A new incubator for the development of original musicals soft-launched earlier this fall and officially launches on Oct. 29. The new company the Bridge is led by founder and producing artistic director Molly Marinik, general manager Jenna Ready and creative strategist Laura Been.
The Bridge will specifically provide resources as the project manager for musicals that are midway through development. Assistance will be offered in the form of continual dramaturgical support. The Bridge will also help with the mounting of workshops, concerts and table reads and creating brand strategy.
In its inaugural season, the Bridge has taken on the new musical “The King of Harlem,” written by John-Michael Lyles and David Gomez with direction and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly. The musical was featured as part of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s fall 2025 conference. The Bridge’s development of the title will lead to a full workshop presentation in the spring of 2026, in collaboration with Musical Theater Factory.
The advisory board for the Bridge will consist of members Liz Carlson, Ken Cerniglia, Amanda DuBois, Katie Gemelli, Dmitry Koltunov, AriDy Nox, Sandy Rustin, Jeremy Stoller, Natasha Sinha, Charlie Stone and Arminda Thomas.
