Facility’s juvenile division, 16-year-old Victor Alvarez escapes into fantasy to escape the harsh realities of prison and his home life. Fueled by a contemporary rock, hip hop, and salsa-influenced score, this high-energy musical follows Victor as he struggles to come to terms with both the truth of his present and the ramifications of his past. 

Schedule: Sep 27th, 8:00 pm, Sep 29th, 8:00 pm, Oct 1st, 7:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 1:00 pm, Oct 9th, 9:00 pm, Oct 10th, 1:00 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Tess’s spirited and innocent life unravels when her impoverished family’s desperate need to connect to a once mighty bloodline results in an act of violence and shame. Desired by two men, forsaken by Victorian society, and burdened by secrets and duty, Thomas Hardy’s dark heroine struggles to remain pure in a stained world as she is pulled towards her ultimate fate.

Schedule: Sep 29th, 8:00 pm, Oct 1st, 9:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 3:00 pm, Oct 4th, 5:00 pm, Oct 9th, 9:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

This sweeping portrait of Dorothea Lange examines an artist’s journey as complex as the history captured in her work. Best known as the photographer behind the iconic Depression Era image “Migrant Mother,” Dorothea fights for the lives of the people she photographs, while constantly torn between the demanding roles of wife, mother, and artist. A woman ahead of her time, living during a tumultuous period in American history, will her relentless devotion to her subjects undermine all hope of keeping her world in balance?

Schedule: Sep 27th, 8:00 pm, Sep 28th, 9:00 pm, Oct 1st, 1:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 5:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 9:00 pm, Oct 6th, 9:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

He was dubbed “the next Dylan, the next Springsteen" by the man who discovered them both.  So why have you never heard of Ned Massey? After a troubled childhood and an unfulfilled shot at fame, a musician questions destiny, faith and forgiveness when he finds himself at rock bottom. With raw honesty and dark wit, Bloodties charts the meteoric trajectory of a life unwillingly propelled by divine messages and the ties that bind.

Schedule: Sep 28th, 8:00 pm, Sep 29th, 1:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 5:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 9:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 1:00 pm, Oct 6th, 8:00 pm at TBG Theater

Fellowship!, the hilarious musical parody of The Fellowship of the Ring, follows all the events of Tolkien's epic adventure with one big difference:  This time it's funny!

WINNER - 2010 SATURN AWARD

~ Barefooted, tap-dancing Hobbits!
~ A rocking guitar solo by the heir of Gondor!
~ The Balrog, a dark creature of shadow and flame, performing a sequin-studded cabaret number!
~ And much more!

So fly, you fools... to Fellowship!
__________________________________________________________

Schedule: Oct 7th, 8:00 pm, Oct 8th, 10:30 pm, Oct 10th, 9:00 pm, Oct 13th, 8:00 pm, Oct 16th, 8:00 pm, Oct 17th, 1:00 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Tap virtuoso and chronic womanizer “Toes” Macgrath and relationship-tormented pianist “Fingers” St. Claire have less than two weeks to create a song and dance show about Love for a big audition with a Broadway producer. But when triple-threat Molly Molloy joins them to play their ingénue, their plans spiral out of control as real romantic entanglements turn the creative process upside down. It’s a modern day Singin’ in the Rain!

Schedule: Oct 7th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 4:30 pm, Oct 12th, 4:30 pm, Oct 13th, 8:00 pm, Oct 15th, 8:00 pm, Oct 16th, 1:00 pm, Oct 17th, 4:30 pm at Urban Stages

The History Of War is spun from the imagination of a 12 year old boy - a megalomaniac in training. As he struggles with homework assignments and peculiar visions, he conjures up seven of the most famous tyrants of all time. They did horrible things. He wants to do horrible things. His parents are worried. ...and everybody sings! ... well, almost everybody. Reality and pathology neatly converge in this terrifyingly subversive new musical.

Schedule: Oct 8th, 7:00 pm, Oct 9th, 1:00 pm, Oct 12th, 8:00 pm, Oct 15th, 7:00 pm, Oct 16th, 1:00 pm, Oct 16th, 5:00 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Claire’s new job gives her the opportunity to discover her sexuality, rediscover her faith, and find the strength to come out to her teenage son, her ex-husband, and her homophobic mother. Will same-sex marriage be legalized? Will Claire get to marry the woman she loves? MMLJWW is for every mother who has come out to her son as a lesbian… and a Jew.  For every girlfriend who has met her future lesbian in-laws… at Hooters. And for anyone who’s ever been in love.  The hit of the 2009 Toronto Fringe that made Canadian theater history, this dual mother-and-son coming-of-age tale, based on a true story, will make you laugh, cry, and celebrate love in all its forms.

