VIRTUAL PITCH CONFERENCE 2025
April 24/25/26 and the week of April 27-May 2
ONLINE via ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING
PITCH, PITCH, PITCH!
Back by popular demand, NMI’s Virtual PITCH Conference for Musical Theatre Writers will take place in April 2025.
Imagine an opportunity to spend a weekend preparing, honing, and practicing a pitch for YOUR new musical, and then live pitch that musical to a bunch of producers all in the same Zoom room. New Musicals Inc. has created that very opportunity, just for you.
The combo PITCH Conference weekend and Pitch Week are only $295 per writing team. ($225 Early Registration). 50 teams max.
2025: A Virtual PITCH Conference for Musical Theatre
NMI’s Virtual PITCH Conference for Musical Theatre will kick off with a Q&A with experienced “pitchers” and “pitchees” from different parts of the industry; and will be followed by a weekend of preparing, honing, and practicing your pitch (with feedback and guidance from NMI Staff and Industry Guests); and will culminate in the opportunity for at least TWO live virtual pitch sessions to a panel of industry professionals from around the globe.
Here’s how it will work:
Friday evening April 26 (6pm to 8:30pm PST) — Join us for an exciting panel and Q&A with Broadway producer Cody Lassen (Cody Lassen & Associates), television executive Brian Graden (Brian Graden Media), and songwriter/producer/brand strategist Nico Juber (NicoJuber.com). Learn from the pros what it takes to get your pitch past the gatekeepers. After this session, there will be a virtual meet-and-greet for all participants, with a chance to give a 30-second introduction of your team and your project.
Saturday April 27 (8:30am to 6:30pm PST) — You’ll try out your three-minute pitch on NMI staff for feedback to help prepare you to meet producers. Teams will divided into three groups and each group will get to practice pitch during one of these three time slots:
9am to 11:30am PST
11:45 to 2:15 PST
3:00 to 5:30pm PST
There will be a wrap-up and discussion session 5:30 to 6:30pm PST.
Sunday April 27 (10am to 7pm PST) — You will pitch to our incredible industry guests Michael Alden, Brian Graden, and Rebecca Lowrey, who will give constructive and specific feedback on improving your pitch.
Each team will get two chances to pitch (to two different guests) during these time slots:
10:30am to 1pm PST
1:30 to 4pm PST
This will be followed by a wrap up and Q&A about the coming week of pitches (from 4pm to 6pm PST).
Week of April 28 - May 2 — During the week of April 28, each participating team will be given (at least) two separate opportunities to pitch live to a wide group of industry professionals. There will be a morning (10am to 12pm PST) and an afternoon (2pm to 4pm PST) pitch session from Monday to Friday during the week. Participating teams will be pre-assigned to specific sessions.
Following the final Pitch Week session on Friday, all participants will meet again for a final wrap up from 4pm to 5:30pm PST.
As part of the entire process, all participating teams will be given the opportunity to create a web page on the NMI website (facilitated by NMI staff) that will include a logo, demo sound file, description and other information about their show (including links to outside websites/materials). These pages will be made available to all of the industry professionals who have taken part in the conference; as well as a much longer list of industry professionals across the country.
NOTE: A maximum of 50 participating writing teams will be able to sign up for the full conference. We are also accepting auditors for the conference who will not get to pitch live, but will still get the opportunity to have a webpage that will be circulated to the same list of industry professionals after the conference.
Feedback from Past Pitch Sessions
“I’ve now participated in two NMI Virtual Pitch Conferences, and I keep coming back because it’s one of the best opportunities available for musical theater writers to get feedback on our work from actual producers and industry insiders. NMI provides a supportive environment to help writers identify what’s most compelling about our shows, and hone that into a crisp “elevator pitch” that we can use for the life of the show to help attract attention from artistic directors and potential funders. This is an enormously valuable service and I’m so grateful it exists!” ~~ Dorie Clark, lyricist and librettist
“NMI gave me the opportunity to pitch my musical to 15 different producers. I would have never had this kind of opportunity. But not only that, NMI taught me how to pitch and for that I am truly grateful.” ~~ Ann Eskridge, Echoes Across the Prairie
“Elise and Scott are seasoned pros with a gift for making the learning experience not only informative but also incredibly enjoyable! Thanks to their guidance, I left the NMI pitch conference feeling empowered with the tools to take my pitch to the next level.” ~~ Jessica Welsh, Wild Man of the Wynoochee
“I not only learned an enormous amount about presenting a pitch, but a producer got in touch with me after my pitch, and wants to talk about the project!”
