NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers

About NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers

New@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre is a bite-sized series dedicated to spotlighting the emerging voices in musical theatre. Hosted by Jean-Paul Yovanoff in partnership with Musical Theatre Radio and a rotating cast of NAMT alumni writers, each episode features quick interviews providing a unique glimpse into the creative minds behind the next big musicals. Whether you’re a producer, theatre lover or even simply curious about the future of musical theatre, NEW@NAMT offers a front-row seat to a new generation of writers. namt.org & musicaltheatreradio.com

Publisher

National Alliance for Musical Theatre

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Sept 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

49 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   S6E7 Festival Preview: SUNWATCHER Featuring NAMT Festival Writer ISABELLA DAWIS

   How do you turn the movement of the sun into musical theatre? On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writer Isabella Dawis to talk about Sunwatcher, the new musical she created with composer Tidtaya Sinutoke—and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Set in wartime Tokyo, the show tells the story of Japanese astronomer Hisako Koyama, whose decades of painstaking sunspot observations became an extraordinary contribution to solar science. Isabella talks about why Koyama’s story demanded to be told, the importance of placing an Asian woman scientist at the center of an epic musical, and the radical power of simply paying attention. A self-taught astronomer, Koyama spent 40 years documenting the sun and produced more than 10,000 hand-drawn observations—work that would later place her among the most important sunspot observers in history. The conversation also dives into the musical’s inventive score, built around electronic live looping and taiko drumming. As Isabella puts it, “our score loops because the sun does”: voices and musical phrases accumulate and repeat in patterns inspired by the sun’s own cycles, turning solar science into theatrical language. Sunwatcher moves between 1940s Tokyo, the surface of the sun and the mythic world of the sun goddess Amaterasu, brought to life by an ensemble of five Asian women and a movement vocabulary inspired in part by Japanese Noh theatre. Isabella shares how history, mythology, science and representation all became part of the same theatrical world. One woman looked at the sun every day—and changed how we understand it. Sunwatcher Book, Lyrics & Additional Music by Isabella Dawis Music by Tidtaya Sinutoke The musical has been developed through organizations including Musical Theatre Factory, Berkeley Rep’s The Ground Floor, Goodspeed Musicals, The Civilians, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and others, and was named a finalist for both the Richard Rodgers Award and the O’Neill NMTC in 2025. 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 (https://linktr.ee/namtpics) Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/) More about SUNWATCHER: https://namt.org/musicals/sunwatcher/ (https://namt.org/musicals/sunwatcher/) Follow Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/isabelladawis/ (https://www.instagram.com/isabelladawis/)

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   S6E8 Festival Preview: THE (DISASTER) MARATHON OF 1904 Featuring NAMT Festival Writers TYLER JOSEPH ELLIS, JACOB RYAN SMITH & DANIEL MERTZLUFFT

   What if one of the strangest events in history was already basically a musical comedy? On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writers Tyler Joseph Ellis, Jacob Ryan Smith and Daniel Mertzlufft to talk about The (Disaster) Marathon of 1904, their new musical inspired by the very real—and deeply unbelievable—marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. Told by Pheidippides, the ancient Greek runner whose legend gave the marathon its name, the show turns an already chaotic race into a story of epic and ridiculous proportions, packed with humor, heart and, naturally, “sole.” The writers share how the musical began with a screenshot of a Tumblr post chronicling the bizarre events of the 1904 race, and how a project designed, in part, to make each other laugh grew into a full-scale new musical. They also dig into how comedy drives their writing process and why this particular piece of Olympic history felt almost too strange not to put onstage. The conversation also gets into the practical question at the heart of any musical about a marathon: how do you actually stage all that running? Tyler, Jacob and Daniel talk about the theatrical possibilities of the piece, as well as their approach to casting—the musical’s nine male characters are intentionally written to be played by performers of various genders and vocal types. NAMT Festival Consultant Braley Degenhart joins the conversation to talk about why the show stood out during this year’s Festival selection process and what she hopes lies ahead. The writers also trace the musical’s rapid development from New Musicals Lab at Christopher Newport University to a Broadway Shark Tank win, the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove at Goodspeed and an industry reading through New Next Now. An Olympic disaster. Nine runners. One gloriously ridiculous race. The (Disaster) Marathon of 1904 Book by Tyler Joseph Ellis Music & Lyrics by Jacob Ryan Smith & Daniel Mertzlufft 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 (https://linktr.ee/namtpics) Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/) More about THE (DISASTER) MARATHON OF 1904: https://namt.org/musicals/the-disaster-marathon-of-1904/ (https://namt.org/musicals/the-disaster-marathon-of-1904/) Follow THE (DISASTER) MARATHON OF 1904: https://www.instagram.com/disastermarathonmusical/ (https://www.instagram.com/disastermarathonmusical/) Follow Tyler: https://www.instagram.com/tylerjosephellis/ (https://www.instagram.com/tylerjosephellis/) Follow Jacob: https://www.instagram.com/jakesmithsings/ (https://www.instagram.com/jakesmithsings/) Follow Daniel: https://www.instagram.com/danieljmertzlufft/ (https://www.instagram.com/danieljmertzlufft/)

