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New Musicals Fest Announces Second Season with Ordinary Days and Group

October 3, 2007

Pennsylvania State University musical theatre students are exploring two new musicals and interacting with the shows' writers in the second Penn State New Musical Theatre Festival in December 2007. The Penn State School of Theatre and School of Music present the initiative, meant to benefit emerging writers as well as student performers.

Two new musical will be presented: Ordinary Days, with music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, is an original musical about growing up and enjoying the view. Performances will be held December 12, 2007, at 5:05 p.m., and December 15 at 8 p.m. And Group, with book, lyrics, and music by Aaron Toronto, and music by Heidi Grimsley, which tells the comic and heartfelt tale of a therapy group attempting to conquer one of life's greatest anxieties: anxiety itself. Performances will be held December 14, 2007, at 5:05 p.m. and December 15, at 2 p.m.

"The purpose of the festival is to promote new works of musical theatre in a creative, educational and theatrical environment," according to Penn State. "Each musical work will have one week of rehearsal culminating in two performances (free to the public) in reading format. The composers and lyricists will be in residence at Penn State University Park working with Penn State students and faculty in this creative process."

According to its mission, "The Penn State New Musical Theatre Festival will explore, encourage, and foster new works of musical theatre by today's most progressive playwrights and composers in an educational setting giving the students of Penn State University access to the collaborative process between the artist, the art form, and the professional world of musical theatre."

Performances will take place in the Pavilion Theatre, an intimate thrust performance space; on the University Park campus. For additional information and submissions for the 2008 season, visit www.psunewmusicals.org.