The New York Musical Theatre Festival takes place September 27 -- October 17. But you'd better buy your tickets now if you want a chance to see Anthony Rapp's entry, Without You. (You know it's going to sell out immediately.) While we gobble up every show we possibly can, here are five you simply don't want to miss. Think these musicals will come and go and never be heard from again? Think again. Think, in fact, of Next To Normal, Altar Boyz, Yank!, and [title of show], to name just a few.
  1. Without You by Anthony Rapp featuring music by Jonathan Larson. A musical about a musical? We love it already. This isn't just the story of Rapp's part in the overwhelming success of Rent. It also weaves in the story of his mother's illness and death, as beautifully chronicled in Rapp's memoir of the same name. Beyond some Rent favorites, he'll also use tunes by R.E.M. and -- we're just guessing here -- Harry Nilsson's "Without You," which was a cover of the Badfinger song, which we mention to prove we know pop as well as Broadway. Sight unseen, this is the event of the festival.
  2. Nighttime Traffic, book, music and lyrics by Alex Wyse -- Max is keeping his boyfriend Calder company in the hospital before Calder's heart transplant. But a nurse's friendly offering of a mysterious pill slows down time so that minutes turn into hours while the three explore the world they thought they knew with a moment-to-moment intimacy that is overwhelming. We're not certain, but the reference to a "contemporary score" and thumping music makes this sound like K in a nightclub.
  3. Pandora's Box, book by Maria S. Schlatter, music and lyrics by Glen Roven; based on the film Gazon Maudit. Spun off from the film French Twist with Victoria Abril. The story of a bored housewife, her always-cheating husband, and the lesbian handywoman Mona who turns both their heads sounds like too much fun to miss.
  4. The History of War, book by Chip Zien, music by Deborah Abramson, lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz. Our childhood fantasies of revenge were limited to bringing Leonardo DiCaprio to the high school prom. But the 12-year-old at the heart of this perverse show is a lot more ambitious. Instead of doing his homework, he brings the cruelest tyrants of history to life so they can fulfill his dreams of doing really horrible things to just about everyone. And there are songs, of course! It's not gay, as such, but we can identify. Note: Chip Zien did the voice of Howard the Duck and appeared in Falsettos and Into the Woods, so he's seen it all.
  5. Show Choir! The Musical, book, music, and lyrics by Donald Garverick and Mark McDaniels. No, we're not over the whole Glee thing; why would you ask such a ridiculous question? In this faux Behind the Music, we watch as the Symphonic Sensations grow from high school smash to worldwide phenomenon to glorious trainwreck. If there's not a queer storyline in there somewhere, we don't know our show choirs. This show first appeared at the Fringe Festival, where Urinetown got its start.