
đ NEW@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers â Featuring Owen Yeh-Lee
In this season of NEW@NAMT, we continue to highlight the winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, presented by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with NAMT, Concord Theatricals, Disney Theatrical Productions, and the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation. These student songwriters had their original songs fully orchestrated and performed live by Broadway professionals during Winners Weekend in New York City.
đ¶ In this episode, host Jean-Paul Yovanoff is joined by co-host Jaime Lozano to welcome Owen Yeh-Lee, who wrote the winning song âSpacetime.â Inspired by the Chinese folktale of the Moon Goddess Changâe, Spacetime follows Hou Yi as he mourns his wifeâs departure to the moon, grappling with loneliness, grief, and despair.
Owen shares the inspiration behind his mythologically rich and emotionally charged song, along with insights into his songwriting process, his experience working with Broadway performer Telly Leung, and the lessons he learned about collaboration in musical theatre during Winners Weekend.
Co-host Jaime Lozano, who served as Owenâs program mentor, reflects on Owenâs musical storytelling, cultural influences, and artistic growth throughout the challenge.
âš If youâre passionate about new voices in musical theatre and the future of songwriting, this episode is a must-listen!
đ Itâs time to lower the lights, raise the curtain, and LX1 Go on NEW@NAMT!
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For more information on the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, visit â â https://namt.org/challenge/â â
Watch Challenge Accepted! Featuring the Winning Songs: â â https://youtu.be/7ia5ebFAdrU?â â
Watch âSpacetimeâ from the Winning Concert: https://youtu.be/ArlR_KtxlSc?