“I’ve been a librettist/lyricist for many years now, and the NMI Pitch Conference was one of the most valuable things I’ve ever done. The conference was a masterwork of efficiency and organization, and Elise and Scott’s generosity, intelligence, good-nature and expertise infused the experience. I look forward to participating in anything they do in the future.”
“I had some general ideas about how to pitch my musical before the conference, but the conference clarified them and made my pitch super-effective and reflective of what was uniquely appealing about our musical.”
“The NMI Biz Conference represents a tremendous opportunity for pitching, learning, and networking for any writer hoping to advance a new musical. It forced me to distill my two hour musical into a 4 minute pitch, which was initially terrifying but ultimately extremely useful. The conference price is a bargain for the wealth of information provided, and the organizers and panelists are all at the top of their game.”
“The New Musicals, Inc Biz conference was the most valuable two days I spent all year for the promotion and development of our musical. It was well worth the time spent and the price of admission. I came away with contacts, valuable insights and feedback, and charged up with positive emotions.”
THE PITCH WEEKEND INSTRUCTORS
Throughout the weekend, you will be hosted and shepherded by NMI’s Artistic Director, Elise Dewsberry, and Executive Director, Scott Guy.
The Friday Night Q&A Panel will feature Broadway producer Cody Lassen, television executive Brian Graden, and songwriter/producer/brand strategist Nico Juber in a moderated discussion of pitching from both sides of the table.
On Saturday, each team will get the chance to practice their pitch twice - and receive feedback and guidance from Elise and Scott.
ELISE DEWSBERRY
Artistic Director of New Musicals Inc., Elise has been involved in the development of new works for over forty years: as an actor/singer, as a director, as a dramaturge, and as a writer. While living in Toronto, Elise served as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Muskoka Festival; the Co-Ordinator of the festival’s annual Musical Theatre Writer’s Colony, the Associate Dramaturge of the Canadian Stage Company; the Resident Dramaturge of the Smile Theatre Company; and was the co-founder of Toronto’s Script Lab. Elise joined ANMT as Associate Artistic Director in 2003; joined Founding Artistic Director John Sparks as Co-Artistic Director in 2010; and became Artistic Director of New Musicals Inc. in 2013. Elise is also the author and evaluator of the Book Lab and the Outlining Lab, offered online through www.writingmusicaltheatre.com, and publishes a monthly blog on the craft of musical theatre available at https://nmi.org/elises-video-blog/.
SCOTT GUY
Scott has been actively involved as a writer and producer in both theatre and television. He has six Emmy nominations, and over 100 produced television scripts for Warner Bros., FOX-TV, Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. Scott is the Executive Director of New Musicals Inc. where he supervises the development of musicals for live and digital platforms. He created the Lyric Lab over fifteen years ago and has supervised the development of hundreds of musicals. He has been Winner/Finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Award, four-time winner for Stages Musical Theatre Festival, and many other accolades. His theatre scripts, including The Fish Whisperer, Just-So Stories, Der Strunkenwhitenlieder, and Rootabaga Stories have had multiple productions throughout the United States. He is also the author of a new series of TEXTBOOKS for WRITING MUSICAL THEATRE.
CODY LASSEN
Cody Lassen is an American Tony Award-winning and Grammy nominated theater producer and consultant. He is best known for producing the revival of Spring Awakening, which won him an Ovation Award and a Tony nomination.
Lassen was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He earned his MBA from the University of Notre Dame and graduated from DePaul University.
He held live entertainment management positions with Nielsen and NBCUniversal. While at NBCUniversal, Lassen was active in their corporate diversity initiatives and was part of the team that led the company to be named one of the best places to work for LGBT employees. In addition to producing his own projects, Lassen consulted for major studios, producers, theatres and agencies. He oversaw marketing efforts for Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group and was a production assistant for several films and TV series.
His Broadway productions include Indecent and revival of Spring Awakening and co-productions include Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, “Significant Other“, The Band’s Visit, and Torch Song.