Schedule: Oct 5th, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 1:00 pm, Oct 10th, 1:00 pm, Oct 13th, 1:00 pm, Oct 14th, 8:00 pm, Oct 16th, 9:00 pm at TBG Theater

When Max and his boyfriend Calder find themselves in a hospital awaiting Calder’s heart transplant, the nurse supplies them with a mind-altering pill that slows time, turning one minute into one hour. Fueled by a sweeping contemporary score, Nighttime Traffic follows three characters through a world of thumping music, altered perceptions, and unanticipated inspiration as they spin minutes into moments and search for solace in unsettling times.

Schedule: Sep 28th, 8:00 pm, Sep 29th, 4:30 pm, Sep 29th, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 8:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 1:00 pm, Oct 5th, 4:30 pm, Oct 10th, 1:00 pm at Urban Stages

Pandora, a suburban housewife, and her serial-philanderer husband, Oliver, have their love and lives turned upside down the day that Mona, a Lesbian-American handywoman, walks through their door. In this raucous, contemporary sex farce, Mona and Oliver face off in a fight to win the greatest prize of all, the love of the beautiful Pandora.

Schedule: Oct 8th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 1:00 pm, Oct 11th, 5:00 pm, Oct 13th, 9:00 pm, Oct 14th, 9:00 pm, Oct 16th, 5:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

The busy gray city streets disappear as a homeless man conjures a fantasy world where he becomes a carnival barker. All eyes are on him as he presents a trio of dolls: The Solider, The Ballerina and the jester, Petrouchka. As he commands their tale of love and jealousy to unfold, reality and make-believe blur tragically in this dramatic dance musical based on a 1911 Ballet Russe production.

Schedule: Oct 7th, 8:00 pm, Oct 8th, 1:00 pm, Oct 9th, 5:00 pm at The Duke

Lower Manhattan, 1876. Join Dick as he rises from penniless bootblack to budding entrepreneur with a little bit of luck, a little bit of charm, and a whole lot of hard work. Based on Horatio Alger’s beloved tale, Dick’s adventures bring him face to face with scheming ex-convicts, vicious comic villains, kind benefactors, and a host of colorful characters in this rags-to-riches romp for the whole family.

Schedule: Oct 7th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 5:00 pm, Oct 11th, 9:00 pm, Oct 15th, 1:00 pm, Oct 16th, 9:00 pm, Oct 17th, 3:00 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

International pop phenomenon The Symphonic Sensations rose from small town high school show choir to big time show biz success with an explosion of tight harmonies and jazz hands. As the music bio TV documentary “Beyond the Façade” follows their thrilling path to fame and adoration by millions, the highs and lows of celebrity are exposed in this musical comedy exploration of America’s favorite extracurricular activity.

Schedule: Sep 28th, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 5:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 9:00 pm, Oct 9th, 5:00 pm, Oct 11th, 5:00 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Sergeant Sangho doesn't bully his squad now that he's distracted by his flirty new pen pal, Eunhee. He doesn't know, however, that his dream girl is really a guy – the friend of Private Chuljae, who's tired of the sergeant's grumpy moods at boot camp. But when Eunhee's girlfriend is accidentally drawn into the deception, what started as a simple prank snowballs into a mess of heart-breaking proportions. It's a rambunctious comedy about mistaken identities, love, and the lengths to which a soldier will go for an extra ration of Choco-pie!

Schedule: Sep 29th, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 9:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 9:00 pm, Oct 4th, 5:00 pm, Oct 4th, 9:00 pm, Oct 6th, 9:00 pm at The Duke

Meet Leah. She’s a songwriter who’s inappropriate, talented, obsessed, loyal, habitually unrequited in love… and who can’t stop eating cake! When her best friend suggests she needs psychological help, Leah marches into a handsome therapist’s office only to discover she’s still looking for love in all the wrong places. Forced to revisit the hilarious and heartbreaking dysfunction of her past, one woman’s quest to find romance becomes a journey to find herself.

Schedule: Sep 27th, 8:00 pm, Sep 29th, 1:00 pm, Oct 1st, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 4:30 pm, Oct 3rd, 4:30 pm, Oct 5th, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 1:00 pm at Urban Stages

Adrift in their lives, two friends reconnect after ten years and set out to fulfill a childhood promise: to hike the Appalachian Trail together from beginning to end. Over the six month, 2000 mile journey, past and present intertwine as the two face both the elements and the ghosts that haunt their memories. As they sift through the ashes of their tumultuous history, a bond of brotherhood struggles to be reborn.

