NMI’s RESOURCE CENTER for musical theatre writers
…producers, theatres, contests, ideas, feedback, definitions, links, glossary, insider tips and advice, and free videos
Welcome to the musical theatre writers’ Resource Center.
This is a FREE page provided by New Musicals Inc. We’ve gathered in one place lots of info we think will be useful to writers of musical theatre:
- hundreds of musical theatre contests
- over 700 theatres and producers where you can submit your work
- an idea library of thousands of royalty-free public domain stories and plots
- a Writer Bank of potential musical theatre collaborators
- a glossary of musical theatre terms (with audio/video examples)
- a page of useful links to other resources for musical theatre writers
- access to short videos filled with tips and advice from NMI staff
You can see the full listings for FREE! You just need to register. Take a look at some random highlights from the feature boxes of the Resource Center below.
We also offer a paid Premium version of the Resource Center which gives you the ability to SEARCH all the listings for contests, theatres, and ideas which are relevant to you and your work; and includes a monthly e-newsletter with up-to-date listings that come straight to you.
Already a member? LOG-IN
INSIDER TIPS AND ADVICE |
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129 Ways To Get A Man — Feed Pigeons! (Tip #9) Straight out of an actual article from McCall’s magazine in 1957, Edna Fervor dispenses advice on how to get a husband. We create new musicals. To see more from this series, visit https://nmi.org April 1, 2022 How to Get NO Feedback from Elise: Vlog 55 – Collaborative Workshop Lecture #6 – The Art of Collaboration March 3, 2022 How to Get NO Feedback from Elise: Vlog 54 – Collaborative Workshop Lecture #5 – The Craft of the Music February 1, 2022 How to Get NO Feedback from Elise: Vlog 53 – Collaborative Workshop Lecture #4 – The Craft of the Lyrics January 5, 2022 How to Get NO Feedback from Elise: Vlog 52 – Collaborative Workshop Lecture #3 – The Craft of the Book December 1, 2021 How to Get NO Feedback from Elise: Vlog 51 – Collaborative Workshop Lecture #2 – “Secrets” in Musical Theatre *** Visit the INSIDER TIPS page to see the full listing of insider tips and advice videos. *** |
CONTESTS |
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FREE LISTING of hundreds of contests for plays and musicals. Premium Subscribers: get the additional ability to search by keywords. Who’s running contests for ten-minute musicals or one-acts? Who’s looking just for musicals? Dramas? Comedies? Or search by special interest, or geography. |
Here are some random samples from some upcoming contests/submissions listings:
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS |
Here are some samples from our Glossary of definitions of musical theatre terms. We will be adding to this over time - as well as adding actual sample scores and sound recordings. Check back often!
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FORMAT LIKE A PRO |
Watch this FREE video to learn how to implement the FORMAT GUIDELINES specifically designed by New Musicals Inc. Make sure your script and score look professional and are ready to go into development. |
French Operetta poster – date uncertain. From the New York Public Library collections. |
WRITER BANK |
Here are the newest additions to our Writer Bank:
You may peruse the Writer Bank for potential collaborators. If you are a logged-in registered (free) user, you are also welcome to enter your own information into the Writer Bank. Not yet registered? Just look for the registration form at the bottom of this page. |
PRODUCERS & THEATRES |
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FREE LISTINGS of nearly 700 producers and theatres for potential submission of your work. Premium Subscribers: get the additional ability to search by keyword or genre to identify who’s most likely to be interested in YOUR musical. (Large/small; comedy/drama; full-length/one-act; special interest like “women” or “LGBT” or youth theatre, etc.) |
Here are some random samples from our listings of theatres and producers:
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NEW MUSICALS ONLINE |
Here is one of our featured new musical theatre videos: |
LIBRARY OF IDEAS (Royalty Free) |
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FREE ACCESS to a library of 1000+ downloadable royalty-free stories, plays, plots and other inspiring indeas we’ve found in the public domain for you. There’s a brief excerpt of every item in the library, so you can take a quick glance to see whether or not you want to read the whole text. In addition, the NMI staff has made annotations and recommendations for many of the titles in the library about their potential to become musicals. Save hundreds of hours of research and reading! Premium Subscribers: get the ability to search the library for genre (Comedy, drama, suspense, ghost story, fairy story, etc.). |
