EL MUSICAL Announces Ten Finalists for its
National Call for Latiné Musicals
Fifty original musicals submitted from across the United States and Puerto Rico advance the future of Latiné musical theatre.
New York, NY — EL MUSICAL is proud to announce the ten finalists selected for its inaugural Call for Latiné Musicals, a national initiative created to discover, develop, produce, and champion the next generation of original musicals by Latiné creators.
The response to the inaugural call exceeded expectations, with 50 original musicals submitted by writers, composers, lyricists, and theatre artists representing a remarkable diversity of voices, cultures, and storytelling traditions. Each submission was carefully reviewed by a distinguished panel of artistic directors, producers, and members of EL MUSICAL’s Advisory Committee, representing a broad range of experience in musical theatre development and production. The panel evaluated each work based on artistic excellence, originality, storytelling, music, and each project’s potential for future development.
The ten finalists are:
- 7 Train Duende — Max Tsvetovat and Yenny Sanchez
- Wait for Her — Jenna Cox-Hadley
- South First — Antonio del Valle
- On the Line — Joseph Rosario and Gabriel Diego Hernandez
- Call Me From the Grave — Charlie Romano and Harold Hodge Jr.
- The Legend of Julio Star — Juan Sebastian Cruz
- Our Own Odyssey: An Epic Remixed — Joe Montoya and Chris Rivera
- The Yeti Operetti — James Krom and Roger Eduardo Porres
- Siluetas, A New Musical — Erlina Ortiz and Robi Hager
- There’s a Coquí in My Shoe! — Marisa De Jesus Paolicelli and Mike D’Errico, Ph.D.
The selected works represent a remarkable range of musical styles, artistic perspectives, and storytelling traditions, reflecting the richness, diversity, and creativity of the Latiné experience.
From these ten finalists, four musicals will each receive a $2,500 EL MUSICAL Seed Grant to support the continued development of their projects. In addition to the seed grant, recipients will receive professional mentorship, access to rehearsal space, networking opportunities, and participation in future EL MUSICAL readings, showcases, presentations, and special events designed to help move these projects from development to production.
The four Seed Grant recipients will be announced this September during National Hispanic Heritage Month.
“The extraordinary response to our first Call for Latiné Musicals confirms what many of us have known for years: there is an abundance of talent, imagination, and stories waiting to be discovered within our community,” said Dr. Manuel A. Morán, Founder and Artistic Director of EL MUSICAL. “Selecting just ten finalists from fifty outstanding submissions was no easy task. Every application reflected passion, creativity, and a deep commitment to expanding the canon of Latiné musicals. We congratulate all of the finalists and thank every artist who entrusted us with their work. This is only the beginning of a movement to ensure that Latiné voices continue to shape the future of the American musical.”
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