Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

The When Voices Rise Songwriting Contest announced the winners and finalists of its inaugural national competition, recognizing original songs that confront urgent social issues while celebrating music’s enduring ability to inspire action, foster community, and challenge injustice.

At a time when journalists, musicians, and cultural commentators have questioned why today’s political and social upheavals have not sparked a protest-song movement on the scale of the 1960s, more than 200 songwriters from across the United States responded with powerful works reflecting the urgency, complexity, and hope of the current moment.

The 2026 winners are:

First Prize ($1,000): Crys Matthews — Forged in FireSecond Prize ($500): Karina Daza — ExtranjeraThird Prize ($500): Rissi Palmer — Seeds

The three winning songs, along with the eight remaining finalists, will be showcased during a special concert at New York City's acclaimed Joe's Pub on August 21, 2026. Hosted by acclaimed Mexican composer and musical theater storyteller Jaime Lozano, the evening will celebrate the role of music as both artistic expression and social conscience.

"Art should be a reflection of the times, and what better way to speak up than through music and song," said Jaime Lozano, co-creator of the contest and co-founder of The Familia Org.

The contest attracted participants from across generations. Entrants ranged in age from 18 to over 75 years old. Among survey respondents, more than one-third were age 65 or older, while nearly one-third were under age 45.

The 10-year Trojan War finally wraps, thanks to the brilliant Trojan Horse. Its mastermind? King Odysseus of Ithaca, who leads the Greeks in wild celebration. But his trip home turns into years of detours, stacked with monsters and temptations, including Cyclops, the Sirens, and Circe.
 
Meanwhile back in Ithaca, things are falling apart. His wife Penelope is holding her ground as best she can against swarms of suitors, while their son Telemachus is forced to step up, growing into a man under the long shadow of a legendary father he’s never met.Blending the timeless drama of Homer’s Epic with the swag and humor of contemporary Hip-Hop and R&B, BLUDLINE has quickly gathered accolades in the new musical world, winning the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award, the Pipeline Arts Foundation Grand Prize, and development through the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and Drama Club Camp.
 
BLUDLINE is the brainchild of Fermin Suero, Jr. and Pete White. Coming from very different worlds both personally and professionally, they have found an alchemy of their experiences in the studio and live theater to create a truly unique and ground-breaking work.

A modern day heronine who inspires people to believe that
each person can make a difference.

The story itself has a long pedigree: like Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Esther story is 2500 years old. Who is Esther is set in the present day, and like our diverse society, has a diverse musical style - from funk, to rock, rap, and fusion.

Esther's timely message resonates strongly in today's world of #Metoo, #BLM, corporate greed, love, and the ability to drive change.

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BIG MAN: A NEW MUSICAL pulls audiences into the inner world of a man living with Alzheimer’s, where reality gives way to a dazzling 1960s Vegas fantasy. Blending the swagger of big band spectacle with raw, contemporary storytelling, the piece pushes musical theater into bold new territory: joyfully theatrical, musically eclectic, and emotionally unflinching.

The musical features music by Billboard-charting songwriter Billy Recce (Little Black Book, Fowl Play), book and lyrics by Sheryl Berk (New York Times bestselling author)

Who’s there in the dark, when you’re lost. Cadet Earth is on a mission across the stars. When a sun-stroked tyrant sets eyes on the inbound planets she will have to turn to a new community for support. No matter how small they may be.

Mother Earth’s premier is created by writer and producer Robert Barham, director and costume

designer Mo Serby, associate producer Orla Bentley, choreographer Grace Barham, video

graphic designer Neil Culley, lighting and sound designer Mike Serby, sound designer Josh

Rose, and social media manager Anna Serby.

Hello Sunshine! is a one-woman “more than a musical” and multidisciplinary dance about her experience living with sun allergy—the social, personal, and logistical challenges of negotiating an invisible disability.

While living in Scotland, at the age of 27, Sara was diagnosed with Polymorphous Light Eruption (PMLE) an autoimmune condition that makes her acutely reactive to UV radiation. Developed through her travels to rainy Scotland, and 24-hour darkness in  Northern Norway, Hello Sunshine! offers an absurdist account of inventive living set against a backdrop of pop songs about sunshine.

 R&J and Joni, co-created by Joey Herbison, Julia Nish-Lapidus, Cara Pantalone, and James Wallis with text and music by William Shakespeare and Joni Mitchell. This world-premiere adaptation of Romeo and Juliet brings Shakespeare’s words together with the timeless music of Canadian icon Joni Mitchell in a fully staged musical.

Directed by Julia Nish-Lapidus, with Music Direction by Joey Herbison, audiences will experience a new way of seeing and hearing one of the most famous plays in the English language, with a unique musical perspective.

Caesar: The Musical is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, reimagined for a cast of all women. With book, music, and lyrics by Grace Yurchuk, the work remains rooted in Shakespeare’s original text while introducing a bold contemporary score.

It has often been said that a dog with no tail is no dog at all. At least, that’s what Sam believes a teenage pup born with this very uniqueness. Hidden away from society and searching for a place to belong, Sam sets out on a wild adventure, encountering dangerous terrains, romantic entanglements, a mythical prophecy, and a host of barking-mad characters along the way.

Woof!: A Dog’s Tale is a new musical fairy tale for the modern age. At its heart, it’s a story of identity struggles, belonging, and the realisation that self acceptance-and finding your tribe-can lead to brighter, happier dog days.