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5 Virtual Ways to Boost Skills for Broadway loving kids

Has your son memorized the entire “Hamilton” cast recording? Maybe your daughter knows all the dance moves from “Newsies.” Or perhaps your kid has already had a leading role in their school production or attended a musical theatre camp. Congratulations, you have a Broadway kid!.
If your child has a strong interest in the performing arts on or off the stage, consider that a gift. Scholastic research shows children involved in singing, dancing, and acting are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement than non­performing friends. Young performers also learn early to master anxiety, stay calm after mistakes, express new emotions, optimize teamwork, and remain open to new perspectives.
“The arts don’t discriminate based on age, race, gender or any other measure,” adds Grace Chen in PublicSchoolReview.com. “Their study provides benefits for students of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. When there are so many obstacles that children must overcome … the arts can quite literally be the lifeline they need to make long­ lasting improvements to their life.”
Many avenues for providing enthusiastic young performers meaningful theater experiences are unavailable this summer due to COVID­19. The good news is that excellent, high­ quality online summer camp options are still readily available.
Consider the following suggestions:

Watch Musical Theatre Performances Online

A broadway kid watching a live show online

 

Broaden your child’s mind and exposure by seeking out a wide range of dramatic, comedic, and musical performances. Broadway HD, for example, maintains hundreds of Broadway hits that can be streamed whenever you want to relax and be entertained. Schedule viewings with your child and make memories by comparing and critiquing performances.

Seek High-Level Virtual Summer Camp

 

One of the best­ recognized youth theater enrichment companies in the nation is Camp Broadway®, known as Broadway’s “original” destination for theatre­-loving kids. Now celebrating its 25th year of enriching, educating, and entertaining young performers, Camp Broadway is going virtual with MyMainstage, online summer camp, July 12 ­- 16 to offer its award­-winning musical theatre camp experience for kids across the world, ages 10 to 17. Taught live by experienced Broadway professionals, the 30­-hour curriculum features interactive singing, dancing, and acting classes around the classic musical “Guys and Dolls Jr.” Dedicated director/choreographers and musical directors guide participants through interactive rehearsals, creative activities, and a watch party of a Broadway show with VIP guests. The finale? A professionally produced ensemble performance video that will be streamed to families via Broadway on Demand. It’s a theatre experience that only Broadway pros could deliver.

Work On Audition Pieces

Broadway kids virtual summer camp

While your Broadway kid is waiting for the live theaters to get back to regular production schedules, she may wish to hone her audition skills by choosing and memorizing songs and practicing dance steps at home. Help her film her routines via smartphone so she can determine how she’d like to improve.

 

Find Mentors

mentors at a musical theatre camps

You can put your child in touch with experienced theatre arts educators including performers or stage technicians by contacting the local college or university in your area to explore pre­college programs for teens. The staff is often very willing to answer questions, provide advice and serve as sounding boards to help kids determine possible career paths into the performing arts and entertainment industries.

Check Your Local Performing Arts Center

Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center OG

 

Call the local performing arts center in your community to inquire about what they offer in the performing arts for kids. Ask about the wide range of touring companies that they present. Whether it’s Broadway or ballet, they often provide opportunities for kids to participate in student workshops or meet the artists.

Despite the social isolation still underway in much of the theater world, it’s important to keep finding ways to support our children who have a passion for the theater arts. Take time to recognize and appreciate that affinity in your own kids, and look for opportunities to help them grow both as people and artists.

*Bonus*

A CB Rialto Reader for our online book club

Join a book club to sharpen your knowledge on Broadway and the performing arts world.

“Performers see the world in a whole new way,” writes Julia Savacool in the Scholastic article. “By having been part of the performance process, your child has been exposed to a new way of thinking and doing. And that alone is a success to be proud of.”

To learn more about the high­ level virtual musical theatre camp offered by Camp Broadway, visit CampBroadway.com, or contact Barb at 212­-575­-2055, Barb@campbroadway.com.

Timeline to the Tonys…. Camp Broadway Style!

Timeline to the Tonys…. Camp Broadway Style!

Attending the Tony Awards was always a dream of mine, luckily this dream came true thanks to Camp Broadway. It was an amazing experience filled with fun and glamour. I’d love to share this experience with you as we take a journey through what the day had in store for the Camp Broadway students as we attended the Tonys!

2:00 pm I arrived in NYC! I took the train into the city, but many CB’ers drove or even flew in for this experience. As soon as I stepped off the train and onto the streets of the city, I could feel the energy… this was a special day!

3:00 pm I checked into the hotel and started the glamorization process. Part of the fun of going to the Tonys is it’s a chance to dress up and look fancy!

4:30 pm Time to head to Sardi’s. All of the Broadway stars dine at Sardi’s, and there are many opening events hosted there. When walking into Sardi’s you are surrounded by stars, literally, because they all have their caricatures on the wall! The caricatures of the hosts of the Tony’s, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, greet you right as you walk through the door!

4:45 pm Camp Broadway glamour shot! CB’s amazing professional photographer took everyone’s picture in front of the Camp Broadway backdrop screen.

