By Jenna Bawer
As it’s name implies, Camp Broadway’s specialty is theater education programs, which offer aspiring artists learning experiences at professional levels. One of their recent camp programs was “The Next Step,” a one-week program that “weaves traditional musical theater training into an immersive theatrical environment” and teaches teenagers how to sing and dance like Broadway pros. The class consisted of approximately 35 performers aged 14-17 who already had some experience in stage performance; some had come from as far as the Netherlands or Switzerland to enjoy this opportunity. The culmination of their week with Camp Broadway was a show at B.B. King’s Blues Club in NYC where they performed medleys of Broadway show tunes. I was invited to this Family Finale performance to see what The Next Step program had taught these young talents.
To commemorate A Chorus Line‘s fortieth anniversary, the show was staged like the Broadway hit, in the format of an audition for a musical. The hosts asked each performer to state their name and provide a talent or piece of information about him or herself. Their set included an opening numbers medley from various other beloved Broadway shows, including “All That Jazz” from Chicago, “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray, and of course, “I Hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line (headshots included). Every student was allowed a chance to shine, not only being able to sing solo lines in each song, but even showing off their charisma or talents (one girl even performed cartwheels!).
Camp Broadway Community Engagement Manager, Kerry Dineen described this year’s program as ‘revamped’ to allow everyone to “play to their strength”, which in the end led to a great and diverse ensemble.
The students recreated the choreography of the songs and smoothly transitioned between each one. In the end, all the actors and actresses get ‘accepted’ and perform the song ‘One’, complete with glittery hats. They also each receive a ‘Next Step patch’ to commemorate their time in the program. One segment that entertained me was the ‘Diva-Off’, in which a group of hammy actresses each declare they are the biggest diva, leading to a medley of ‘I Want’ numbers, including “I’m The Greatest Star” and “Show Off.”
Each of the medleys was designed to reflect a musical theater concept theme, such as the innocent ingenue or the comic relief. The students had been studying these concepts in their class, and explained to the audience what they were. I actually learned there was a term for the innocent female lead in theater through the students’ performance, then was treated to some popular examples of songs that highlight the concept. Not only do the students learn by attending Camp Broadway, the audience can also learn about theater concepts while enjoying a wonderful show! This allows the parents of the future Broadway stars to better understand their child’s interest.
I spoke with seventeen-year-old Camp Broadway participant Emily Brolin after the performance. She had come out of state to work in ‘The Next Step’ and work towards attaining her dream of performing on Broadway. According to Emily, rehearsing for the ‘Next Step’ showcase is ‘very much like a Broadway rehearsal’. It involved a lot of hard work, and she ensures it was worth it. She also appreciates having been able to meet ‘wonderful people’ from Broadway during class, who helped her and her classmates understand what it truly is like to work on Broadway. Her week culminated in her being able to express herself musically and have a chance in the spotlight. The rest of the cast had the same opportunity.
‘The Next Step’ performance may have been short, but it was jam-packed with Broadway-quality work. Camp Broadway is a perfect learning opportunity for any young star to hone their singing and dancing skills, increase their understanding of musical theater, and, as the Camp Broadway motto says, ‘develop their character’. I anticipate what next year’s program will bring!