New musical co-created by TROY faculty member to be presented at the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s annual festival 

“ROJA,” a musical and Latine adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood co-created by Department of Theatre and Dance faculty member Tommy Newman, will be presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s (NAMT) 37th annual Festival of New Musicals in New York City.

Fusing traditional Mexican folk music and Mestizo folklore, “ROJA,” with book, music, and lyrics by Tommy Newman, lecturer for Troy University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and Jaime Lozano, is a new twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story. At the edge of the desert in Northern Mexico, Roja rescues a mischievous, magical coyote who offers her the chance to see her father again — launching a miraculous adventure for audiences of all ages.

According to Newman, being selected to present at the annual NAMT festival represents a significant milestone for the production.

“This is a prestigious accomplishment, as only eight shows are selected from hundreds of applicants every year,” he shared. “We will be presenting that show for dozens of literary directors and a whole host of regional and professional theatres across the country in Manhattan at New World Stages. I’m so delighted to be counted among them. This is also my fourth time participating in the festival, which I think is pretty darn cool, too.”

Newman also shared about his long-time collaborative relationship with Lozano.

“Working with Jaime is always fantastic,” he said. “This is far from our first show. We have collaborated a number of times including our show “El Otro Oz,” a Latine adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” that has been touring since Spring on the West Coast. We have been working together for about 16 years, and we are already busy plotting the next project!”

“Roja” Development History
“Roja” was created and developed in residency at the Forestburgh Playhouse in May of 2024. It was presented in a table reading with The New Group in Manhattan that same summer. In September of 2024, it was further developed and presented with assistance from the Forestburgh Playhouse “In the Works-In the Woods” Festival in Forestburgh, NY. “Roja” has since been developed in part at Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat in 2025. It also received a generous grant for development with funding from the Pipeline Arts Foundation in May of 2025.

About the Festival of New Musicals
The NAMT’s 37^th Annual Festival of New Musicals will take place in New York City at New World Stages on October 23 and 24. The event features eight new musicals in 45-minute staged reading presentations in front of an industry-only audience. The new musicals are selected from a submission pool of hundreds of submissions by the festival committee and celebrate what’s next in musical theatre along with the incredible stories and artists that are leading the way.

You can learn more about “ROJA” here. 

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