Musical theatre fans should head to LA during the months of May and June for the Festival of New American Musicals. The event includes full productions, staged readings, workshops of musicals in progress, cabaret events, concerts, master classes and other related events all around Southern California.

Honorary festival chairs include Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Jason Alexander and Angela Lansbury.

There are more productions than I could possibly tell you about, so check out the Festival Calendar to see what's playing where.

Photo: Benjamin Clark and company in The Brain from Planet X at the Chance Theatre in Anaheim, May 3- June 15, 2008, courtesy of The Brain from Planet X.