Ready When You Are – Details, episodes & analysis

Get a first look at READY WHEN YOU ARE, a video podcast series from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) hosted by Festival alumnus Timothy Huang.Each episode brings together musical theatre writers from different generations for candid conversations about mentorship, legacy, innovation, and the realities of building a creative life in theatre. Alongside these conversations, the series features live performances recorded in the NAMT office, offering an intimate showcase of new musical theatre in development.Season one features writers including Kait Kerrigan, Bree Lowdermilk, Deepak Kumar, and Jord Liu, with performances by leading theatre artists.From stories of creative breakthroughs to the songs writers wish they had written themselves, READY WHEN YOU ARE offers a behind-the-scenes look at how new musicals are made.Episodes will be released throughout the year on the NAMT YouTube channel and podcast platforms.Learn more:namt.org

READY WHEN YOU ARE

Episode #1: PART 1 with KAIT KERRIGAN & BREE LOWDERMILK with DEEPAK KUMAR & JORD LIU

In the premiere episode of READY WHEN YOU ARE, host Timothy Huang brings together two generations of musical theatre writers for an honest conversation about craft, mentorship, and building a life in the theatre.

Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk join Deepak Kumar and Jord Liu for a wide-ranging discussion about heroes, education, technology, and how social media is shaping the way writers find their pathway into the field. The group also shares the songs they wish they’d written, the “magic songs” that capture lightning in a bottle, and the moments of struggle that ultimately led to creative breakthroughs.

The episode also features an intimate live performance of “Out Here” from ERNXST, or the Importance of Being, with Zachary Noah Piser, recorded live in the NAMT office.

READY WHEN YOU ARE is a video podcast series from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) bringing together Festival alumni across generations for candid conversations about mentorship, legacy, innovation, and the evolving landscape of new musicals.

www.namt.org

READY WHEN YOU ARE

Hosted & Created by

Timothy Huang

Featuring

Kait Kerrigan

Deepak Kumar

Jord Liu

Bree Lowdermilk

And

Zachary Noah Piser

A National Alliance for Musical Theatre Media Project

Produced & Directed by Frankie Dailey

Cinematography & Editing by Emily Vortherms

Audio Supervisor & Original Music by Dylan Glatthorn

Associate Producers: Skye Cone Ivey, Amanda Freedman

Production Coordinator: Brent Whiteside

Featuring the song

“Out Here” 

From ERNXST Or the Importance of Being

Book by Justin Elizabeth Sayre

Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan

Music by Bree Lowdermilk

Based on The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Thank You, ART/New York Studios!

ABOUT THE HOST

TIMOTHY HUANG 

Follow Tim: @timothyhuangstagram

More info: https://www.timothyhuang.net/

ABOUT THE GUESTS

KAIT KERRIGAN

Follow Kait: @kaitkerrigan

Follow Kerrigan & Lowdermilk: @kerrigan_lowdermilk

More info: https://kerrigan-lowdermilk.com/

DEEPAK KUMAR

Follow Deepak: @_kumarde

More info: https://deepakwrites.com/

JORD LIU

Follow Jord: @jord_de_vivre

More info: https://jminjie.com/

BREE LOWDERMILK 

Follow Bree: @breelowdermilk

Follow Kerrigan & Lowdermilk: @kerrigan_lowdermilk

More info: https://kerrigan-lowdermilk.com/

ABOUT NAMT

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. Its mission is to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development, production, innovation and collaboration. Their 140 organizational members and 60 individual members, located throughout 31 states and six countries abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers. In 2024, NAMT reached $1 million in awards to member organizations through NAMT granting programs including the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals and the Impact & Exploration Fund. Among the 300 musicals launched by NAMT’s Annual Festival of New Musicals are Come From Away, Lempicka, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lizard Boy, Teeth, Gun & Powder, King of Pangea, Benny & Joon, Darling Grenadine, Ordinary Days, It Shoulda Been You and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others, representing 600 writers. Last year, over 100 students from 27 states participated in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with NAMT. Discover more at namt.org.

Follow NAMT: @namt_org

More info: namt.org

Watch: READY WHEN YOU ARE with Timothy Huang

First Episode - Tuesday, 3/10

Featuring Kait Kerrigan & Bree Lowdermilk with Jord Liu & Deepak Kumar

Performance by Zachary Noah Piser

READY WHEN YOU ARE is a video series from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), hosted by NAMT Festival alum Timothy Huang, bringing together musical theatre writers from different generations for candid conversations about mentorship, legacy, innovation and the evolving path of building a career in the field. In a roundtable discussion, guests reflect on pivotal moments, lessons learned and the realities of sustaining a creative life in theatre.

Episodes also feature live performances recorded right here in the NAMT office, giving you a first look a new work by our writers. Blending music, storytelling and industry insight, READY WHEN YOU ARE with Timothy Huang offers inspiration and practical perspective for writers, producers and anyone passionate about the future of new musicals.

Visit namt.org/podcast