Goodspeed to celebrate 20th Festival of New Musicals with three-day showcase in January

The cast of Photosynthesis at the 2024 Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

Goodspeed Musicals will mark the 20th anniversary of its Festival of New Musicals with a three-day celebration of new theatrical works Jan. 16–18, 2026, featuring staged readings, seminars, a cabaret and a special anniversary concert.

The annual festival, held on the Goodspeed campus, highlights new musicals in development and offers audiences an inside look at works before their full production journeys. Over the past two decades, more than 50 new musicals have been launched at the festival, including the Tony Award-winning “Come From Away.”

“This festival, which was a simple idea 20 years ago, has now become a major industry event showcasing incredibly talented writers and their new musicals,” said Donna Lynn Hilton, Goodspeed’s artistic director.

The festival opens Friday, Jan. 16, with a staged reading of “Miss Hysteria” at 7:30 p.m. at The Goodspeed. Inspired by true events, the musical follows a young actress wrongfully confined to a Paris mental institution in the 19th century who agrees to perform symptoms of hysteria to secure her freedom. The work features a book and lyrics by Laura Schein and Ben Zeadman, with music by Zeadman.

Later that evening, Grammy-nominated composer and lyricist Rona Siddiqui will headline the Festival Cabaret at 10 p.m. at the Gelston House, presenting songs from her autobiographical musical “The Brown Musical.”

Saturday’s schedule includes seminar sessions from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Gelston House, followed by a pre-show festival dinner at 5:30 p.m. A staged reading of “F Word” begins at 7:30 p.m. at The Goodspeed. With music and lyrics by Alyssa Payne and a book by Sara Matin, the coming-of-age musical centers on a teenager preparing to age out of the foster care system.

The evening concludes with the 20th Anniversary Festival Concert at 9:30 p.m., featuring songs from past festival presentations performed by returning Goodspeed artists.

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The final staged reading takes place Sunday, Jan. 18, at 1 p.m. with “Foolproof,” a musical comedy that reimagines the Three Stooges as three sisters in 1930s Brooklyn who attempt to save their family business. The show has a book by Megan Loughran and Sonya Hayden, lyrics by Loughran and music by Hayden. The weekend concludes with a Meet the Writers Q&A at 3:30 p.m.

Single tickets for staged readings are $30, with student tickets priced at $15. Cabaret tickets are $20, and the anniversary concert is $35. Festival packages are also available, including the $156 Festival Gold Package and the $81 Festival Silver Package. Tickets and packages may be purchased through the Goodspeed Box Office at 860-873-8668 or online at goodspeed.org.

Preparations for the festival begin Jan. 5, when writers and composers arrive on campus for an intensive two-week development retreat. Students from The Hartt School and Western Connecticut State University participate in rehearsals alongside the professional teams.

The festival is presented through Goodspeed’s Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, which was created in 2002 to support the development of musical theater artists. The 2026 festival is sponsored by the Burry Fredrik Foundation, The Richard P. Garmany Fund, The Shubert Foundation and the Connecticut Office of the Arts, among others.

“I know people won’t want to miss out on being part of the creation of a new musical because there’s nothing quite like seeing a story come to life from the very beginning,” said Vanessa Logan, Goodspeed’s managing director.

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December events at Fairfield Theatre Company

Fairfield Theatre Company is ringing in the holiday season with a lively lineup of performances throughout December. Highlights include multiple performances of A Christmas Carol: The Musical on Dec. 12, 13, and 14, a holiday-themed Holiday In The Warehouse show on Dec. 10, and concerts from artists like Bob Schneider and Steve Poltz on Dec. 9, TAB Benoit on Dec. 13, Built to Spill on Dec. 16, and Caravan of Thieves on Dec. 20. Music fans can also catch Yacht Lobsters, The Alpaca Gnomes, The Weight Band, The Crystal Pyramid Band, and CTGB Night, while educational programming features Teachrock on Dec. 17. The schedule promises a mix of festive cheer, rock, and blues to close out the year.

December 2025 calendar of events
12/9 – Bob Schneider / Steve Poltz
12/10 – Holiday In The Warehouse
12/12 – A Christmas Carol: The Musical
12/12 – Yacht Lobsters
12/13 – A Christmas Carol: The Musical
12/13 – TAB Benoit
12/14-A Christmas Carol: The Musical
12/16 – Built to Spill
12/17 – Teachrock
12/19 – The Alpaca Gnomes
12/20 – Caravan of Thieves
12/20 – The Weight Band
12/27 – The Crystal Pyramid Band
12/28 – CTGB Night

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12/19 – Syracuse Crunch vs Hartford Wolf Pack, click here to purchase tickets
12/27 – Harlem Globetrotters, click here to purchase tickets
12/31 – Bridgeport Islanders vs Hartford Wolf Pack, click here to purchase tickets

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