When Lassen joined the production of the Deaf West Theatre revival of Spring Awakening in 2015, it premiered at Inner-City Arts’ Rosenthal Theater in L.A. Under his production management, the show went on to win six Ovation Awards (with 15 nominations), including best musical in two categories, intimate theater and large theater. The latter was won by Lassen together with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Deaf West Theatre.
Lassen teamed up with producers Ken Davenport and the Deaf West Theatre, and transferred the show from the 99-seat Los Angeles production to Broadway in just 366 days, an unprecedented feat. The production opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in September 2015. For the show, performed in both American Sign Language and spoken English, the producers were honored with the Champion of Change Award by the New York Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for their “efforts to increase diversity and inclusivity on Broadway.” The show was a success on Broadway and was even performed at the White House.
He partnered with Daryl Roth to transfer the critically acclaimed Paula Vogel play Indecent to Broadway in the 2016/17 season where it was honored with two Tony Awards for Best Direction and Best Lighting, and nominated for Best Play.
Lassen’s upcoming projects include How I Learned To Drive, a Pulitzer-winning play by Paula Vogel opening on Broadway in 2021, with much of the original cast and creative team from its off-Broadway debut 23 years prior, Alice By Heart, a new musical by Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson, premiering at MCC Theater in February 2019; and Some Lovers, a new musical by Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater opening at the Adirondacks Theatre Festival in June 2018.
NICO JUBER
Recently named one of the “Women to Watch on Broadway” in 2023 by the Broadway Women’s Fund, Nico Juber is an award-winning musical writer, playwright, Millennial mom, and twenty-year lymphoma survivor. Her original comedy, Millennials Are Killing Musicals (O’Neill NMTC Semifinalist ’21 & ‘22), has been previously showcased through New York Theatre Barn’s New Works Series and sold-out concert presentations at Vitellos (mostlyNEWmusicals) and 54 Below.
Her show Winner, co-written with Joe Barros, is being developed by New York Theatre Barn and New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Her short sci-fi musical, Holo, won one of the top awards in the 2020 NAMT 15-Minute Musical Challenge, had its premiere at the Beck Center for the Arts (with Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre, directed by Ciara Renée) in February 2021, and was selected for the 2021 Broadway OnDemand Short Film Festival. With collaborator Selena Seballo, she was one of the Drama League Light the Lights Challenge winners for their song “Our Next Act,” performed by André De Shields at their benefit in October 2021. She is a proud member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild, Ring of Keys, League of Professional Theatre Women, and current Maestra Moms affinity group co-chair. Nico holds a B.A. from Tufts University. @stuffnicolikes
BRIAN GRADEN
Brian served for 13 years as the President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Channels and President of Logo until December 2010. As President of Entertainment, Mr. Graden lead and provided programming over- sight to all the MTVN music networks including MTV, VH1, MTV2 and CMT. While there, he developed such cultural phenomenon as The Osbourne’s, P Diddy’s Making The Band, Wild and Out, Run’s House, Pimp My Ride, Newlyweds, Punk’d, and Jackass, to name a few. He also developed and green-lit MTV’s musical flagship, Total Request Live, which helped propel countless artists to stardom. Additionally, he oversaw flagship events like the Video Music Awards. He also green-lit MTV’s biggest hits of recent years, Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant. MTV remained the #1 destination for viewers ages 12-24 throughout Brian’s entire tenure. He similarly engineered a ratings turnaround at Vh1 with programs like I LOVE THE 80’s and Best Week Ever.
