Welcome to the Newport NewWorks Festival! Join us for 2 special developmental workshop presentations of 2 new Broadway-bound musicals: PERIPHERAL (Fri, Aug 15 @ 7 PM) and INK & PAINT (Sat, Aug 16 @ 7 PM) happening at the Newport Classical Recital Hall.

Aug 15: PERIPHERAL is rock/pop musical that takes an evocative look at history’s famous photographs—from the edges. Peripheral tells the stories of people captured just outside the frame, reframing our understanding of history and identity. Peripheral comes from the minds of acclaimed musician Mark Aaron James (co-book writer, music, and lyrics) and New York City-based actor, writer, and director Sarah Elizabeth Grace (co-book writer). Sean Daniels—named “One of 7 People Reshaping and Revitalizing The American Musical” by American Theatre, whose play The White Chip was a New York Times Critic’s Pick—directs. The cast of Peripheral includes Broadway talents Major Curda (KPOP; Empty Ride at the Old Globe), Joe Kinosian (Murder for Two), Julia Knitel (Tony Award nominee for Dead Outlaw; Beautiful), Jennifer Sanchez (Real Woman Have Curves, Sunday in the Park with George), Hannah Shealy (The Gilded Age; The Rose Tattoo at Williamstown Theatre Festival), and Gregory Treco (Hamilton).

Aug 16: INK & PAINT is the sweeping, untold story of the women behind Disney’s golden age of animation. This midcentury America documusical sheds light on six pioneering female artists who fought for recognition in a male-dominated studio system. Conceived and written by inventive composer/lyricist Danielle Moore—who has generated buzz for her Audrey Hepburn concept musical Audrey, in collaboration with bookwriter Marjorie Duffield, who recently penned the lyrics for the Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated Over the Moon. Liz Carlson, new work specialist and Artistic Producer/Interim Artistic Director of New York Stage and Film (2016-2024) directs, with musical direction from Josh Kight (Music Associate on the national tour of Hamilton). The cast features Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid, Phantom of the Opera), Gwen Hollander (Little Women, Avenue Q), Gizel Jiménez (Wicked, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis’ The Warriors), Ashley Spencer (Hairspray, Grease: You're the One That I Want), Natalie Shaw (Mean Girls, Cinderella), and Emily Xu Hall (Shaina Taub's Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park As You Like It).

2 SHOW PACKAGE: "Peripheral" AND "Ink and Paint" - 2 Musical Workshops!