Two years ago I went as a volunteer. Last year I had PLANE CRAZY in the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

This year I was happy to sit back and enjoy the shows as a mere audience member! Much less stressful, believe me! But I have to admit I did miss the excitement that builds up during the Festival. It really is a special event.

So special that I packed up the whole family and went on a road trip to New York to catch some NYMF shows! W00h00! (Well, we also went on the trip to see A CHORUS LINE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and FAME BECOMES ME, but more on that later...)

Back to NYMF -- I always like seeing new shows. Whether or not I love them, hate them or am indifferent, I always learn something or see something done in a way that I'd never thought of. As a writer, it is invaluable experience. And the level of performance by the actors and musicians is always extraordinary and worth seeing (I was able to see Emily Skinner, Hunter Foster, and Kerry Butler to mention a few...). Hats off to all the shows I saw, and "sorry I missed you" to the shows I didn't see!

This year I was able to take in the following shows:

HAVE A NICE LIFE at New World Stages
Book by Matthew Hurt and Conor Mitchell, Music and Lyrics by Conor Mitchell.

"Six strangers and their therapist gather to confess their funniest, scariest, darkest and most embarrassing personal moments. This new musical by one of England's hottest up-and-coming composers explores the barriers we put up and what happens when they come crashing down."

GO GO BEACH at 37 Arts
Book and Lyrics by John Wimbs, Music by Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord.

"A coming-of-age story about a surfer who gets into trouble with his girlfriend when he falls for a runaway teen pop star, and the flower child who helps him find the true meaning of love. GO GO BEACH is a new musical fable told in the style of the 1960s beach party movie, featuring an original score inspired by the surf sound, girl groups, and swinging go-go music."

THE PAISLEY SISTERS' CHRISTMAS SPECIAL at The Sage Theatre
Book by Jim Ansart, Joel Benjamin, Bret Silverman, Steve Silverman, Music by Bret Silverman, Lyrics by Jim Ansart, Joel Benjamin, Bret Silverman.

"It's 1964. The Paisley Sisters are airing a brand-new color-television holiday extravaganza that they hope will put them back in the top 40. A book musical with 20 original songs wrapped in a hilarious send-up of early holiday television specials and the people who did them."

GUTENBERG -- THE MUSICAL! at The Sage Theatre
Book, Music and Lyrics by Anthony King and Scott Brown.

"Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450, so Bud Davenport and Doug Simon wrote a musical about him and they're bringing it to Broadway. They don't have a cast, a budget, or a producer...but they have a dream! This is Bud and Doug's backers audition: a tuneful, tasteless triumph, celebrating the monstrous success of their idiocy."

PARTY COME HERE at TBG Theatre
Book by Daniel Goldfarb, Music and Lyrics by David Kirshenbaurm.

"A nervous groom, a statue of Christ, and a 500-year-old Jewish caveman converge to make miracles happen during a tropical storm on one magical night in Rio."

SMOKING BLOOMBERG at Theatre at St. Clements
Book, Music & Lyrics by David Cornue, Sam Holtzapple, Warren Loy, and Chris Todd.

"A raucous musical satire about a Korean dry cleaner's quest for revenge against Mayor Bloomberg and the smoking ban that has ruined her business."

HOT AND SWEET at Theatre at St. Clements
Book, Music and Lyrics by Barbara Schottenfeld.

"It's 1945 and the men are overseas. Who is going to keep Americans dancing back home? The Honeytones, the Chicagoan all-girl swing band, who will risk everything in order to play!" HOT AND SWEET interweaves the personal stories of these pioneering musicians -- their dreams, their loves, their struggles, and their bittersweet triumphs -- through an exhilarating jazz score."

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