About

The New Musical Development Foundation was founded in 2007 by co-Artistic Directors Charlie Fink and Matt Wolf to further the development of new musicals through commissions, readings, and workshop productions, the cost of which is typically borne by the artists. This is an area which we believe is under-served by both commercial producers and not-for-profit theaters. Importantly, all rights are retained by the authors throughout the process, the goal of which is enable new work to mature enough to produce for wider audiences.

To reach the New Musical Development Foundation, please send us an email at info@newmusicalfund.org

About Charlie Fink

Charlie Fink

Charlie Fink has been an executive and producer of entertainment and new media since 1985, creating and launching new brands for Disney, AOL, and American Greetings. Currently, he is the founder and co-artistic director of the not-for-profit New Musical Development Foundation, which supports the development of new musicals through commissions, readings, and workshop productions. Charlie is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The New York New Musical Festival, an annual fall showcase of 30 new musicals, and an advisor to the Washington, DC Capitol Fringe Festival.

Charlie started his career in the Animation Division of Walt Disney Pictures, where he rose to the position of Vice-President, Creative Affairs. In his six years with Disney, Charlie was responsible for the development and production of live-action and animated motion pictures, including “Beauty and The Beast”, “Aladdin”, and “The Lion King”, which was based on his original idea. In 1992, Charlie left Disney Pictures to become Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Virtual World Entertainment, a software developer and location based Entertainment Company owned by Tim Disney. That company was later sold to Microsoft.

In early 1996, Charlie joined the AOL as Senior Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer of its Greenhouse Networks, where he created and launched some of the Internet’s leading content brands, including Love@AOL (Love.com), Electra (sold to Oxygen Media), Entertainment Asylum, and Santa’s Home Page (which he also co-produced with the late Brandon Tartikof and Will Vinton as an ABC TV special).

After leaving AOL in 1999, Charlie founded eAgents.com, a daily email service which provided targeted news and entertainment to over five million Internet users each day. In September, 2000, less than eight months after founding the company, with its initial product still in beta, eAgents was sold to American Greetings Interactive (AGI). Charlie served as President of AGI until 2003, and Chairman until 2005. During his tenure, AG acquired its two largest competitors, BlueMountain.com and eGreetings.com, and transitioned from a free site to a fee based subscription service with nearly three million paying subscribers.

During the Presidential Campaign in 2008, Charlie created and produced the critically acclaimed animated cartoon musical, “Oh, McCain”, which was broadcast on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, and the animated series “The Two McCains”, which was seen by over one million people, thanks to a unique marketing partnership with YouTube’s entertainment channel. These cartoons are archived at http://lunaticsandliars.com.

Charlie earned his BA Degree from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Charlie’s personal web site QuoteoftheWeek.com (aka Quoteorama.com) delivers its light cargo of wisdom via email every Monday to over 7,500 of Charlie’s close personal friends.

Charlie’s recent theatrical producing credits:

  • “Dot Camelot!” by Craig Pospisil and Michael Ogborn, January 18, 2010, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Washington, DC
  • “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” by John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask, October 30 & 31 2009, Warehouse Theater, Washington, DC
  • “Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Saints” by Deb Bounaccorsi and Steve McWilliams, Summer 2009, Capital Fringe Festival
  • “Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Orestia” by Deb Bounaccorsi and Steve McWilliams, Summer 2009, Keegan Theater, Washington, DC
  • “Titus X”, by Shawn Northrip, Summer 2009, DC Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, DC
  • “Rooms”, by Paul Scott Goodman, Summer, Summer 2008, Metrostage, Alexandria; Fall 2009 GEVA Rochester NY; Spring 2009 New World Stages, NY (off-Broadway)
  • Joe!” by Dan Lipton and Dave Rossemer, Fall 2008 reading, Signature Theater, Arlington, VA
  • “Curveball, or How I Started the Iraq War”, by JT Allen & Chris Jeffries, Summer 2008 reading, Signature Theater, Arlington, VA
  • “Powerhouse”, by Shawn Northrip, Summer 2008 DC Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, DC
  • “The Wonderful World of Zidney”, by Shawn Northrip and Mike Pettry, Summer 2007 Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival, Washington, DC
  • “Bushwa” by John Morogiello, Fall 2006 Production, Roundhouse Theater, Silver Spring, MD
  • “The Sand Storm” by Sean Huze, Fall 2005 Metrostage, Alexandria, VA
  • “Irish Authors Held Hostage” by John Morogiello, Summer 2004 Production, NY Fringe Festival
  • “Burn Rate”, by Paul Scott Goodman, Spring 2003 reading, BMI, NY