Discover New Musical Theater

Aaron Fischer

Assistant to Jason Robert Brown in the 2000s (13: The Musical, Honeymoon in Vegas), creative assistant to John Kander from 2006-2016 (Curtains, All About Us, The Visit, Scottsboro Boys, The Landing), and music assistant to Henry Krieger thru the 2010s (The Flamingo Kid, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Side Show, Romantic Poetry and Monkey Show—both by John Patrick Shanley, Up in the Air, Dreamgirls at the Apollo). Most recently, he assisted Michael John LaChiusa on Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center.

Simon K. Bennett

Simon K. Bennett is a lyricist, book writer, author, director, songwriter, designer and artist. With over three decades of experience in and around theatre, he frequently combines his visual art and love of the medium to widespread acclaim. As a designer, he has created productions in the UK and USA, including Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, and Metropolis: The Musical. In music, Simon has collaborated with artists, producers, and publishers worldwide across diverse genres. He has authored and illustrated numerous children’s books and graphic novels, winning multiple awards in art and design. Notably, three of his graphic novels previously ranked in the top 25 highest-grossing titles on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Simon lives in England, where he continues to develop new theatre projects. He is set to direct Chess the Musical: In Concert at The Forum, Bath in May 2027 for Bath Light Operatic Group.

Lizzie Hagstedt

LIZZIE HAGSTEDT is an actor, singer, musician, and composer from Sayville, NY. Her musicals include Sophie Blanchard’s High-Flyin’ Rock’n’Roll Extravaganza (2026 Prospect Musicals Ignite concert; 2025 Anna L. Weissberger Foundation Grant; 2024 Moxie Arts NYC Incubator) and Zitkala-Ša’s Wild West (2024 Muriel O’Neil American Heritage Commission; readings at Asolo Rep and New Musicals Lab), co-written with Lisa Helmi Johanson—both semifinalists for the 2025 O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Her musical Oneida with Beth Blatt was recently seen in concert at Seven Dials Theatre in London. With collaborator Robby Sandler, she created Hereville, which received concert readings at the Old Globe and the Center for Jewish History. She is a 2021 Jonathan Larson Award Finalist, and has received residencies with the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Prospect Musicals. She is an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. www.lizziehagstedt.com

Melissa Stone

Sari Miller

Classically trained with a rock and roll soul, Sari Miller is passionate about collaboration and storytelling. New Jersey born and raised, she honed her chops in private lessons and a 1987 performing arts degree from Barnard College, where she wrote her first musical. Honored by Barnard for her work, she's continued creating with artists worldwide. She has a certificate in arranging from Berklee and is a member of ASCAP. Her three albums of original songs: High Tide, 55 and Seasons in Song are available for streaming.

Marisa Mitchell

Marisa Mitchell is a bookwriter who takes joy in tackling weighty social themes with a healthy dose of comedy. She is based in San Francisco, California, the epicenter of the hubris of artificial intelligence. Highlights of work include How to Succeed in Business with a Vagina, a raucous feminist comedic musical about tech culture (staged reading with MusicalWriters.com, Dallas, 2026), 350 parts per million, a coming-of-age comedic musical about hope in the face of the climate crisis (Gateway Theater, 2024; Finalist, Musical Writers Pitch Competition, 2022), The Hive, a musical about a cult facing an existential threat (Broadwater Theatre, 2025), The Fermi Paradox (Winner, Playhouse Creatures Fight Forward Festival, 2023). Ms. Mitchell also writes and performs corporate musicals in front of audiences of hundreds, poking fun at corporate and tech culture. NMI Core Curriculum (Bookwriting, Composition), MBA, MA, BS.