NATIONAL MUSIC THEATER CONFERENCE
June 30–July 27
The National Music Theater Conference is the nation's premier program for the development of all styles and genres of music theater, including musicals, song cycles, operas, and hybrid pieces. Each year, exciting new works of music theater are drawn from a national submission process and undergo intensive development with leading directors, dramaturgs, and actors, culminating in public script- in-hand staged readings. In keeping with the ethos of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the National Music Theater Conference strives to create a supportive, collaborative environment in which emerging and established artists alike are welcome to explore, experiment, and take risks with their work-in-progress. This year’s selections join a long legacy of works that began their lives here in Waterford, including Avenue Q, In the Heights, Violet, Nine, In Transit, and more.
Soft Magical Tofu Boys
BOOK, LYRICS & MUSIC BY KEVIN WONG
SATURDAY, JULY 6 | 7:15PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 | 7:15PM
FRIDAY, JULY 12 | 7:15PM
Rose Barn Theater
Three brothers live together. They have a useless magical ability: to conjure images and sounds into the air. All three of them are trying to find a place for a soft magical boy in a hard, unmagical world.
Kevin Wong is a composer-lyricist, singer/musician, and dramaturg. Selected past musical theatre writing includes Recurring John: A Song Cycle (Toronto SummerWorks Festival 2014 / Chicago Musical Theatre Festival 2015); STAR!(ving): A Collection of Songs; Misprint (with bookwriter Lauren Toffan, Women of Musical Theatre Festival 2016); Drama 101 (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Steven Gallagher, Bravo Academy 2017 / Etobicoke School of the Arts 2018 / Stage Door Academy 2018); and Reframed (Musical Stage Company / Art Gallery of Ontario, Dora Nomination – Best New Musical/Opera). Kevin is currently developing The Preposterous Predicament of Polly Peel (Act One) (with bookwriter Julie Tepperman), Believers (with bookwriter and co-lyricist Ali Joy Richardson); In Real Life (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Nick Green, most recently workshopped at Yes Theatre/Sudbury in October 2022); The Next BIG Thing (Film Project, Jake Foy). Training: Royal Conservatory of Music (Violin/Harmony/Music History); NoteWorthy (The Musical Stage Company, 2014); Composium (Theatre20, 2015).
Member pre-sale begins May 20th at 10am. Public on-sale begins on May 28th at 10am.