Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals

Come in from the cold and check out what’s hot at the 17th Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals. The much-anticipated three-day festival of brand-new works will light up the Goodspeed campus with a weekend filled with insider events, seminars, cabarets and staged readings. The Festival kicks off on Friday, March 17 at The Goodspeed with a staged reading of Double Helix.  This exciting new tuner features book, music and lyrics by Madeline Myers. Saturday, March 18 will be highlighted by a staged reading of The Great Emu War, a humorous new musical based on true events, which has a book by Cal Silberstein and music and lyrics by Paul Hodge. The final day of the Festival features Little Miss Perfect, a new musical inspired by the viral single song of the same name with book, music and lyrics by Joriah Kwamé. Additional Festival events – including seminars, symposium and exclusive cabarets―will round out this exciting weekend.

Single tickets are $25 for each staged reading, $15 each for students. Goodspeed’s ever-popular Festival Package will offer patrons a weekend full of special events. The $100 package includes admission to all three staged readings, three Festival seminar sessions, the Festival Symposium, a season preview of the 2023 Terris Theatre offerings and the Meet the Writers Q&A.  Package add-ons include Saturday evening pre-show dinner at the Gelston House ($40), and Friday evening and Saturday evening Cabarets – informal gatherings showcasing new songs by new and established artists ($15 each). Single show tickets and Festival packages are available through the Goodspeed Box Office 860.873.8668. Single Show tickets can also be purchased online at goodspeed.org.  All tickets are on sale now.

Friday, March 17

Double Helix
7:30 p.m. The Goodspeed
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Madeline Myers
In the mid-20th century, the race to find the structure of DNA grips the scientific community. One brilliant young researcher, Rosalind Franklin, will stop at nothing to uncover one of life’s great mysteries. But will she sacrifice what makes her human to discover what makes us human?

Festival Cabaret: Artist to be announced
10:00 p.m., Gelston House

Saturday, March 18

Seminars
10:00 a.m.  – 1:00 p.m., Gelston House and other locations
Seminar titles to be announced.

*2023 Terris Theatre Season Announcement
3:30 p.m., The Goodspeed 
*This event is free and open to the public.

*Symposium: Topic and speakers to be announced
4:30 p.m., The Goodspeed 
*This event is free and open to the public.

Festival Dinner
5:30 p.m., Gelston House
Enjoy a three course meal with fellow festival goers.

The Great Emu War
7:30 p.m. The Goodspeed
Book by Cal Silberstein
Music & Lyrics by Paul Hodge

Remember that one time that the Australian government sent their army with machine guns to wage war on emus in Western Australia? Neither do most people…but when Edith, the headstrong warbler, and her flock begin to feed on the wheat of local farmers—the humans take up arms against Australia’s favorite feathered friends. Think of it as Cats, but with emus…and less dancing…and a plot.

Festival Cabaret: Artist to be announced
9:30 p.m., Gelston House

Sunday, March 19

Little Miss Perfect
1:00 p.m. The Goodspeed
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Joriah Kwamé

Inspired by the viral single of the same name, Little Miss Perfect tells the story of Noelle, a bi-racial teen navigating her senior year of high school after her mom and stepdad invite a study abroad student to be her roommate. But when a classmate becomes the victim of systemic racism at her school, Noelle must decide whether she will be true to herself and an ally to her peers, or if she will settle for simply being “Little Miss Perfect.” Little Miss Perfect is a commission of Goodspeed Musicals’ GoodWorks program.

Meet the Writers Q&A
3:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Gain insight into the inspirations and processes of the writers during this lively festival wrap-up discussion.