The Houston Family Arts Center’s Actors Academy has been chosen to present its new show, Kissless the Musical, as part of this year’s New York Musical Theatre Festival. With a cast of Houston area teens, college students and a few adults, the show will make its world premiere as part of the festival, whose 30-some productions will play at various New York venues Sept. 28-Oct. 16.

Specifically, Kissless will give six performances Sept. 28-Oct. 8 at the off-Broadway Theatre at St. Clements.

Now in its eighth year, the festival is a leading showcase for new musicals. Several shows that originated there have gone on to extended off-Broadway or Broadway runs, most notably the recent hit Next to Normal, which won three Tonys and the Pulitzer Prize.

Kissless is a rarity as it's a festival offering being entrusted to a small company outside New York, rather than cast with Big Apple professionals. The show’s cast, their families and HFAC staff are busy raising the $100,000 needed by Sept. 1 to cover expenses for their 13 days in New York.

Kissless depicts a teen goth chick forced to live with her jock neighbor and his family for the summer. The unlikely pair’s developing relationship creates consternation among their friends and families. The show’s book, music and lyrics were written by Chance McClain, Houston sports radio personality and producer, who co-wrote the Yao Ming Song that enjoyed an online vogue a few years ago. The show has had several developmental readings in Houston and following its festival engagement, will make its Houston premiere later this season.

Houston Family Arts Center is a non-profit founded in 2005 to provide creative community involvement through the production of quality, family-friendly entertainment. HFAC produces a season of musicals and plays and its Actors Academy offers theater arts classes for children, teens, and adults.

Eileen MorrisEileen Morris, longtime artistic director of Houston’s Ensemble Theatre, was honored with the National Black Theatre Festival’s Larry Leon Hamlin Producer's Award at the festival last week in Winston-Salem, NC.

Named for the festival’s late founder and in effect its lifetime achievement award, it was given to Morris in recognition of her body of work as an artist and producing artistic director spanning more than 25 years.

The Ensemble was one of the 40-some companies and individual artists from across the nation chosen to perform at this year’s festival. The company performed its production of Samm-Art Williams’ The Waiting Room, directed by Morris, with its original cast as seen here in fall 2010.

Houston Grand Opera’s main subscription season doesn’t begin until The Barber of Seville opens on Oct. 21 at Wortham Center.

Yet prior to that, the company will present two special projects created through its HGOco initiative, designed to strengthen ties with the varied communities of Houston.

9/11 — Memories from Houston will premiere with performances at City Hall, Rothko Chapel and other locations Sept. 9-12. The commissioned song cycle by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer is based on interviews with the elite firefighters of Houston Task Force One, who spent weeks at Ground Zero taking part in the rescue and recovery mission.

To Cross the Face of the Moon. Photo by Mayra BeltranHGO will bring back To Cross the Face of the Moon, the acclaimed mariachi opera it premiered last season, for performances Sept. 23-27 at the historic Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The work depicts several generations of a Mexican family that migrates to the United States. Composer Jose “Pepe” Martinez, liberttist-director Leonard Foglia and Perryn Leach, HGO’s new managing director, will travel to Paris for the work’s European premiere, performed by the original cast including Cecilia Duarte, Octavio Moreno and the famed Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, of which Martinez is music director.

“Re-imagining the Past” is the theme for the 2011-12 season of Houston Early Music, which presents leading early music ensembles and soloists.

Artistic director Nancy Ellis says she has chosen artists and programs “that will appeal to early music devotees as well as those who have not yet experienced the energy and spontaneity of early music.”

The programs:

La Donna Musicale, the Boston-based ensemble, in music by women composers from the rival German courts of Frederic the Great and the House of Hapsburg, Oct. 2.

Dufay Collective, the British ensemble, in Christmas music of Renaissance England, Dec. 11.

Richard Egarr, the harpsichord superstar, in works by 17th century masters including Couperin and Purcell, Feb. 3.

La Morra, the Swiss ensemble, with soprano Arianna Savall, in works of Renaissance Spain, March 12.

Trio Settecento, in Scottish baroque music, May 4.

Ticket information is available at www.HoustonEarlyMusic.org and 713-432-1744.