Works We’ve Supported: 2025
Alice Bliss
2007, Upstate New York. When Alice’s dad gets deployed to Iraq, she’s furious, with no one to hate but her mom. Alice valiantly shoulders her way through tenth grade – driving lessons, first love, and all – trying to keep Dad safe by acting perfect at home. A heartstopping, richly harmonic score buoys this fresh, surprisingly funny look at girls and women on the frayed edge of America, taking the heat of war.
FINN
Finn is a young shark who doesn’t fit in with his dull grey pack. When he’s introduced to the colorful world of fish, Finn realizes that he may be a fish at heart. FINN is a heartwarming coming-of-age adventure for the whole family.
The King of Harlem
The King of Harlem follows the story of Mercy Wheatley, an up-and-coming Black prize fighter who is boxing his way to glory at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, but after a chance encounter with Federico García Lorca, all of the plans Mercy made begin to collapse in the name of desire.
Love Is Dead
Love Is Dead is a new comedy about a heartbroken woman and a sexy ghost. Her life is falling apart; his already did. Maybe together they can overcome the existential horror of dating and romance in the modern age.
PARTICLE
PARTICLE is a multi-dimensional coming-of-age story set in the world of elite gaming. Will Cora help her team win the high-pressure Interglow championships — and what about her twin brother Seth, the one left behind? At its heart, PARTICLE is a story about connection and the transcendent power of love.
ROJA
Fusing traditional, Mexican folk music and Mestizo folklore, ROJA is a new twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story. At the edge of the desert in Northern Mexico, Roja rescues a mischievous, magical coyote who offers her the chance to see her father again — what follows is a miraculous journey for all ages.
Soft Magical Tofu Boy(s)
Three brothers have a magical ability: to conjure images and sounds into the air. But what good is that in a hard, unmagical world? Soft Magical Tofu Boy(s) is a colorful journey through a queer Asian fantasia brimming with pop divas, anime princesses, disapproving ancestral spirits and more.
Wakeman
Wakeman is a folk-rock Americana musical inspired by the incredible true story of Union soldier Sarah Rosetta Wakeman (alias Lyons Wakeman). With powerful lyrics, rich harmonies, and unforgettable melodies, this deeply human story and stirring journey of self-discovery will captivate theater and music lovers alike.
Rhinebeck Writers Retreat
Investing in the Future of Musical Theatre
The National Foundation for Musical Theatre was proud to deepen its support of the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat in 2025 by investing in the organization and its work as a whole. Rather than supporting a single writing team, our funding helped Rhinebeck provide fully funded residencies where musical theatre writers can step away from the demands of daily life and devote themselves entirely to creating new work—while retaining ownership and control of what they create.
By supporting the Retreat itself, we helped create opportunities for multiple writing teams and multiple new musicals to move forward. It reflects a belief at the heart of our work: sometimes the most meaningful way to support a new musical is to strengthen the places that give artists the freedom, time, and space to create it.