Schedule: Oct 8th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 1:00 pm, Oct 10th, 9:00 pm, Oct 12th, 5:00 pm, Oct 14th, 4:30 pm, Oct 16th, 5:00 pm at TBG Theater

George, unofficial mayor of 132nd Street and a self-proclaimed expert on matters of the heart, believes love should never be taken seriously.  He finally meets his match when he befriends a down-on-her-luck stranger who is not what she seems.  A funny and heart-warming look at the romantic travails of three couples learning about love in 1930's Harlem, this musical features a tuneful and jazzy period score by Harlem Renaissance songwriter J.C. Johnson, a colleague of artists such as Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters and Billie Holiday.

Schedule: Oct 11th, 8:00 pm, Oct 12th, 1:00 pm, Oct 13th, 8:00 pm, Oct 15th, 4:30 pm, Oct 16th, 1:00 pm, Oct 17th, 4:30 pm at TBG Theater

Josh Cohen wants you to know he hates Valentine’s Day. This year is no exception: he’s still unlucky in love, working a job he hates, and his apartment just got robbed of everything except a Neil Diamond CD. But when an unexpected treasure arrives in his mailbox, he’s forced to confront his biggest enemy: his own conscience. Woven with songs in the style of Neil Diamond, V-Day is about doing the right thing, even when it sucks.

Schedule: Oct 4th, 8:00 pm, Oct 5th, 1:00 pm, Oct 6th, 4:30 pm, Oct 8th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 1:00 pm, Oct 10th, 4:30 pm, Oct 10th, 8:00 pm at Urban Stages

Tea Parties, oil spills, death panels...and that's just the opening statements!  VOTE FOR ME is a musicalized Presidential debate where you pick the winner.  Hum along as the candidates dance and sing their way through the three-ring circus of American politics, and cast your vote to help determine the outcome of the show--and the future of America! 

The writers of COLLEGE The Musical (NYMF 2008) return to the festival with this world-premiere political spoof.

Schedule: Oct 11th, 8:00 pm, Oct 12th, 1:00 pm, Oct 14th, 8:00 pm, Oct 15th, 4:30 pm, Oct 16th, 4:30 pm, Oct 16th, 8:00 pm, Oct 17th, 1:00 pm at Urban Stages

Anthony Rapp presents his turbulent journey through the convergence of two life-changing events: the early days of Rent – including the untimely passing of Jonathan Larson – and the illness and death of his own mother. Based on his New York Times best-selling memoir, Rapp uses a mix of original music and songs by R.E.M. and Larson in a stunning one-man show about grief, hope, and triumph.

Schedule: Sep 27th, 8:00 pm, Sep 29th, 5:00 pm, Sep 29th, 9:00 pm, Sep 30th, 1:00 pm, Sep 30th, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 4:30 pm, Oct 7th, 8:30 pm, Oct 7th, 11:00 pm, Oct 9th, 5:00 pm, Oct 9th, 9:00 pm at TBG Theater

It’s a culinary feast of songs and comedy in five short musicals! Featuring food network wannabes, dinner party menus, cooking as therapy, eating out, celebrity chefs, and breakfast with Ethel Merman, it’s fit for foodies and anybody who eats. Come hungry!

Schedule: Oct 5th, 4:30 pm, Oct 5th, 8:00 pm at Hudson Guild Theater

Ten years ago, they were on top of the world.  The senior superlatives. The most popular kids in school.  Then something horrifying occurred.  Now it’s time for their ten-year reunion, and someone is taking their deadly revenge. In this terrifying slasher musical, only one thing is certain – few will survive, now that someone has voted them all Most Likely To Die.

Schedule: Oct 14th, 1:00 pm, Oct 14th, 4:30 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

"ROOFLESS" is a gritty, coming of age hood fable which is equal parts musical comedy & street drama, magical sparkles & blood splatter.  From their roofless sanctuary atop an abandoned high rise building, best friends Marquee and Scope and their crew of Roofheadz make plans to escape their pasts and create a new, successful legacy for themselves.  But disrupting the "dead-or-incarcerated-by-age-19" status quo so upsets the spirit world that both Good and Evil enter the battle, each side staking their claim for the future generations born of the Roofless.

Schedule: Sep 28th, 1:00 pm, Sep 28th, 4:30 pm at The Theater at St. Clements

Sometimes Broadway musicals run forever, like Cats or Les Miz. But sometimes, Broadway musicals run for only a minute, like Merrily We Roll Along, High Fidelity, or Via Galatica. This is their story. Hosted by ultimate theatre nerds Kevin and Jen, If It Only Even Runs a Minute celebrates rare and inspiring songs, anecdotes and photos from your favorite obscure and underappreciated shows.

Schedule: Oct 14th, 7:00 pm, Oct 14th, 9:30 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

8Minute Musicals presents an evening of original short musicals created during NYMF 2010! Just 10 days before opening, 8 composers and 8 writers will be paired up and given a common theme as inspiration to create 8 new 8-minute musicals. With the help of 2 directors, 2 musical directors, and 10 performers, these freshly-created pieces are fully staged, rehearsed, and performed. 

