Hunter Bird News

New York Theatre Barn will host a free live stream of its New Works Series on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 at 7PM EST, featuring excerpts from the new musicals Co-Founders and She Reached For Heaven. The live 1-hour presentation will also feature a conversation with the writers and creative team. 

New York Theatre Barn will continue to host free live streams of its New Works Series on select Wednesday evenings at 7PM ET. Each installment of the live 1-hour series includes excerpts from two new musicals and a conversation with the writers and creative team.

Just in time for Halloween Caitlin Baer will present a reading of her dark play The Society featuring Sophia Anne Caruso (Beetlejuice), Nikhil Saboo (Mean Girls), and Nathan Salstone (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).

National Alliance for Musical Theatre in conjunction with One Foot Productions has announced the launch of a new podcast series, Muse: Discover Musicals, giving you a front-row seat to groundbreaking new musicals in development.

Ars Nova has announced additional details for The Ars Nova Forever Telethon, a 24 hour livestream featuring over 100 artists celebrating Ars Nova's past and present while raising funds to propel the organization into its future. The online event will begin at 6pm EDT on June 12 and run non-stop until 6pm EDT on June 13.

Midnight Theatricals has announced the launch of a Virtual Reading Series focused on developing new work with playwrights, actors, directors, and other creatives. Some Broadway performers have signed on for the series, including Hadestown stars Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney.

Village Theatre kicks off the next series of Beta Productions with XY, a new musical written by Oliver Houser and developed and directed by Hunter Bird that runs at Village Theatre's First Stage Theatre in Issaquah from February 14 - 23, 2020. The production marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration between Village Theatre and Seattle Rep, who will continue development of the show in a future season.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces four additional commissioned playwrights as a part of Power Plays, an ambitious initiative commissioning and developing 25 new plays and musicals from a diverse mix of writers, composers and lyricists over the course of 10 years. Playwrights Lauren Yee, Zack Zadek, Emily Feldman and Karen Zacarías join previously commissioned playwrights with projects underway, including Eduardo Machado, whose Power Play Celia and Fidel, a perceptive and authentic look at Fidel Castro's most trusted confidant and political partner, Celia Sánchez, enjoys its world premiere in Arena's Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, February 28 through April 12, 2020.

After recently playing Hedwig on the First Broadway National Tour of Hedwig of the Angry Inch, Mason Alexander Park sings Stephen Trask's a?oeWicked Little Towna?? to promote their upcoming solo show a?oeMore Than A Woman Or A Man.a?? The GreenRoom 42 presents Mason's upcoming concert on December 12th at 9:30pm after its Los Angeles premier at the Rockwell Table and Stage. Featuring songs from shows that pushed the boundaries of gender play, expression, and performance like The Rocky Horror Show, La Cage Aux Folles, Hedwig, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and Boy George's Taboo, this show will deeply explore the importance that music and art has on developing identity from a young age through adulthood. From non-binary German punk rock stars, to sweet transvestites from outer space, this will be an evening of self-exploration through some of the greatest gender bending characters in the Broadway canon. Featuring incredible special guests such as Eden Espinosa(Wicked, Brooklyn), Mimi Imfurst (RuPaul's Drag Race), and more to be announced. Directed by Hunter Bird and featuring members from the Hedwig National Tour band, this is a night not to be missed!

The Fred Ebb Foundation (Mitchell S. Bernard, Trustee) in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presented the fifteenth annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Angela Sclafani & Benjamin Velez. The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, was presented by Kate Baldwin on Monday, December 2nd from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lounge of The American Airlines Theater.

The Fred Ebb Foundation (Mitchell S. Bernard, Trustee) in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will present the fifteenth annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Angela Sclafani & Benjamin Velez. The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, will be presented by Kate Baldwin on Monday, December 2nd from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lounge of The American Airlines Theater.

National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is thrilled to announce this year's directors and musical directors for their 31st Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25, 2019 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). The Festival events will kick off on Wednesday, October 23, with the return of The 46th Minute Concert at The Green Room 42.

It's that time of year again. One of my favorite times of year. That time when I get to spend the weekend at Village Theatre checking out the shows brought together by the folks at Village, spotlighting new works around the country. Some amazing, some needing work, but all showing promise. Now, of course, I can't review any of these. They're all still works in progress and not fully staged. But I can share what went on over the weekend as a potential coming attraction of musicals to come to a theater near you.

The Dramatist Guild Foundation will host musical theatre writer and 2018/19 Fellow Zack Zadek as he takes over The DGF Music Hall for a series of intimate salons this fall.

With The 19th Annual Festival of New Musicals taking place this upcoming weekend, Village Theatre is excited to announce the casting for XY, an uplifting musical about identity and coming to terms with your past; Cold Turkey, a wild and funny satire; Modern, an inspiring tale about a group of Amish teenagers; Eastbound, an poignant story about Chinese brothers in search of a home they've never known; and Cowboy Bob, an adventurous rock musical about a bank-robbing woman. The Festival will take place in Issaquah August 9-11, 2019 and provides an essential platform for writers to develop new works. Past Festival shows include Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning shows such as Next to Normal and Million Dollar Quartet, as well as Broadway and Off-Broadway hits: It Shoulda Been You, Desperate Measures, Lizzie, and many more.

Digital arts journal Stage Raw announces the nominees for its fifth annual Stage Raw Theater Awards, to be held Monday night September 9, 2019, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday August 7, 2019. The Stage Raw Theater Awards honor the finest work performed on Los Angeles area stages of 99-seats or fewer, and are selected by a jury of Stage Raw critics. This year's awards celebrate work performed between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.

Village Theatre has announced the lineup for The 19th Annual Festival of New Musicals, a series of five staged readings of musicals currently in development. The Festival will take place in Issaquah August 9-11, 2019. Village Theatre's Festival of New Musicals is the birthplace of Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning shows such as Next to Normal and Million Dollar Quartet, as well as Broadway and Off-Broadway hits: It Shoulda Been You, Desperate Measures, Lizzie, and many more.

 "Bronco Billy - The Musical" Book by Dennis Hackin, Music and Lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres Additional lyrics by Michele Brourman   8:30pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays through July 21, 2019 No 2:00pm matinee on July 6 & 20. Added: 8:00pm performances on Thursdays July 11 & 18