Alexander Gemignani has been named the new artistic director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference. He'll be just the second artistic director of that conference, which began in 1978. He will succeed founding Artistic Director Paulette Haupt, who will step down in August after four decades.

Gemignani, who is currently playing King George III in the Chicago company of "Hamilton," is an actor, musical director, composer/lyricist, and educator. His Broadway acting credits include "Violet," "Chicago," "Les Misérables," "Sweeney Todd" and "Sunday in the Park With George."

As a composer/lyricist, he is developing four new musicals and has composed the incidental music for plays. As a musical director, he is in development for productions with The Public Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company.

He has served on the faculty of the O'Neill's National Theater Institute as well as of NYU.

"I am deeply honored that Preston Whiteway and the board of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center have selected me to help shape the next generation of groundbreaking musicals." Gemignani said in a statement. "The O'Neill's stellar reputation of cultivating work that challenges, stimulates, and inspires is one I'm thrilled to continue. I have enormous respect for my predecessor, Paulette Haupt, whose passion and insight have helped make the O'Neill a safe haven for creation for the last 40 years. I'm invigorated by the challenge of honoring the foundation and legacy of the American musical, while looking ahead to include new theater makers with bold approaches to storytelling. In short, I cannot wait to get started."

Since it began, the National Music Theater Conference has developed more than 132 new musicals, including early versions of "Nine," "Violet," "Avenue Q," "In Transit" and "In The Heights."