NEW@NAMT: Love Is Dead – Featuring Jeff Luppino-Esposito & Brett Ryback

We’re closing out Season 3 of NEW@NAMT with a hilarious—and slightly haunted—new musical. In this episode, hosts Jean-Paul Yovanoff and Adam Immerwahr talk with writing team Jeff Luppino-Esposito & Brett Ryback about their musical Love Is Dead, a romantic comedy about a heartbroken woman and the sexy ghost who just might haunt her back to life.

🎙️ Jeff and Brett share how they met at the concessions stand of New World Stages (really), how their quirky pop-forward score draws from both Ben Folds and Alan Menken, and why they believe musical comedy can be just as emotionally resonant as drama—especially when there’s a Sony Discman puppet involved.

✨ Plus: how In Strange Woods and This Used to Be a Disco paved the way for their musical-theatre-meets-rom-com sensibility, what they’ve learned about writing for modern audiences, and what’s next for Love Is Dead after its Festival debut.

Three actors. One ghost. Infinite laughs.

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More about LOVE IS DEAD:

⁠https://namt.org/musicals/love-is-dead/⁠

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NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers – Featuring Selda Sahin, Autumn Reeser & Derek Gregor (PARTICLE)
📘 Book by Selda Sahin, Autumn Reeser & Derek Gregor
🎵 Music by Derek Gregor
✍️ Lyrics by Selda Sahin

On this episode of NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and returning co-host Dev Bondarin dive into the boundary-breaking new musical PARTICLE with creators Selda Sahin, Autumn Reeser, and Derek Gregor — a multidimensional coming-of-age story set in the high-stakes world of elite online gaming.

At the center of PARTICLE are 17-year-old twins, Cora and Seth, whose paths diverge as Cora rises through the Interglow championship ranks and Seth struggles with being left behind. Through a lens of quantum physics, gaming avatars, and a synth-driven score, PARTICLE explores what it means to stay connected across digital and emotional realms — and the transcendent power of love.

💡 Written over Zoom during the pandemic and inspired by both online culture and real-life sibling bonds, PARTICLE offers a heartfelt, genre-defying look at identity, grief, and the possibilities of virtual worlds. The musical has been developed with Michigan State University, Nazareth College, Missouri State, and Broadway Unlocked.

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More about Particle:

⁠https://namt.org/musicals/particle/⁠

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https://www.instagram.com/autumn_reeser/

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NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers – Featuring Jaime Lozano & Tommy Newman (ROJA)
🎭 Book, Music & Lyrics by Jaime Lozano & Tommy Newman

This week on NEW@NAMT, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff and co-host Jen Bender talk with composer/lyricist duo Jaime Lozano and Tommy Newman about their magical new musical ROJA, a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood steeped in the rich folklore, sounds, and soul of Northern Mexico.

In this nuevo musical, 14-year-old Roja embarks on a miraculous desert journey after rescuing a mischievous, magical coyote who offers her the chance to see her father again. 💫 Inspired by Mexican folk music and Mestizo storytelling, ROJA is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about family, transformation, and the power of myth — crafted by two fathers who are also longtime collaborators.

🎶 Jaime and Tommy reflect on their artistic partnership (which began in 2009), their shared desire to celebrate joyful Latine narratives, and how ROJA evolved from a series of late-night texts into a shape-shifting musical that blends theatricality, campfire intimacy, and acoustic soul.

ROJA has been developed with the Forestburgh Playhouse, The New Group, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and supported by the Pipeline Arts Foundation. The creators are now seeking producing partners who believe in telling Latine stories with joy, depth, and cultural authenticity.

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More about ROJA:

https://namt.org/musicals/roja/

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https://www.instagram.com/jaimelozano/

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https://www.instagram.com/tommynewmanmusic/