VIRTUAL STAGE LAB LAUNCHES
Bringing New Musicals & Plays to the Screen for Free
The revolutionary new company at the intersection of film and theatre, Virtual Stage Lab (VSL), is officially launching this summer after two years of building theatrical new media content behind the scenes. A Tony-Nominated composer, a Broadway lyricist, and a National Touring performer walk into a lab and out comes an industry disruptor. VSL captures brand-new musicals and plays on film—beautifully staged, professionally shot, and streaming anytime, anywhere, for free. That’s right: free.
Founded by Tony nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre), Broadway bookwriter David Goldsmith (Motown The Musical), and digital-savvy performer-producer Melody Munitz (The Addams Family National Tour), Virtual Stage Lab is on a mission to democratize the creation and presentation of new theatrical works, upending the costly, exclusive development process that has long kept new voices waiting in the wings.
“The Virtual Stage Lab experience is life-changing for creatives; making films and having a record of our work, for live theater professionals—directors, designers, actors—is a dream come true,” says award-winning director-producer Dani Davis, a frequent VSL collaborator. “The Virtual Stage Lab experience is a game-changer for producers and authors. The model takes the pressure off, facilitating the best possible development process for a new show. Not only can we release ourselves from the worry of getting the ‘right people’ in the room on a designated date, we can now democratize access for potential investors and partners everywhere via a beautifully produced film of the work we are making.”
Each VSL project is a proof of concept, both for the new show itself and for the model overall: that theatrical work can be born on camera, live online forever, and catalyze future live productions. VSL offers a radical new blueprint for creating, presenting, and sharing new theatre in the 21st century.
To date, Virtual Stage Lab has produced five films, including Ribbit, recently acquired by Uproar Theatricals for licensing; My Improbable Sisters, starring 2025 Tony Nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP! The Musical); the pandemic-era musical dramedy Five Women At An Airport; and the immersive short-play collection Grief Dialogues.
“Working with Virtual Stage Lab felt like the equivalent of 'being in the garage' in Silicon Valley back in the day,” says Broadway’s Alexandra Silber, who directed Five Women At An Airport. “The sense that we were making something not-yet-conceived of, an out-of-the-box concept about how new theatrical work could be nurtured, uplifted, respected, then produced, recorded, shared, monetized, and democratized for all to benefit. It’s the next wave of how we participate in theatrical storytelling.”
Grab your popcorn and your playbill—and let’s get streaming.
Website: www.VirtualStageLab.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@VirtualStageLab
Instagram: www.instagram.com/VirtualStageLabTiktok: @VirtualStageLab
BIOGRAPHIES
Paul Gordon (Producer) is a Tony Award-nominated composer for his musical Jane Eyre. Other works include Sense and Sensibility (2015 Jeff Award for Best New Work) and Daddy Long Legs (2009 Ovation Award, 2 Drama Desk Award nominations, Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination, and three Outer Critics Circle award nominations). His recent Off-Broadway hit, The Gospel According to Heather, is available on Apple Music and other streaming services. In his former life, Paul was a pop songwriter, writing several number-one hits. paulgordonmusic.com @pauleeg2018
David Goldsmith (Artistic Director) is a playwright, bookwriter, lyricist, composer, director, and script doctor. His work has been performed in theaters from Broadway to London’s West End to the National Theatre of Israel in Tel Aviv. David wrote the book and original lyrics with Motown founder Berry Gordy for Broadway’s Motown The Musical. His plays Hotel Buzz, American Guernica, and I Ragazzi are available through Broadway Licensing and Dramatists Play Service (www.dramatists.com). He is proud to have written the lyrics to award-winning songs from “Disney’s Descendants 3” to New Line Cinema’s classic Set It Off. David lives in Manhattan with his wife, Broadway’s Bryonha Marie. davidisawriter.com @davidgoldsmithlyrics
Melody Munitz (Director of Brand & Marketing) is a theatre artist and digital designer passionate about helping stories get told, whether from in front of or behind the table or screen. A Penn State graduate with dual honors degrees in Musical Theatre & Psychology (Valedictorian, ‘22), Melody is currently leading the Broadway National Tour of The Addams Family as Wednesday Addams. Previous performance credits include the American Girl National Tour and 15 shows Off-Broadway. Her work behind the scenes and in digital marketing spans 14 Broadway shows and Off-Broadway theatre companies, including Keen Company, J2Spotlight, and Transforma Theatre. melodymunitz.com @melody_munitz
SFP Entertainment (General Management) - Founded in 2016, SFP is a collective of theater professionals with decades of experience in all facets of arts management. Their work has spanned Broadway tours, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, major regional theaters, TV, film, and special event work.
Virtual Stage Lab (VSL) is redefining how new theatrical works come to life through the lens of a camera. Founded by Tony Nominee Paul Gordon, Broadway’s David Goldsmith, and National Touring performer Melody Munitz, VSL sits at the intersection of film and theatre, creating beautifully shot, professionally cast “stage film-captures” of new musicals and plays. The kicker? They're available to stream anytime, anywhere, for free.
Since its inception in 2023, VSL has been steadily building proof of concept. Its first production, Ribbit, was filmed in February 2024 and released for streaming in October of the same year. Two more titles followed: Five Women At An Airport and My Improbable Sisters, culminating in a breakout moment when Sisters star Jasmine Amy Rogers earned a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Betty Boop in BOOP! The Musical, less than two months after working with VSL.
By combining the artistry of stage performance with the accessibility of digital film, VSL isn’t just developing shows, it’s democratizing them. Each VSL project promises not just payment for all artists but inclusion in a shared licensing pool for creators. VSL’s mission is simple: to help great stories get seen, shared, and developed without financial or geographic barriers.
With five films already in the can, accolades rolling in, and a growing network of creators and collaborators, the future is already streaming.
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