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Musical Theatre West’s New Works Reading Festival

Musical Theatre West’s New Works Reading Festival, started in 2021, seeks to further the art form of musical theatre by providing a space for new works in the form of an annual festival.

Submissions for our 2025 festival are now open! See below for instructions.

2025 NEW WORKS READING FESTIVAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the following thoroughly and email newworks@musical.org with the following information:

  • The script of your musical in PDF format
  • A link to a Google Drive folder with demos of your songs (ensure your folder is accessible to “Anyone with a link” so we can access it)
  • A brief summary and character descriptions
  • The names of the three most notable songs in the musical
  • Any other pertinent information regarding your musical

These submissions are primarily for our November 2025 festival, however we are looking to do individual readings in 2026 and these submissions may be considered for that as well. Please do not submit more than two musicals per writing team. If you submitted your musical in previous years, you may submit your musical again.

Submit your musicals no later than June 9th, 2025. We will reach out to our finalists in late September and will announce the chosen pieces in October. Our festival will take place in Long Beach, CA in November.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CREATIVES

Please read the following to make sure our reading festival can provide what you are looking for in the developmental journey of your piece:

  • All rehearsals will take place at the MTW rehearsal hall at 4350 E. 7th St, Long Beach, CA 90804
  • Performances will take place at a local Long Beach venue
  • Readings will be produced and cast with local talent
  • Readings have minimal production elements (sound for amplification and lights for visibility)
  • Selected writers may choose to be paired with a Director, Music Director, and Stage Manager, or may utilize their own creative team
  • Transportation and lodging are not available
  • Gas stipends will be provided for all cast members, writers, and creative teams
  • The musical cannot have had a 29-hour reading after May 2025

While non-local writers are welcome to submit, MTW’s New Works Reading Festival is not a workshop or incubator, and at this time we aren’t able to provide anything more than 29 hours of rehearsal and reading time in Long Beach with a modest cast of local actors and piano accompaniment. We hope to continue to grow this program in order to further the future of musical theatre!

If you are interested in attending our New Works festival in November, fill out the form here!

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

MTW strives to represent the diverse community of Long Beach that we service in all areas of our company, and encourages writers who represent various race, ethnicity, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identity, age, physical ability, LGBTQIA+, and diverse viewpoints, to submit.

PAST FESTIVAL SELECTIONS

2024
2023
  • Broken Ground
    • Book & Lyrics by Christine Toy Johnson
    • Music & Lyrics by Jason Ma
  • The Dark Lady
    • Music by Veronica Mansour
    • Book & Lyrics by Sophie Boyce
  • Māyā
    • Music & Book by Cheeyang Ng
    • Book & Lyrics by Eric Sorrels
2022
  • Hay Fever: A New Musical
    • Book & Lyrics by David Howard
    • Music by Bret Simmons
  • Missing Peace
    • Book, Music & Lyrics by Kalani Queypo & Kyle Puccia
  • América Tropical
    • Book by Gina Gallego
    • Book & Lyrics Joel S. Bailey
    • Music by Jan Roper
2021