Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund For New Musicals

Submissions are now open for The Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund for New Musicals!
Applications are due at 11:59 PM on Friday, July 25th, 2025.

Please visit the Submission Guidelines tab for full information on how to apply.

The Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund for New Musicals is Canada’s first-ever fund dedicated exclusively to the commissioning of new Canadian musical works. This opportunity is managed by The Musical Stage Company, thanks to funding from the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation. The fund offers financial and dramaturgical support to creators in creating and developing a first draft of a new musical. Ideas that exemplify the most potential will be awarded an $8,000 commission and a reading of the first draft.

The Musical Stage Company is committed to the development and production of new Canadian musical works. As such, commissioned projects may subsequently be offered additional development or production opportunities upon completion of the commission. The commission contract will outline the terms of these continued opportunities.

AUBREY & MARLA DAN FUND FOR NEW MUSICALS

Submissions are now open for The Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund for New Musicals!
Applications are due at 11:59 PM on Friday, July 25th, 2025.

Please visit the Submission Guidelines tab for full information on how to apply.

Eligibility & Terms

Eligibility

Individual musical theatre creators, teams of musical theatre creators, and theatre creation collectives are all welcome to apply. Projects should be in an early phase of conception or development. If a completed first draft already exists, the project may be too far along for this program unless writers are looking to do substantial reconceiving, essentially generating a new first draft.

Commission Terms

We stress that selection results in a commission and not a grant. Standard terms for commissions will apply including billing in future productions, and a share in future proceeds from subsidiary rights and royalties to be received from commercial production box office receipts pending continued development and production from The Musical Stage Company.

Commission Schedule

Upon signing the Commission Agreement, creators will receive $4,000 (of the total $8,000 commission amount).
Creators will select a writing period falling within eight months of notification of selection to dedicate their time to the writing of a first draft.
At the end of the writing period, creators shall deliver the first draft to The Musical Stage Company, defined as a minimum 50-minutes of material along with synopses of missing scenes and a minimum of eight (8) songs.
Upon completion of the writing period and first draft, The Musical Stage Company shall fund an informal two-day reading of the first draft with a cast of professional actors.
Upon The Musical Stage Company’s receipt of the first draft, creators shall receive the remaining $4,000 (of the total $8,000 commission amount).
Following the receipt of the first draft, The Musical Stage Company may exercise the right to pay an additional development fee of $2,000 to the creators in order to acquire further development rights.

Streams

The fund is granted via two streams:

A) INVITATIONS

The Musical Stage Company may identify prospective projects and directly invite creators to submit a proposal and subsequently present more information about the project to The Musical Stage Company team at any time of the year.

B) OPEN CALL

An Open Call for submissions shall be announced and broadly circulated in the spring of each calendar year with selected projects receiving an invitation to meet a TMSC jury for a presentation (taking place Aug 12-13, 2025).
Submissions are currently open for The Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund for New Musicals. Applications are due at 11:59 PM on July 25th, 2025. Please visit the Submission Guidelines for full information on how to apply.

All submissions are reviewed and assessed by The Musical Stage Company jury. Each year, a maximum of two projects will be selected for commission. While The Musical Stage Company endeavours to select at least one project for commissioning through each stream, there is no guaranteed minimum.

Because the commissions will be awarded through either stream, funding decisions will be made on a rolling basis. Funding decisions may not be immediate and further follow-up may be required. However, feedback from presentations will be available in written form upon request.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions shall be comprised of:

1. A ONE-PAGE PROJECT PROPOSAL (PDF)

This should include: what the project is about, what support you require developmentally/creatively, why it is a fit for TMSC, and a list of any existing developmental partners.

2. TWO AUDIO SAMPLES (MP3)

Two audio samples from the proposed project, or from a previous work by the applicant(s).

If you are re-applying with a piece that was submitted and not selected in a previous year, we ask that you outline any new developments with the piece in the submission form.

Projects invited to submit via Invitations will prepare the same submission package as noted above.

SUBMISSION FORM

Click here to apply through our submission form

For any questions / accessibility needs, please email outreach@musicalstagecompany.com.

PRESENTATIONS IN THE OPEN CALL

Creators who have submitted projects through the Open Call that have been selected for presentation will be notified of their selection via e-mail by August 5th, 2025.

Presentations shall be made to a jury of The Musical Stage Company staff and industry colleagues, taking place August 12-13, 2025. Some presentations may be audited by select invited guests including members from the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation. Presentations may be held virtually on Zoom or in person, depending on artists’ point of origin.

Presentations will be allocated a 45-minute time slot (30 minutes for presentation & 15 minutes for questions). While the presentation may be in whatever manner the applicants deem most helpful, it is recommended that each presentation includes the following:

A synopsis;
Excerpts of scenes; and
At least 2 songs (one of which must be from the project being presented).

Creators are responsible for assembling any additional resources they require for their presentation. The presentation is intended to be casual and conversational. While the creators may curate their presentation as they wish, it is not the intention to make creators feel obligated to integrate additional artists or incur any costs.

Projects invited to submit via Invitations will prepare the same presentation content as noted above.

All applicants will be notified of all decisions regarding their submission.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE OPEN CALL

June 25, 2025 – Submissions Open
July 25, 2025 – Submissions Close
Week of July 28, 2025 – Dan Fund Shortlist Meeting
August 5, 2025 – Notification of selection for presentation
August 12-13, 2025 – Presentations

Funded Projects

JOHANNES

Book by Morris Panych, Music & Lyrics by Ryan deSouza & Darren deSouza

NIGHTINGALE PARTY

Book, Music & Lyrics by Veda Hille and Amiel Gladstone.

SOFT MAGICAL TOFU BOYS

Book, Music & Lyrics by Kevin Wong

THE 7 FIRES, A NEW MUSICAL

Music & Lyrics by Landon Doak
Book & Lyrics by Dillan Meighan Chiblow

Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund For New Musicals

AUBREY & MARLA DAN FUND FOR NEW MUSICALS

Sponsors

AUBREY & MARLA DAN FUND FOR NEW MUSICALS

Eligibility & Terms

Eligibility

Commission Terms

Commission Schedule

Streams

A) INVITATIONS

B) OPEN CALL

Submission Guidelines

1. A ONE-PAGE PROJECT PROPOSAL (PDF)

2. TWO AUDIO SAMPLES (MP3)

SUBMISSION FORM

Click here to apply through our submission form

PRESENTATIONS IN THE OPEN CALL

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE OPEN CALL

Funded Projects

JOHANNES

BLACKOUT

KELLY v. KELLY

IN REAL LIFE

DIXON ROAD

MONOCEROS

THE PREPOSTEROUS PREDICAMENT OF POLLY PEEL

YOU ARE HERE

STARWALKER

NIGHTINGALE PARTY

COWBOY TEMPEST CABARET

MEAT

THE TRIALS & TRIUMPHS OF A TAR BABY

SOFT MAGICAL TOFU BOYS

THE 7 FIRES, A NEW MUSICAL