Now in its 9th year, CMTF was created with the belief that there’s a wealth of musical theatre creators in Chicago and around the country, but the high risks of producing new musicals offers limited opportunities for emerging authors to have their work seen and heard. CMTF is designed to provide much-needed artistic resources for writers to have their work supported, explored, and most importantly – performed! Since its inception in 2014 by Underscore Theatre Company, CMTF has brought 60 new musicals to Chicago stages. Following a four-year hiatus, CMTF returned in 2024 under the stewardship of Kokandy Productions.

The 2026 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival will be held Dec 7-13. Submissions will open in Fall 2026. More details about the submission requirements and festival timeline will be available at that time.

If you have any questions, or wish to become involved with future iterations of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, email cmtf@kokandyproductions.com.

All press inquiries should be directed to David Rosenberg, our publicist, at david@drpublicrelations.com.

Sponsorship inquiries should email Executive Producer Scot Kokandy at scot@kokandyproductions.com.