NMTP commissions two to three new pieces every year. We will select artists that pride themselves in originality and individuality while maintaining a level of musical and dramatic sophistication that will present their audiences with complex and novel ideas. At a time when most new commercially produced pieces of musical theatre are based on movies or books, we challenge our artists to come up with work vastly and unapologetically original: something that will both challenge our audiences as well as bring communities together in extremely polarizing times.

Our mission is to create work that lies at the intersection of music and theatre. Musically, this means the possibilities are endless. We commission everything from musicals to opera/operetta to instrumental ensembles to plays with music. Our composers are usually virtuosic, that is to say, they push the boundaries of what might be musically acceptable in the modern, hyper-commercial world. They are also often classically or conservatory-trained — that is not to say old fashioned (if anything, we push back at any nostalgia) — which gives them the tools to build a musically complex and layered score.

At the center of everything we create is theatricality. Nothing is compelling unless it is inherently theatrical. Thus, we commission writers who are drawn to the theatrical, the dramatic, the sublime. We are inspired by what Tennessee Williams said about drama: “The play has not begun until the stakes are life and death.”

We also see theatre as a global phenomenon, not anything that can be claimed by any specific country or group. Theatre was not invented by the United States, though we very much believe Musical Theatre was. Thus we have dispensed with the American -ER spelling in favor of the globally used and time honored -RE spelling of theatre.

We are not a production company. We consider ourselves a boutique company that excels and curates in very specific areas of working in the arts. We are also not a giant ensemble: there are no permanent orchestra or chorus members, nor are there a group of staff writers (though we have and will commission the same composer/writer twice very occasionally). We are dedicated to a way of working, and committed towards the challenge of creating as many new works as possible. This is why we are not a group, a collective, a company. We are a process. We are a project.

Thus, we always premiere our commissions, as that is a essential component of the piece’s development, but we are not focused on full scale productions of the work. You will likely find our premieres to be at a classy venue with a festive reception celebrating the creation of our newest work, rather than a long run over many weeks. For us, this is not a means to an end but an investigation and curation of the means.

We consider the development side of artistic projects our expertise. We carefully work out a framework with our artists so that the work can benefit from the process in the most enlightening and artistically fulfilling way possible. This involves several stages, depending on the type of work, the genre of music and the goals for the piece.

During drafting, we slowly create the work from scratch, during which there are usually many brainstorming and work sessions with our artists, where we prioritize inspiration and high stakes drama. We usually go too far in our ideas, and then go a little more. Getting carried away is something we do well! During our workshop phase, we begin to test out all the ideas in draft form. Workshops can last several days to several weeks. They can focus on specific facets of the piece (score, dramaturgy, choreography, orchestration), or can just be for the sake of getting a piece on its feet. From this moment forward, the community is involved. We hold free, open to the public showings of our newest workers after every workshop, usually followed by a Q&A with the lead artist(s). We believe that genuine art is not made in a vacuum, and what better way to inject energy and authenticity into a piece than to engage our city. Thus, the impact of our work starts well before the premiere.

Sometimes we will hold readings or work-in-progress showings of the work without an accompanying workshop. These are also free and open to our community. This is expressly to see how new musical and theatrical ideas are responded to. If a workshop is designed for an artist to work out “problems”, a reading is for our audiences to see a piece with fresh eyes.

The premiere is a natural bridge between development and the presentation stage of our work. There is no premiere without development first, and development is not complete until the artist has given the piece over to the audience. But we see art as always in flux, and we don’t want to force a piece to be premiered until the creator(s) are truly ready for this final stage.

For a premiere, we will partner with storied venues and groups such as Opera America, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to get the work at least one, if not two showings, at the end of the development process.

All across New York City, year after year, companies put all their resources into mounting hugely expensive and hastily produced shows. We are as guilty as anyone. No more. Our focus is our artists and the work itself. Period.

That said, the occasion can arise where we have the opportunity to support our artists and/or peer companies in a different way: combining forces to produce an even larger event. Whether it be a week long run at a concert hall or a longer Off-Broadway engagement, we are committed to doing the best for our communities, our artists, and our work.