Broadway Stars Sign on for Festival of New Musicals 10/8-10/9

Big-name Broadway musical stars—including Kerry Butler, Darius DeHaas, Gregg Edelman, Dee Hoty, Marc Kudisch, Brian d'Arcy James, Douglas Sills, Amy Spanger, Mary Testa and Lillias White—will perform in the eight musicals selected for the 18th annual Festival of New Musicals to be held at New World Stages on October 8 and October 9.

As previously reported by Broadway.com, this industry-only event brings together producers from around the world hoping to discover the next big hit musical. Its most recent success story is The Drowsy Chaperone, which was presented at the festival in 2004 and went on to Broadway success and five Tony Awards in 2006. Of the eight shows presented last year, six have already booked world premieres or developmental productions. Admission is by invitation only and closed to the general public.

Casts and directors announced by the National Alliance for Musical Theatre are as follows:

Dangerous Beauty, book by Jeannine Dominy; lyrics by Amanda McBroom; music by Michele Brourman; directed by Sheryl Kaller; starring Randy Blair, Christine Bokhour, Shawn Elliott, Dee Hoty, Joe Kolinski, Megan McGinnis, Michael Minark, Charlie Pollock, Jenny Powers, Tim Smith, Paul Anthony Stewart and Havilland Stillwell. Set in Venice and inspired by the story of Renaissance courtesan and poet Veronica Franco, Dangerous Beauty is adapted from Dominy's screenplay for the 1998 film.

Emma, book, music and lyrics by Paul Gordon; directed by Kent Nicholson; starring Brian d'Arcy James, Lianne Marie Dobbs, Suzanne Grodner and Dani Marcus. Tony nominee Gordon Jane Eyre adapts Jane Austen's novel about feisty heroine Emma Woodhouse, who attempts to arrange a wealthy marriage for her poor friend Harriet among other romantic schemes.

Jerry Christmas, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa; book by Daniel Goldfarb; directed by David Warren; starring Kim Bromwell, Stephen DeRosa, Tiffany Haas, Jenn Harris, Adam Heller, Leslie Kritzer, Janet Metx, David Reiser, Steven Rosen, Douglas Sills and Lillias White. Jerry Barron, a funnyman in need of a hit, contemplates putting his family on TV in the Christmas special Jerry Christmas!—even though they are Jewish. Set in 1961, this comic musical is by Drama Desk winner Lippa The Wild Party and Goldfarb Modern Orthodox; Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.

Julian Po, book and lyrics by Andrew Barrett; music by Ira Antelis; directed by Coy Middlebrook; starring Darius de Haas, Pat Duke, Struan Erlenborn, Jeff Morrow, Jason Nettle, Peter Samuel, Judy Storey, Renee Veneziale, Cheryl Wilson and Lynne Wintersteller. Described as a modern-day musical myth, Julian Po begins with "The Muses," a four-piece strolling bluegrass band invoking the day a strange man mysteriously arrives in an even stranger middle-American town.

One Step Forward, music and lyrics by Leslie Arden; book by Berni Stapleton with Leslie Arden and Timothy French; directed by David Petrarca; starring Ian Brennan, Kerry Butler, Merle Dandridge, Gregg Edelman, Marc Kudisch and Andrew Rannells. A Canadian team of collaborators including Arden The House of Martin Guerre tells the story of young World War II veterans returning home to women who have had their first taste of independence.

Piece, music and lyrics by Scott Alan; book by Tara Smith;direcged by Schele Williams; starring Amy Spanger, Katie Thompson and Kete Wetherhead. Upon returning to her childhood home following the passing of her mother, Katherine Mathews finds herself piecing together memories of her past as she engages in conversations she's had with her mother at the ages of 17, 26 and 35.

Sunfish, book and lyrics by Michael L. Cooper; book and music by Hyeyoung Kim; directed by Stafford Arima; starring Ma-Anne Mionisio, Warn Billeisen, Eric Bondoc, Mary Testa, Alton Fitzgerald White and Tommar Wilson. Based on a Korean folk tale, Sunfish tells the story of the adventures of Aheh and the fantastical lengths she will travel to restore her Blind Father's sight. The show was created by two recent graduates of NYU's musical theatre writing program.

Vanities, book by Jack Heifner; music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum; directed by Heifner; starring Megan Hilty, Leslie Kritzer and Sarah Stiles. Adapted by Heifner from his long-running 1976 play, Vanities chronicles the comic journey of three Texas teens from cheerleaders to sorority sisters to housewives, liberated women and beyond. Kirshenbaum is the composer of two NAMT Festival musicals, Summer of '42 and Party Come Here.

In addition to the eight festival shows, NAMT will present a Songwriter Showcase on Sunday evening, introducing 10 new musicals with one song from each and brief interviews with the writing teams conducted by hosts Beth Leavel and Richard Kind. Performers will include Liz Callaway, Eden Espinosa and Sally Mayes.