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   S6E5 Festival Preview: BLUDLINE: A HIP-HOP ODYSSEY Featuring NAMT Festival Writers FERMIN SUERO, JR. & PETE WHITE

   What happens when Homer’s Odyssey gets the energy of a Hip-Hop music video? On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Skye Cone Ivey sit down with writers Fermin Suero Jr. and Pete White to talk about BLUDLINE: A Hip-Hop Odyssey, their new musical reimagining of Homer’s epic through live Hip-Hop and R&B—and one of eight musicals selected for NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Odysseus battles monsters and temptations on his journey home while his son, Telemachus, struggles to find his own identity in the shadow of a legendary father. Fermin and Pete share how a desire to bring trap music and contemporary Hip-Hop culture into musical theatre became the starting point for their collaboration, and why The Odyssey turned out to be the perfect vehicle. What began as a musical inspired by Fermin’s own experiences growing up in New Jersey evolved into an epic story with bigger dramatic stakes—beginning with the image of Odysseus celebrating victory in the Trojan War with the swagger and energy of a Hip-Hop video. The conversation also digs into the writers’ decision to place Odysseus and Telemachus on parallel journeys, using the father-son relationship to explore how ideas about masculinity, violence and power can be passed from one generation to the next. NAMT Festival Consultant Kathleen Wrinn joins the conversation to talk about what made BLUDLINE stand out during this year’s Festival selection process and what she sees in the musical’s future. Fermin and Pete also look back on a development journey that includes the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Pipeline Arts Foundation, Drama Club Camp and the 2026 Richard Rodgers Award, while looking ahead to the next stage of the piece. An ancient epic. A modern sound. Fathers, sons, monsters—and the cycles we inherit. BLUDLINE: A Hip-Hop Odyssey Book, Music & Lyrics by Fermin Suero Jr. & Pete White A five-track BLUDLINE mixtape EP is available now through Joy Machine Records, featuring performers including Okieriete Onaodowan, Daniel J. Watts, Alaman Diadhiou and Phil Richardson. Follow NAMT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/namtpics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/namtpics) Follow Musical Theatre Radio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/musicaltheatreradio/) More about BLUDLINE: A HIP-HOP ODYSSEY: https://namt.org/musicals/bludline-a-hip-hop-odyssey/ (https://namt.org/musicals/bludline-a-hip-hop-odyssey/) Follow Fermin: https://www.instagram.com/ferminsuerojr/ (https://www.instagram.com/ferminsuerojr/) Follow Pete: https://www.instagram.com/petewhitesongs/ (https://www.instagram.com/petewhitesongs/) Follow BLUDLINE: A HIP-HOP ODYSSEY: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bgipthemusical/⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/bgipthemusical/)

Who has been a guest on NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• DEV BONDARIN
• KIAN KLINE-CHILTON
• Elissa Adams
• Michael Baxter
• Isabella Nguyen

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

518,208

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

94

YouTube

82

Engagement

32

Contact NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers