What might freedom have looked like for Sally Hemings in revolutionary Paris?

On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writers AriDy Nox and Jacinth Greywoode to talk about Black Girl in Paris, their new musical about Sally Hemings—and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals.

Described as “a musical within a folktale within a ritual,” Black Girl in Paris follows a fourteen-year-old Sally Hemings as she arrives in France with the French Revolution approaching and confronts questions of autonomy, survival and just how much she may have to give up for a chance at freedom. It’s a story that tackles difficult history through a theatrical language grounded in ritual—and a score the writers describe as stubbornly joyful.

AriDy and Jacinth share how the musical began with an argument about Sally Hemings and autonomy, the research that followed and the discoveries that transformed the piece along the way. They also dig into the unusual structure of the musical, their approach to balancing biting commentary with humor and joy, and what years of development—from The Civilians and Monticello to Playwrights Horizons, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Festival—have taught them about the story.

NAMT Festival Consultant Elissa Adams joins the conversation following the team’s recent work together at the NEXT Festival to talk about the discoveries they’re bringing into NAMT and what might come next for the musical.

History, folklore, ritual and a stubbornly joyous score—all asking one enormous question: Do we live free?

Black Girl in Paris
Book & Lyrics by AriDy Nox
Music by Jacinth Greywoode

Learn more about the 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals, October 22–23, 2026 at New World Stages, at namt.org/festival.

Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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More about BLACK GIRL IN PARIS:

https://namt.org/musicals/black-girl-in-paris/

Follow AriDy:

https://www.instagram.com/aridydescribesstuff/

Follow Jacinth:

https://www.instagram.com/j.greywoode/

Follow BLACK GIRL IN PARIS:

https://www.instagram.com/bgipthemusical/

Read AriDy's Substack "WildThoughts: A Moonletter": https://substack.com/@wildthoughtsamoonletter

What happens when a Palestinian New Yorker’s summer-camp story becomes an Arabic-infused pop-punk musical?

On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writer Fouad Dakwar to talk about Fouad of Nazareth, his semi-autobiographical new musical—and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Based on a true story, the show follows a teenage Palestinian New Yorker traveling to his ancestral homeland of Nazareth for…summer camp.

Fouad shares the unlikely origin story behind the musical: notes he took while actually attending camp in Nazareth, rediscovered a decade later when graduate school pushed him toward writing autobiographically for the first time. He also digs into the show’s distinctive Arabic-infused pop-punk sound, born from growing up with the music of Fairuz alongside Linkin Park, Green Day and Fall Out Boy.

The conversation explores why dark comedy and music became Fouad’s way into a complicated story of culture, identity and belonging, and how humor can create space for conversations that might otherwise feel impossible. Fouad also talks about what he hopes audiences encounter through the piece: catchy songs and big laughs, but also a fuller sense of Palestinian humanity.

NAMT Festival Consultants Adam Immerwahr and Joe Barros join the conversation to talk about what drew them to the musical and its path toward the Festival. Fouad also looks back on development through Berklee NYC, Noor Theatre, Joe’s Pub, Goodspeed Musicals, Ars Nova and New York Theatre Workshop, and ahead toward his hopes for a full production—and, eventually, a screen adaptation.

A true story. A summer camp. An Arabic-infused pop-punk score. And a whole lot of complicated identity.

Fouad of Nazareth
Book, Music & Lyrics by Fouad Dakwar

Songs from Fouad of Nazareth are available now on major streaming platforms.

Learn more about the 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals, October 22–23, 2026 at New World Stages, at namt.org/festival.

Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: 

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More about FOUAD OF NAZARETH:

⁠https://namt.org/musicals/fouad-of-nazareth/

Follow Fouad:

https://www.instagram.com/notfouad/

Follow FOUAD OF NAZARETH:

https://www.instagram.com/fouadofnazareth/

What if your favorite holiday movie became a musical—and you were the one stuck inside it?

On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writer Lara Filipto talk about Love of a Lifetime, her original musical love letter to the wonderfully predictable world of TV holiday movies—and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Think Christmas-carol-inspired music, meet-cutes, big feelings and a leading lady just trying to survive the holiday season. 

Lara shares how a holiday movie hyper-fixation sparked the idea for the show, why the familiar formulas of the genre can be both comforting and surprisingly emotional, and how she set out to create something that works as both parody and genuine love letter. She also talks about writing a score filled with the kind of memorable, hummable songs she hopes can live beyond the musical itself. 

The conversation also explores Lara’s life as a multi-hyphenate artist, the joy at the center of Love of a Lifetime, and her desire to create exciting new roles for women over 40 while building a show that can work for producers, performers and audiences at every scale. NAMT Festival Consultant Alisa Hauser joins the conversation to share why the musical stood out during this year’s Festival selection process and what she hopes comes next for the piece. 

A holiday movie parody with a lot of heart, an original score and just enough existential dread.

Love of a Lifetime
Book, Music & Lyrics by Lara Filip

Learn more about the 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals, October 22–23, 2026 at New World Stages, at namt.org/festival.

Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: 

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More about LOVE OF A LIFETIME:

https://namt.org/musicals/love-of-a-lifetime/

Follow Lara:

https://www.instagram.com/larafilipmusic/

Follow LOVE OF A LIFETIME:

https://www.instagram.com/lol_themusical

What happens when one of the world’s great ancient epics becomes a contemporary musical—and a concept record?

On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writer Manik Choksi to talk about The Ramayan, his new musical adaptation of India’s treasured ancient epic and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals. 

Manik shares what first drew him to The Ramayan as a child, why he wants to bring the story into the “Temple of American Myths,” and how he found a theatrical language for the epic through the idea of a live concert and concept record. The conversation also digs into a deeply personal writing process—from songs written during his daughter’s naps and pre-dawn hours to the way family conversations have continued to shape his understanding of the story. 

They’re joined by NAMT Festival Consultants Sonia Desai and Tad Fujioka, who talk about why The Ramayan stood out during the Festival selection process and what they see in its future. Manik also looks back on the musical’s development with Ars Nova and Clubbed Thumb and ahead to what audiences can expect when The Ramayan arrives at the NAMT Festival this October. 

A familiar epic for billions of people. A new musical for American stages.

The Ramayan
Book, Music & Lyrics by Manik Choksi

Learn more about the 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals, October 22–23, 2026 at New World Stages, at namt.org/festival.

Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: 

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More about THE RAMAYAN:

https://namt.org/musicals/the-ramayan/

Follow Manik:

https://www.instagram.com/manikchoksi/

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In this episode, we chat with Elaina Stuppler about her song “Second Chances”. Alongside co-host and NAMT Program Assistant, Amanda Freedman, Elaina shares about the real-life person that inspired her song, working with professionals over Winners Weekend, and offers advice for current participants of the Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge for High School Students. 

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠⁠https://namt.org/⁠⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ⁠⁠ ⁠

Watch “Fall” from the Winning Concert: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeX-qsy_2lU&t=27s

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In the final episode of this season, we talk to Sydney Gray a two-time winner of the Songwriting Challenge, about her song “Fall” from her musical Anavaly. Alongside co-host Jaime Lozano, Sydney shares how she approached Winners Weekend a second time around, how she interprets feedback, and offers advice for current participants of the Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge for High School Students. 

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠https://namt.org/⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ 

Watch “Fall” from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/Fm7KWdrliug?si=WZ81Sx1v2gUyAQ4d 

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In this episode, we are joined by Judah Brown about his song “Fool” from his musical Feathered. Alongside, co-host Teresa Lotz, Judah discusses collaborating with Teresa to create orchestrations, connecting with other young musical theatre writers, and what it feels like to be "in the room where it happens".

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠https://namt.org/⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ 

Watch “Fool” from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/JmNyMCg-qIQ?si=s0eCgr5FvyWgnFcI 

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In this episode, we talk to Ali Lewis about her song “Why Not?” from her musical The Lost and Found and collaborating with co-host Florencia Cuenca. Ali shares what it was like to visit New York City for the first time, working with Florencia as the performer for her winning song, and the importance of experimenting in her writing process. 

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠https://namt.org/⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ 

Watch "Why Not?" from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/EOshZd7Sg8I?si=cIm-bNhZRH9I2ECd 

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In this episode, we are joined by Karsten Wallace to hear more about his song “Hello World”. Alongside co-host Timothy Huang, Karsten shares how his songwriting blends technology and contemporary musical theatre, his favorite moments from Winners Weekend and how he values feedback in his writing process.

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠https://namt.org/⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ 

Watch “Hello World” from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/gbfaRUeCx0k?si=3yB8yOgjIMfJcxW4 

🎭 Welcome to NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers!

This season, we’re thrilled to bring you NEW@NAMT Season 5, featuring the talented winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation and the Biller Family Foundation.

Each episode takes you inside the creative process with these inspiring young songwriters as they share their original songs, stories, and experiences from Winners Weekend in New York City, where their work was fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals.

Join host Jean-Paul Yovanoff from Musical Theatre Radio, alongside a rotating cast of Songwriting Challenge Program Mentors, Orchestrators and Artists as guest co-hosts. Together, they guide conversations with these emerging voices, providing insight into the future of musical theatre.

🎶 In this episode, we talk to Leela Kumar about her song “Dancing Through A Dream” from her musical of the same name. Alongside co-host Andrea Daly, Leela discusses her writing process, collaborating with other young musical theatre writers, and what it felt like to hear her song live for the first time during Winners Weekend. 

Whether you're a producer, a theatre lover, or simply curious about the next generation of musical theatre creators, NEW@NAMT gives you a front-row seat to the future of musical theatre.

It’s time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go! 🎭

Follow NAMT: ⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠

Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠

More about NAMT: ⁠https://namt.org/⁠

More about Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠https://www.musicaltheatreradio.com/⁠

For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit ⁠https://namt.org/challenge/⁠

Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: ⁠https://youtu.be/sgVucNmcEnQ?si=XYWEpexOwqhHwjjZ 

Watch “Dancing Through A Dream” from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/zed3S31e2uc?si=MSJ2hF9663debSFR