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THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT is a two-person full-length one-act musical which tells the story of Lizzie and Sammy. Lizzie gets a visit from a version of herself from the future, determined to make sure she does not make the mistake of marrying her loser fiancé. The Liz from the future breaks off the engagement, which causes Sammy to become a bitter but highly successful screenwriter. Sammy’s success causes a second version of Lizzie to visit from the future in order to try to keep the couple together. The time-rifts start overlapping, and at one point in the show, Lizzie’s body is being fought over by no less than four versions at once. As much fun as the simultaneous Lizzies are, the heart of the show is the relationship between Lizzy and Sammy. Sammy never gets over the betrayal of the original breakup, and it haunts every version of their future together. Written by NMI members Wayne Self (book and lyrics) and Scott Wilkinson (music) and featuring Megan Rees and Christopher Robert Smith, “The Benefit of Hindsight” won the 2020 Search for New Musicals. With a cast of two, a simple set; pre-made tracks or live band, it’s a lovely evening which examines the nature of roads not taken. The Broadwater Black Box (6322 Santa Monica Blvd.) - 90 minutes.  Preview: June 7 at 8pm  ($10). Performances ($15): June 10 at 9:30pm / June 17 at 8:30pm / June 18 at 12:30 pm  TICKETS NOW ON SALE

SO PROUDLY WE HAILED.  Based on the inspiring webseries available through New Musicals Inc., this live stage show is a collection of short musicals about veterans, in their own words. Each evening will be different – with four different veteran stories featured each evening. June 17 at 6:30pm and June 25 at 4:30pm (90 minutes; $15). TICKETS NOW ON SALE

July 22-24 PLUS Pitch Weekend July 30-31
ONLINE via ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Musicals and Audiences are Changing. Get Ready.

The emerging post-pandemic world is going to be VERY different for the world of musical theatre. During the weekend of July 22-24, 2022, New Musicals Inc is hosting a national conference to discuss how writers and producers of musical theatre need to act now in order to prepare for the demands of the future.

“Masks. Pronouns. Diversity. Metaverse!” muses Elise Dewsberry, referring to just a few of the items on the conference’s agenda.

Writers and producers from the entire globe will be participating virtually in a combination of panels, lectures, informal chats, and networking. After spending the weekend learning about what producers are looking for; registered writing teams can get the opportunity to pitch directly to panels of Industry Professionals during the weekend of July 30/31.

Panels will include: “How Lockdown Changed Musical Theatre (Forever?)”; “New Opportunities for Your Musical”; “The Future of Producing”; and the very timely “Writing For Inclusive Stories and Characters”.

A dazzling array of panelists are already lined up to enjoin in the discussions, including:

• Margot Astrachan (Owner, Margot Astrachan Production)
• Joe Barros (Artistic Director, New York Theatre Barn)
• Joey Monda (Partner, Sing Out Louise Productions)
• Michael R. Blaha (Entertainment Attorney)
• Gordon P. Firemark (Entertainment Attorney)
• Michael Cassara (Owner, Michael Cassara Casting)
• David Kurs (Artistic Director, Deaf West Theatre)
• Kalani Queypo (Actor, Filmmaker, Writer)
• Philip Seward (Composer, Creator of NMI’s MUSIC LAB)
• Michael Shepperd (Director/Actor)
• Socks Whitmore (Performer/Composer/Storyteller)
• Joshua Katzker (PiTCH Coordinator/Artistic Associate, The Rev Theatre Company)
• Christopher Sepulveda (Producer, Apples and Oranges Arts)
• Brian Graden (Producer, Brian Graden Media)
• Cody Lassen (Producer, Cody Lassen and Associates)
• Kent Nicholson (Director of Acquisitions and New Works, Broadway Licensing)
• Paige Price (Independent Producer)

And with more panelists to come!

“The Conference will be packed with timely, vital information, straight from the producers and writers creating musicals right now,” says NMI’s Executive Producer, Scott Guy. “What are the opportunities for writers, and how has the landscape changed? We’re excited that we’ll all be discovering this together.”

Pitch opportunities will happen the weekend after the conference. All participants who register for the Full Conference Plus Pitch Panels will be scheduled for at least TWO pitch sessions during the weekend of July 30/31. Each Pitch session will be virtually attended by a variety of industry professionals from across the country.

Participants who register for the Full Conference or the Saturday Only or Sunday Only options will be coached through the process of setting up their musical on its own webpage on NMI’s site, which will be shared with the same industry guests who are on the pitch panels.

Writers can participate virtually from anywhere in the world. Information and registration can be found at: CONFERENCE AGENDA

Saturday, May 21 at 7:30pm
A TINY LITTLE SKY by Anton Chesnokov
JOIN US LIVE at NMI (5628 Vineland Avenue) OR for the Live Stream at:
https://youtu.be/1ofM5BDAu_o

Monday, May 23 at 7:30pm
PICKPOCKET by Sandy Kasten and Billy Wolfe
JOIN US LIVE at NMI (5628 Vineland Avenue) OR for the Live Stream at:
https://youtu.be/lZTFNmHSRJY

It’s a strange but exciting time at New Musicals Inc, as we explore the short-form online musical. Please visit us online for a new musical experiment every week. Free.

To see more from this series, subscribe to the vlog at https://nmi.org/nmi-resources/elises-video-blog/