His most recent venture is the production company Brian Graden Media. In 2013, Brian Graden Media received significant attention and their first Emmy win for their innovative series HitRECord, a new take on the variety show produced with and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The show is made collaboratively by a community of hundreds of thousands of artists from all over the world via the web, and it features short films, live performances, cartoons and much more. In nine years, BGM has delivered 20 seasons of television, including: two seasons of Instant Influencer for YouTube Originals, two seasons of Create Together for YouTube Originals, Band Together with Logic for YouTube Originals, four seasons of Escape the Night for YouTube Originals, Temmoraland for Lifetime, The Disappearance of Natalie Holloway for Oxygen, The Todrick Show for MTV, Walk of Shame Shuttle for VH1, Finding Prince Charming for LOGO, Animal Crackers for CW, Gnarkatz for Rated Red/Go-90, Men Of The Strip for E!, Lance loves Michael for E!, Buying the Business for CNBC and Secret Genius for Spotify. BGM has also developed and delivered pilots for over 30 networks including Netflix, NBC, Oxygen, Peacock, Lifetime, History, BET, A&E, Disney Channel, Bravo, and POP TV and many others. In 2020, Brian Graden Media snagged its second Emmy win for Create Together with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
In 1996, Brian Graden’s first production company was also a success. He commissioned a video Christmas card from two upstart talents Trey Parker and Matt Stone called “The Spirit of Christmas.” The five-minute short quickly became the underground secret vice of Hollywood, and spawned a little series called South Park, which Graden developed and Executive Produced with Parker and Stone. South Park has received Emmy’s in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 for outstanding animated program; a 2007 AFI Award for Program of the Year; 2006 Peabody Award to name just a few. Today, now streaming on HBO Max and celebrating its 25th year, South Park is also one of the biggest financial successes in TV history.
Starting in 1989, Mr. Graden spent his early years in television working at Fox, a new network at the time, rising to SVP of Development and overseeing such venerable franchises as Cops and America’s Most Wanted. He also created the smash syndicated relationship-show hit, STUDS. Mr. Graden has also continued to consult for clients like the NBCUni Cable family and other networks.
Graden’s interest in music dates back to his days performing in his 80’s cover band, Ace Oxygen and The Ozones, during college, which continues to perform today.
Mr. Graden holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Other awards and honors include an EQCA (Equality California) Award for Commitment to Advancing LGBT Equality, GLAAD Media Vito Russo Award for Excellence in Media, and multiple years on the board of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society. He is also a frequent speaker, most recently keynoting The 4th Cellcom Media Conference in Tel Aviv. He’s also been a keynote speaker at the 2008 Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus Annual Commencement, the Reaching Out MBA conference, and as an ambassador for MTV’s Fight For Your Rights: Take a Stand Against violence campaign, which he spearheaded while at the network.
PITCH SUNDAY and PITCH WEEK
Sunday will consist of two feedback sessions where teams will get to work directly with our industry professional guests Michael Alden, Brian Graden, and Rebecca Lowrey.
By the end of this intensive weekend, all participating teams will be ready to enter into Pitch Week where they will get the chance to pitch directly to panels of multiple industry guests. Scroll further down to see the list of possible guests for Pitch Week.
REBECCA LOWREY
Rebecca Lowrey, Owner and CEO of MusicalWriters.com, is passionate about creating new works and has spent the past 17 years as a premier music director, vocal coach, and accompanist in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, New York City and everywhere in between. The impressive ability to play anything put in front of her has gained her entry to elite casting rooms, production meetings, rehearsals, and beyond, resulting in a unique skillset that spans more than just music — simply put, she knows what works for a musical. A director and producer as well, Rebecca is adept at getting new shows up on their feet in record time, all while efficiently coordinating the long list of to-dos required to prepare a show for an audience
Rebecca is a champion of diverse casting and production teams (#WomenDirect) and has the pull and connections to assemble unforgettable, live, onstage bands. In 2017, Rebecca began producing a series of intimate productions known as the Living Room Concerts. Starting with simple piano-only performances in her living room with friends, the series expanded to poolside parties and festive holiday gatherings. Her recent credits include the critically acclaimed production of the rock musical Lizzie at Imprint Theatreworks in Dallas, a lauded run of Gutenberg! The Musical! at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, and a Rocky Horror Show and 9 to 5 that celebrated the uniqueness of its performers.
You may recognize Rebecca from TikTok, where her popular #DuetWithMe videos encourage thousands of performers to #KeepSinging. Rebecca earned her bachelor of arts degree in music (with a minor in business administration) from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.
MICHAEL ALDEN
A native of Southern California, Michael Alden began his career on stage and motion pictures at an early age. As a child actor, he appeared in numerous family shows during the late fifties and early sixties. In 1977 Mr. Alden stepped behind the scenes working in various aspects of production.
In 1984 Mr. Alden joined Cannon Films in their post-production department. Quickly moving up the ranks, in 1986 he was made supervisor of the department, overseeing the creative and technical post-production of over one hundred feature films.