Schedule: Oct 4th, 7:00 pm, Oct 4th, 9:30 pm, Oct 5th, 7:00 pm, Oct 5th, 9:30 pm at American Theatre of Actors (Chernuchin)

Ten year-old Iris is having the worst day ever! She desperately wants to fit in with the popular “beautiful” girls and is willing to do whatever it takes… until things start to go wrong. Follow Iris as she learns that compromising yourself comes at a cost, popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the true meaning of the word “Beautyfull” is from the inside out.

Schedule: Oct 3rd, 1:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 4:30 pm at The Duke

In 2003, Rosie O’Donnell founded Rosie's Broadway Kids, an organization devoted to using musical theatre to enrich the lives of New York City public school children who otherwise have limited exposure to the arts. Seven years later, their stories and experiences have been transformed into an original musical performed by the students themselves. Centered around a single day in a high school, My Life: Today is a window into the vibrant lives of the city’s youth.

Schedule: Oct 5th, 8:00 pm, Oct 6th, 1:00 pm, Oct 6th, 5:00 pm at The Duke

Fifteen year-old Abby must leave her family farm to work in the cotton mills of Lowell, MA. When she falls in love with the rich son of the mill owner, their relationship is tested by her involvement in the nascent labor movement. Performed by 30 children in 4th-6th Grade, this production is part of the STAR Program, a unique immersion program at Marquez Charter Elementary School in Los Angeles, in which students learn history by performing musicals written to illustrate important moments from the past.

Schedule: Oct 1st, 8:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm at The Duke

A tale of oversized men in undersized spandex, Oklahomo chronicles the journey of Dave and Gary, two Midwestern mall food court employees who are also partners in love (and eventually justice).  Dave’s life-long dreams of becoming a superhero finally come true after a freak accident involving Superman, an overdose of hallucinogenic drugs, a port-a-potty and a Journey concert.  From there, Dave and Gary embark on an epic adventure of revenge and love, of discrimination and acceptance, and ultimately the most magnificent superpower ever created.

Schedule: Oct 14th, 10:30 pm, Oct 15th, 11:00 pm, Oct 16th, 10:30 pm at Urban Stages

This Just In: “King of Country” Tommy Dautry arrested for lewd conduct in a public restroom!  Outed, humiliated and abandoned by fans, country music sensation Tommy Dautry has gone from darling to derelict overnight. But now, in a one-night-only engagement (in the back room of The White Swallow), Tommy is back and ready to prove that gay or straight, left or right…it’s Our Country too!

Schedule: Oct 11th, 8:00 pm, Oct 12th, 8:00 pm, Oct 13th, 8:00 pm at Hudson Guild Theater

As part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, on October 2 and 9, The Paley Center for Media will screen a sampler of beloved musicals adapted for television.

SCHEDULE:
Saturday, October 2 at 1:00 pm
Max Liebman Presents: Dearest Enemy
Television adaptation of the 1925 Rodgers & Hart musical (which includes the hit song “Here in My Arms”) about a band of patriotic female colonists who are instrumental in helping to win the American Revolution. Starring Cyril Ritchard, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Anne Jeffreys, and Robert Sterling. (1955; 90 minutes)

Saturday, October 2 at 3:00 pm
George M!
Television adaptation of the 1968 Broadway musical about song-and-dance man George M. Cohan, starring Joel Grey, Bernadette Peters, Jack Cassidy, Nanette Fabray, Anita Gillette, Blythe Danner, Red Buttons, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Jesse White. (1970; 90 minutes)

Saturday, October 9 at 1:00 pm
Max Liebman Presents: Best...

Schedule: Oct 2nd, 1:00 pm, Oct 2nd, 3:00 pm, Oct 9th, 1:00 pm, Oct 9th, 3:00 pm at Paley Center

Meet sandwich-slinger Vinnie Lobianco – not your average deli hero!  Vinnie loves Angie.  Angie loves Rocco. Rocco loves Celeste... and Celeste’s husband loves breaking heads.  It's not long before the Hoboken hijinks are on a roll, and Vinnie finds himself in quite a pickle.  Will he live happily ever after?  Will he live? Find out in this award-winning comic fairy tale from Susan DiLallo and Stephen Weiner – co-creators of Prospect’s 2006 hit show, Iron Curtain.

Schedule: Oct 2nd, 8:00 pm, Oct 3rd, 7:00 pm, Oct 4th, 8:00 pm, Oct 7th, 8:00 pm, Oct 8th, 8:00 pm, Oct 9th, 8:00 pm, Oct 10th, 3:00 pm, Oct 14th, 8:00 pm, Oct 15th, 8:00 pm, Oct 16th, 8:00 pm, Oct 17th, 3:00 pm at Hudson Guild Theater