… making musicals

Welcome to the second issue of my every-other-month newsletter on the topic of developing new musicals. This newsletter is devoted to special offerings from New Musicals Inc. for bookwriters, lyricists, and composers of new musicals.

This second issue will focus on the upcoming annual deadline for NMI’s SEARCH FOR NEW MUSICALS - and how you can beat the crowd!

We started the Search way back in 2008, and every year since then, July 15th has been the deadline for our annual contest. If you submit your musical for dramatical evaluation (on any level) by July 15, 2025 - you will be entered in the contest for this season (results announced in November) and be eligible to win a concert reading in Los Angeles.

But here’s the deal: although submissions are open all year round, there is generally a rush to submit right around July 15 (to meet the deadline), and I get absolutely swamped! What this means is that if you wait until close to July 15 to submit, your musical will go into a long queue, and it could be as much as four months before you will receive your dramaturgical feedback.

That’s why I’m encouraging all readers of this newsletter to consider submitting to the Search PRIOR TO May 1. If you can do that, I can promise that you will receive your dramaturgical feedback (directly from me!) within 4-6 weeks. Check out the information below and head over to the link to see how to submit, and what you will be getting (check out those testimonials!).

Another perk this month - for readers of this newsletter, the EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE for the 2025 Virtual Pitch Conference has been EXTENDED! You now have until April 1st to take advantage of the $70 discount to register for the Conference. Read more about this event below.

Also check out our additional info: the most recent vlogs from “How to Get NO Feedback from Elise”; info on our Core Curriculum and our Search for New Musicals; and announcements about new opportunities at New Musicals Inc.

To receive this every-other-month newsletter in your own in-box, click the SUBSCRIBE button below. And let’s start making musicals together!

TESTIMONIALS

We really did appreciate all your help - you’ve got just the right tone to critique. It’s a matter of “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps The Medicine Go Down”!”

George Stiles
Mary Poppins, Honk, Soho Cinders

“Elise Dewsberry is spot on. Her approach is thorough, extensive, direct and supportive. Her comments resonated as she identified and made suggestions for the hiccups and obstacles that had been thwarting us for too long. We wish we had her help years ago, and we look forward to working with her again soon on all of our projects.”

Caroline Sherman & Robert Hull
Empire the Musical

“Elise is the Sherlock Holmes of dramaturgy. With her keen eye, extensive knowledge and thoughtful commentary, she has managed to suss out exactly what the creatives must do to improve their story-telling. I’d love to have her expertise on all new shows I work on.”

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Director/Choreographer
Ragtime, High Society, Secret Garden

“The Search evaluation provided not only insights, but also inspirations … and transformed the rewrite process into something exciting and fun!”

“Thanks for the honest evaluation. That’s not easy to come by and the level of detail you provided far exceeded my expectations so I feel I got more than my money’s worth.”

“If anyone is hesitant about the cost of submitting to you guys, be sure to have them talk to me. Your evaluations are worth ten times the fee.”

Pitch Your Musical!

Instructors/Guests: Industry Professionals / NMI Staff

Step into the future of pitching with Pitch Conference 2025! Connect virtually with writers and producers worldwide for a dynamic weekend of writing, honing, and practicing your pitch with expert guidance from NMI Staff and our industry professionals. In the week that follows, secure two personalized virtual meetings with multiple producers. Take the virtual stage one-on-one, pitch directly to industry professionals, and make your mark in the global creative landscape.

April 25 - May 2 / $295 per team ($225 Early Registration)

For the last eight years, I’ve been publishing the free monthly vlog “How to Get No Feedback from Elise”. Topics covered have included: Lead Character Goals; Logic of Plot; SHOW don’t TELL; The Work of a Scene; Pointing Forward; Planting Seeds; The Power of Song; Character Diction; Neighbor/Stranger Exposition; The Moment BEFORE and AFTER the Song; and much more. Here are the two most recent posts. (Watch the full playlist.)

VLOG #91: TEXT vs. SUBTEXT.
Which one will make your story more dramatically compelling for your audience?

Search for New Musicals

Annual Deadline: July 15

Submit your new musical for honest, detailed, critical feedback (at several different levels); and be automatically entered into a contest to win a reading in Los Angeles.
(Please note that the prices shown on the video are old and have been updated on the website).

For more info, visit our SUBMISSIONS PAGE.

Textbooks on Writing Musicals

Author: Scott Guy

Twenty years in the making, at last, ANMT’s famous courses, now in book form! Elevate your skills with “A Crash Course in Musical Theatre”, “The Craft of Writing Musicals”, “The Business of Musical Theatre”, and “The Musical Theatre Writer’s Toolbox” - your complete resources for mastering the craft of musical theatre.

For more info, visit TEXTBOOKS ON WRITING MUSICALS.