Theatre Now Announces Finalists for SOUND BITES ELEVEN, its 11th Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals

SOUND BITES ELEVEN will play Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center May 6th

Theatre Now Announces Finalists for SOUND BITES ELEVEN, its 11th Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals

SOUND BITES ELEVEN will play Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center May 6th

New York, NY (March 2024) - Theatre Now New York, one of the nation’s leading producers of original short-form musicals, has selected 10 finalists to be presented in its SOUND BITES ELEVEN Festival of 10-Minute Musicals. The festival will take place on May 6th at 7pm at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center (129 W 67th St, New York).

Now in its eleventh year, the SOUND BITES Festival of 10-Minute Musicals is a fast-paced evening featuring a diverse lineup of stories and styles from emerging writers. Shows presented in past years of the festival have gone on to be licensed through Music Theatre International and produced around the world. Theatre Now's Artistic Director Tom Morrissey describes the event as "an incredible opportunity to experience the future of musical theatre, with both traditional and genre-bending shows that showcase the next generation of writers."

The 10 finalists chosen for this year's festival are:

A DOOR - Words by Seth Christenfeld, Music by James Ballard

An ordinary couple faces the ordinary problems of an ordinary Sunday: marital stagnation, who gets to do the New York Times crossword, and a mysterious portal opening in their backyard.

A PIECE OF THE PAST - Book, Music, & Lyrics by Brooke Trumm & Will Shishmanian

While making an apple pie, three generations of women try to recall pieces of their family history lost to their grandmother’s memory loss.

INPUT/OUTPUT - Music by Adam Rothenberg, Book & Lyrics by RJ Christian

A disgruntled anthropology professor seeks to prove the limitations of artificial intelligence with a live demonstration of software that feels uncannily human and takes an unexpected turn.

MAY I BE FRANK - Music by Jack Lipson, Book & Lyrics by Jessica Wu, Inspired by the short film ANNE by Adi Eshman

Two hopefuls vie for the title role in Anne, a new mega-musical.

THE BIRTHMARK - Book & Lyrics by Kaylee Killingsworth, Music & Lyrics by Kenady Sean, Arranged by Rhett Hayes

Inspired by the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Birthmark follows a scientist who grows obsessed with removing a mysterious birthmark from his wife’s cheek.

THE COIN TOSS - Book, Music & Lyrics by Jake Landau

A person flips a coin to decide whether or not to text their ex, but the coin spirals up impossibly high into the sky and refuses to come back down — it is not the only thing spiraling.

THE GREAT FALL - Music & Lyrics by Noah Weisbart, Book & Lyrics by John Sakelos

It’s such a beautiful day. What could possibly go wrong?

THE LATCHKEY KID - Book, Music & Lyrics by Katherine Cartusciello

In the fifteen minutes she has before her mother comes home, a girl goes on an adventure with her faithful dog companion, battling foes real and imaginary in order to finally face the Giant in the Sky.

THE PEARL OF THE EAST - Book, Music & Lyrics by Zonia Tsang

Set against the backdrop of the recent Hong Kong protests, a grandmother recounts the dangers she survived and the prices she paid to leave China during the Cultural Revolution.

TIKTAALIK: THE MUSICAL - Book & Lyrics by Andrea J. Love, Music by Alex Ngo, Story by Andrea J. Love and Alex Ngo

It’s the Devonian Period — 375 million years ago — and one bold Tiktaalik is about to journey onto land for the very first time and change the course of evolution…right?

Runners up for this year's festival are TROUBLESHOOTING (Book, Music & Lyrics by John Carroll), STRANDED! (Book & Music by Ilann Margalit Maazel, Book & Lyrics by Raymond Bokhour), THE BIRDS STILL SING (Words & Music by Gaurav Mishra and Bryce Palmer), and FIREFLY SUMMER (Music by Yuriko Shibata, Book & Lyrics by Ted Bushman).

Theatre Now would like to thank this year's panel of adjudicators: Lupa Aguilar, Ernie Bird, Jessie Field, Jonathan Foster, Eric Grunin, Howard Ho, Curtis Howard, Timothy Huang, Chris Kerrigan, Cameron Reese, Sharon Rosen, Erik Schark, and Andrew Strano,

SOUND BITES ELEVEN is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by Music Theatre International and A.R.T/NY. Theatre Now is an artist service organization dedicated to the development, production, publication, and circulation of short and long-form musicals by providing ongoing support for writers and their work in order to nurture voices and forms that push the boundaries of musical theatre.

Pre-Sale Tickets for Members begins on Sunday March 24th. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 7. For more information about Theatre Now New York, visitwww.tnny.org.

Press Contact

Erik Schark

erik@tnny.org

212-845-9824 ext. 804

SISTAS! The Musical

Jubilee Theatre has produced “Sistas The Musical to provide audiences with an evening of thought, emotion, and, most of all, song. They have succeeded magnificently. Please come and see it.

"Ms. Killingsworth gives depth to what could be a thankless role and makes herself and indispensable part of the show."

- Chris Hauge, Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

Read the full review here:

• http://thecolumnonline.com/review/08-05-2019_SISTAS-THE-MUSICAL/?fbclid=IwAR3vf0KcGFuAdMbkaPihcns5NETLQdKSVthMGt1rM-3vmqj0amIEAxadnN4

A moving musical with a tight ensemble cast tells the story of the African-American woman experience through music. 5 women go into the attic after the matriarch of the family passes away. 

Sistas The Musical runs July 26 –Aug. 25 at Jubilee Theatre, 506 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102. Evening performancesare at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Matinee performances are at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

Ticket Prices:

Preview Performances | July 26–Aug. 1$26 

Matinee Performances |Aug. 3 –Aug. 25 $30 

Evening Performances | Aug. 2–Aug. 24 $34 

Tickets may be purchased online at jubileetheatre.org, in person at the theater Box Office, located at 506 Main Street or by calling 817-338-4411. Box Office hours of operation are Tuesday –Friday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and one hour before each performance. About the Jubilee Theatre: Fort Worth/Dallas area’s original home of African American theater. The Jubilee Theatre produces a full season of productions that reflect the African-American culture and experience. Located in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, the Jubilee Theatre is a point of interest on both natives and tourists’ schedules.