A brief introduction...

Hello NYMF Blog readers!

I'm, needless to say, very excited for the kickoff of the festival in just over a week. It'll be a busy few weeks, no doubt, but I can think of very few better ways to spend my time than seeing live theater. The purpose of our blogging team is supposed to be something similar to the idea behind Broadway.com's "Word of Mouth" feature... but, if I may, with a bit more integrity. Hopefully you all won't hate us the way many in the theater community do "Word of Mouth," And hopefully, unlike the latter, we'll actually earn all of your respect.

I should probably use this opportunity to introduce myself... so, here's what you need to know about me: I'm just starting my senior year of college. I'm majoring in American Studies (I know, I know, "What's American Studies?") with a concentration in performance criticism and performance in American culture. I'm writing my senior thesis on John Doyle's production of Company -- an endeavor that is nothing if not the ultimate labor of love. (Since there are a few Company cast members in various NYMF shows, I'm sure you'll all be reading about my love for that production here at one point or another.) In addition to my internship with Broadway Bullet, I worked this past summer with Voice & Vision, a fantastic theater company whose focus is not on producing, but rather the development of works by female artists. Each year, Voice & Vision selects six projects for its two-week retreat at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and provides them with a unique, intense opportunity to focus on the fragile development process. Before that, I was a literary intern at Ars Nova, and ollowing my first year of college (back in the day...), I interned at Second Stage Theatre. So I've bounced around. And I've loved every minute.

Anyway, NYMF! I believe very strongly in supporting the development of new musicals, so the Festival has always been one of my favorite parts of the year. Sure, a lot of the shows are rather imperfect, but I know I'm not alone in enjoying seeing works-in-progress and the glimpse it provides into a part of the process other than the end product. I'm guilty of a great love affair with The Great White Way, but it's certainly nice to see things that might be more daring (and, dare I say it, refreshing) than the giant commercial monsters that reign on Broadway. Not to mention that it's pretty cool to see a show early on, and then be able to say, "I saw it when..." when it goes on to get a full production. Case in point: I saw Feeling Electric at the Festival in 2005; now called Next to Normal, it's part of Second Stage's upcoming season. I thought it was fantastic even mid-development, and eagerly await the full production. I always find it rather fascinating to see a finished product after having seen an earlier version and be able to note the changes, improvements, etc.

As for this year's Festival, here's a list of the shows I'll be covering for the blog:

I See London, I See France (The Underwear Musical)
The Yellow Wood
The Boy in the Bathroom
Sympathy Jones
Austentacious
Maccabeat
Warsaw

With over 30 shows, choosing what to see each year can be a bit of an overwhelming task -- and to be honest, I often choose shows based on who's in them. That's the case for a few of the above, but with more room to choose this year, I'm attempting to expand that horizon.

Something more substantive -- and more specific musings on the shows -- coming very soon, I promise. I hope you'll stay tuned.