Mr. Alden assumed Vice Presidency at Pathe Communications in 1989, where he headed their public post production facility, Pathe Services. He served as a corporate officer of the newly formed company taking them into profit in their first year. During his term, Mr. Alden was instrumental in locating, analyzing and supervising the rejuvenation of over 1,500 feature film elements that had been stored worldwide which comprised the company’s film library. These feature elements served as the equity foundation for Pathe’s purchase of MGM/UA where Mr. Alden went on to serve as their vice president of post-production.
As a producer, Mr. Alden has been represented in the West End with Come From Away, (Olivier Award for Best Musical), David Seidler’s original play The King’s Speech and Bat Boy The Musical. On Broadway: Come From Away (2017 Tony Nomination & Olivier Winner for Best Musical), Disgraced (Pulitzer Prize – Drama), Grey Gardens, and Bridge & Tunnel (Special Tony Award).
His off Broadway and regional works include; The King’s Speech, Not That Jewish, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Admit One, the Brochu-Schalchlin musical The Last Session, Spalding Gray: Stories Left To Tell, the Los Angeles productions of Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, and Theresa Rebeck’s Bad Dates.
Alden’s film works include: From The Shadows, Studio One Forever, Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With A Twist, Death Metal, My Beautiful Stutter, Just Cause with Sean Connery, the fashion forward documentary UnZipped for Miramax, Stephen Daldry’s The Hours, the multi-award winning feature comedy Kissing Jessica Stein and Ralph Ziman’s foreign feature film The Zookeeper starring Sam Neill.
His current 2023/24 film production works include the supernatural thriller, 5 Must Die; When Reagan Killed Roosevelt, a film chronicling the community of Roosevelt Long Island from their heydey in the 1950’s to the slow dismantling of a community that gave birth to Public Enemy, Howard Stern, Eddie Murphy, LL Cool Jay and more; and The Griots of Hip Hop!, the never before told story of the rise of MTV Raps and their place in the rap revolution.
Here is a list of some of the industry professionals who have been part of past Pitch Week sessions:
Marleen Alhadeff (Producer, Junkyard Dog Productions)
Margot Astrachan (Owner, Margot Astrachan Production)
Michael Baron (Producing Artistic Director, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma)
Roger Bean (President, Steele Spring Stage Rights)
Jane Bergere (Producer, Jane Bergere Productions)
Victoria Bussert (Director, Music Theatre Program, Baldwin-Wallace University)
Cate Caplin (Director/Choreographer)
Sean Cercone (President, Broadway Licensing)
Kathy Evans (Founding Executive Director, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat)
Allison Fifield (Artistic Programs and Events Manager, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Marco Gomez (Producer, DOMA Theatre Company)
Brandon Ivie (Associate Artistic Director, Village Theatre)
Michael Jackowitz (Founder/Managing Member, WitzEnd Productions)
Joshua Katzker (PiTCH Coordinator/Artistic Associate, The Rev Theatre Company)
Cody Lassen (Producer, Cody Lassen and Associates)
Roy Lightner (Artistic Consultant, Red Mountain Theatre)
Carolyn D. Miller (Co-Founder, Creative Endeavor Office)
Soren Moller (Creative Director / Producer / Partner at Monday Live)
Joey Monda (Partner, Sing Out Louise Productions)
Kevin Moore (Artistic Director, Human Race Theatre)
Kent Nicholson (Director of Musical Theatre, Playwrights Horizon)
Ann-Carol Pence (Co-Founder/Associate Producer, Aurora Theatre)
James A Rocco (Director, Theatrical Consultant, Writer)
Stuart Ross (Writer/Director/Producer (Forever Plaid, Fun with Dick and Jane))
Michael Rubinoff (Producer)
Blair Russell (Associate, Show Shepherd)
Jen Sandler (Associate Artistic Director, New York Theatre Barn)
Giovanna Sardelli (Director of New Works, TheatreWorks)
Matt Schicker (Founder and President, Show Shepherd)
Christopher Sepulveda (Producer, Apples and Oranges Arts)
Sara Skolnick (VP of Production, Stageworks Productions)
Johnna Tavianini (Associate Professor of Musical Theatre, Ball State University)