Getting his musical to New York was tough.
Getting it back home to Minnesota might prove even tougher.
With a well-reviewed string of five off-Broadway performances wrapping up a few weeks ago as part of the New York City Musical Theatre Festival, Minnesota State University alum and amateur playwright Phil Darg is now hoping to find a way to produce “Sasquatch! The Musical” in his native state.
“We’re hoping to get it back to Minnesota,” he said. “That’s always been in the back of our minds.”
Darg was notified earlier this year that his musical was one of 10 selected by NYMF's panel of nine judges — all but one of whom has won or been nominated for a Grammy, Tony or OBIE award.
Each of the 200 submissions was judged blindly with the final 10 earning a chance to participate in the festival's Next Link program. The mission of the program is to “empower emerging musical theatre writing teams ... by providing the training and relationships needed to help them move their musicals from readings to fully-realized productions and to advance their careers by maximizing the exposure they receive in the Festival.”
Each playwright is given the chance to attend a weekend symposium that includes seminars led by industry professionals on fundraising, marketing, industry outreach and self-producing. Participants are also introduced to potential collaborators, supporters and producers, and receive dramaturgical support from professional literary managers and dramaturgs.