Here are some random samples from our listings of story ideas in the public domain:
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IMPROVE YOUR CRAFT |
New Musicals Inc. offers a whole series of professional online LABS for bookwriters, lyricists, and composers who are serious about improving their craft. This video is a FREE sample of one of the lecture videos from the all new Lyric Lab 1 - Fundamentals. |
LINKS |
Here are some random samples from our musical-theatre related links:
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MUSICAL THEATRE ARCHIVES |
| Here is some musical theatre trivia about events that happened during THIS month in the past: |
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May 7, 1937 Shall We Dance premiered today, pairing America’s favorite dance team for the seventh time. Fred Astaire introduced the classic ‘They Can’t Take That Away from Me,’ which was nominated for an Oscar, while Fred and Ginger danced and sang on roller skates to ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.’ May 21, 1959 Gypsy opened on Broadway May 10, 1899 Fred Astaire was born today. May 2, 1984 Stephen Sondheim bounced back after the debacle of Merrily We Roll Along (sixteen performances), Sunday in the Park with George opened on Broadway today. May 16, 1946 Annie Get Your Gun opened on Broadway today, and it became the biggest hit for composer Irving Berlin, running for nearly three years. |
news feed:
MTC’s Golden Shield Begins Off-Broadway Run May 17
Off-Broadway News MTC’s Golden Shield Begins Off-Broadway Run May 17 The Manhattan Theatre Club production features direction by May Adrales, and performances by Cindy Cheung, Fang Du, and Kristen Hung. Golden Shield The American premiere of Golden Shield opens May 17, following previews which began April 26. The play is written by Anchuli Felicia King (White Pearl) with direction by May Adrales (Vietgone). It is slated to run through June 12. The legal drama follows an Amer…Read moreVIDEO: FUNNY GIRL Original Broadway Cast Member Visits Current Broadway Production
Rosemary Greenspon nee Jelincic, who was in the ensemble of the original Broadway production of Funny Girl, paid a visit to the Broadway revivalVIDEO: Meet DEAR EVAN HANSEN’s Zachary Noah Piser on Backstage with Richard Ridge
Watch as Richard Ridge catches up with Broadway’s newest Evan Hansen,Zachary Noah Piser.
Anthony Edwards Saves the Weekend With Surprise Appearance in Broadway’s Girl From the North Country
Broadway News Anthony Edwards Saves the Weekend With Surprise Appearance in Broadway’s Girl From the North Country Watch the behind-the-scenes video with the ER star and wife Mare Winningham, sharing how he prevented the show from cancelling performances. Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards “Is there a doctor in the house,” lead producer Tristan Baker asked during a pre-show announcement at the May 13 performance of Broadway’s Girl From the North Country. He then answered his own quest…Read morePhotos: ON YOUR FEET! Gets Spanish-Language World Premiere at GALA Hispanic Theatre
On May 7th, the World Premiere of the Spanish version of On Your Feet en Espanol has opened to rave reviews in DC at GALA Hispanic Theatre. Directed and choreographed byoriginal Broadway cast member Luis Salgado, music direction by Walter ‘Bobby’ McCoy.
Lauren Ambrose Stars in Reading of David Adjmi Comedy Marie Antoinette May 14
Readings and Workshops Lauren Ambrose Stars in Reading of David Adjmi Comedy Marie Antoinette May 14 Michael Kevin Baldwin directs the evening at Connecticut’s Sharon Playhouse. Lauren Ambrose Stage and screen star Lauren Ambrose, a Tony nominee for her performance in the recent Broadway revival of My Fair Lady, heads the cast of a May 14 staged reading of David Adjmi’s brassy comedy Marie Antoinette at the Sharon Playhouse. Directed by Sharon Playhouse Associate Artistic Dir…Read more
A Case for the Existence of God and Kimberly Akimbo Are 2022 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Winners
Awards A Case for the Existence of God and Kimberly Akimbo Are 2022 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Winners The awards will be presented during a private ceremony May 20. Will Brill and Kyle Beltran in A Case for the Existence of God Emilio Madrid The New York Drama Critics’ Circle has named Samuel D. Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God Best Play of the 2021-2022 season, while David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s Broadway-bound Kimberly Akimbo was named Best Musical.…Read moreVIDEO: Gaby French Opens Up About the Journey to Bring HANGMEN Back to Broadway
Your favorite podcast hosts Jason A. Coombs and Samantha Tuozzolo are back with hilarious, talented and absolutely gorgeous Gaby French who made her Broadway debut as Shirley in the five time Tony nominated play HANGMEN Gaby shares her journey with the show from auditioning, to the Covid-19 Pandemic shutting down production during previews in March 2020 to finally gracing the Broadway stage two years later.
Reviews: What Did Critics Think of Which Way to the Stage Off-Broadway?
The Verdict Reviews: What Did Critics Think of Which Way to the Stage Off-Broadway? The MCC Theater world premiere of Ana Nogueira’s new work opened May 10. Sas Goldberg and Max Jenkins Daniel J Vasquez Reviews are in for Ana Nogueira’s Which Way to the Stage world premiere at the Newman Mills Theater. The MCC Theater production opened May 10 in The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, following previews which began April 14. The show will run until May 22. Directed…Read moreActors’ Equity Association Condemns Unauthorized Creation and Sharing Of Naked Photos and Videos Of Actors
Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has issued a statement in response to news of a leak of photos and videos of a Second Stage Theater production featuring Equity members performing naked.| new musicals ... immortal |
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER |
Premium Subscribers receive a monthly email that lists upcoming contest deadlines; the newest members of the Writer Bank, some sample public domain ideas; as well as some fun musical theatre trivia like random lyric quotes, pictures from the archives, and listings of things that happened in the musical theatre world during this same month in the past. We know that it's not always easy to remember to come back to the Resource Center to remind yourself of what contest deadlines are coming up soon - so this newsletter will come to YOU. |
FREE ACCESS right now; just register with us and pay no fees. But for $50 a year, Premium Subscribers get all the extra stuff listed on this page. Here’s a summary of the additional perks for Premium Subscribers:
Free v. Subscription?
| Free | Subscribers | |
| Insider Tips | √ | |
| Contests | √ | Custom search |
| Producers/Theatres | √ | Custom search |
| Idea Library | √ | Custom search; recommended titles |
| Links/resources | √ | √ |
| Writer Bank | √ | √ |
| Glossary of Terms | √ | √ |
| Monthly Newsletter | – | √ |
| Format Guidelines | $15 | FREE |
| Creative Services | – | $50-$400 off |
| Advice | – | $50 off |
CREATIVE SERVICES
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| The Resource Center is a very powerful clearinghouse of information and source material. But what it does NOT include are workshops, feedback, or advice on how to get produced, all of which have some fees involved. However, premium subscribers to the Resource Center get discounts on our services, ranging from $50-$400. Here are some links to pages describing how New Musicals Inc. supports writers and composers of new musical theatre: |
| New Musicals Inc. Creative Services — Script Analysis, workshops, table readings, concerts. You’ll also find here some options about developing your musical. (Hint: look at “The Sandbox” — and create your own pathway according to your budget and timetable.) PREMIUM Subscribers get up to $400 off. |
| Consulting/Advice — We’re known for our supportive, practical consultations on producing, raising money, putting together budgets, as well as artistic issues like music notation, script doctoring, etc. PREMIUM Subscribers get $50 off. |
| Format Guidelines — Want your script and score to look as professional as possible when making submissions? PREMIUM Subscribers get our infamous GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL SCRIPT AND SCORE FORMATTING - ILLUSTRATED & EXPLAINED (a $15 value) for FREE. |
REGISTER FOR FREE!OR become a PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!Already registered? Please login below.
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Maybe I can’t live to love you as long as I want to. --Harold Arlen |
Free v. Subscription?
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FREE to Registered Users |
| Insider Tips |
| Contests (Subscribers get access to custom SEARCH options) |
| Producers/Theatres (Subscribers get access to custom SEARCH option) |
| Idea Library (Subscribers get access to custom SEARCH and recommended titles options) |
| Links/resources |
| Writer Bank |
| Glossary of Terms |
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PERKS for PREMIUM Subscribers |
| Custom search/filtering options |
| Monthly Newsletter |
| Format Guidelines for FREE |
| DISCOUNTS on Creative Services (from $50 to $400) |