5:00 pm Dinner! The food was delicious. Each table was decorated with a theme from a current Broadway show. I was at the Mean Girls table! Each person received a goodie bag which had a Camp Broadway T-shirt and was loaded with other goodies from Broadway shows.

5:30 pm We were handed our tickets to The Tony Awards… this is getting REAL!!!

6:00 pm We all got caricatures done by Sardi’s cartoon artists! Maybe someday we will have ours on the walls! While we waited our turn, we socialized with friends and took tons of selfies!

6:30 pm We headed out on to the streets of NYC to walk to Radio City Music Hall.

6:45 pm Arrived at Radio City and snapped some pics in front of the large Tony Award replica. I was standing directly on the red carpet, where I could see the stars taking their press photos in front of the rose backdrop! The entire experience was incredible; I thought I was dreaming. Walking through the doors to our seats was a feeling I would never forget… I am at the Tony Awards!!!

7:00 pm Tony Time! Watching the Tony Awards live was a once in a lifetime experience… Thank you Camp Broadway!

Jeanne Lehman French Interview Part:1

Image result for Jeanne Lehman

Jeanne Lehman French

 

I am very excited to be sharing an interview I had with the wonderful Jeanne Lehman French! Jeanne Lehman has had an exciting career spanning theatre, television, concerts, cabarets, and recordings. A couple of her most well-known Broadway roles include Mrs. Potts in Beauty And The Beast and Mother Abbess in The Sound Of Music. I first met Jeanne a few years ago when I was invited to attend the Beginnings Workshop with Peter Sklar where she taught voice. I was awestruck by the wealth of information she had to share. I quickly took up voice lessons with her and am very grateful to have her in my life! She is one of the most influential and inspirational people I have met and is a talented and strong woman whom I look up to and hope to follow in her footsteps!

Abby: How old were you when you began acting, singing, or dancing?   

Jeanne: “I have been singing and dancing since I was a very little girl. I have a twin sister, we started dancing at age six; ballet and tap-and some jazz. From three years old Kathrine and I were singing, a lot. And at age eleven we began singing all over northern California. We were known as the Lehman Twins. I came from a very musical family. We all sang, my parents had beautiful voices, my brother had a beautiful tenor voice, and we all played instruments. So singing and dancing have been such an important part of my life that by the time I got into college I thought I’d become a psychologist but my career just kept unfolding!”

Abby: Tell me about your first audition.

Jeanne: “My very first audition I believe it was for a summer stock program in Pennsylvania-Barnesville, Pennsylvania. It was when I first came East. I had just arrived in New York. I auditioned for the ensemble because I had missed the principal call and I was hired on the spot.  And a week later the producer called me and said his leading lady for the season had broken her ankle at an audition she’d been to and asked if I would be his leading lady for the season. So I was not only in that season but the next season and that’s what started my professional career in New York, summer stock theatre. But in school, I auditioned for ‘Bells are Ringing’ in high school and I auditioned for the lead, and this is what’s crazy about auditions, I didn’t get it because the man that got the role, (there’s only one man available for the role playing opposite my character) he was shorter than me and the director didn’t feel like we’d fit. Another lesson learned. However, I kept learning the role just for myself and the night before the opening, the dress rehearsal, in front of invited guests, the leading lady couldn’t do it. And nobody knew what we were going to do because we had this whole audience full of people and somebody said “Jeanne knows it! Let her do it!” so I did some with a script, with a book, but most of it I had known and at the end of the show we all gathered and somebody started playing piano and said sing ‘The Party’s Over’. I started to sing it and when I finished the director was in tears, the cast was, they all said ‘you should have had this role’. It was a strong lesson to learn because I had prepared for it, just for me! And it paid off and I have found that in my entire career.”

Abby: Have there been any times in your career where you were discouraged or felt like giving up?

Jeanne: “Never like giving up, but yes I’ve been discouraged. I’ve been discouraged when I didn’t get something I really wanted. That was one! But look what happened! I treasure what happened at the end of that story.  The feeling I carried with me and knowing the director knew I could do it and I knew I could do it! And that was what was important about it. I did, another time in my career, I auditioned for a show on Broadway that would have been a huge step for me, but the star was really threatened because I did a really good audition, I was not always a good auditioner, that one I was because I had just been doing the role elsewhere so I knew it. I owned it, I felt it. And he felt a little threatened by that because he had never done a Broadway show. And also, I was very much like his daughter and we would have been opposite each other. So, that didn’t work. They hired somebody else. I was disappointed. Then the producers called me and said, “We really want you. We’re going to hold another audition. We’ve stopped negotiations on this other character. We want you to do it.”  So I had another audition-same thing. I cried after that! I mourned it! Which we are allowed to do in this business! When something doesn’t work, mourn it! Let it out! Right? I cried! But the happy end to that story is that very week my life changed. My husband and I met and would have not married and I would not have had thirty years of an incredible marriage if I had gotten the show. So a year on Broadway or a thirty-year enchanted marriage, there’s your story.”

Abby: What are some highlights of your career?

Jeanne: “Highlights, there’s so many because I love what I do! The people- the best thing about the business is the people, the relationships, the people you work with. Which is not happening a lot today because everybody is busy on their phones or iPads but we have relationships. We talked. That’s been some of the happiest parts of being in show business for me. I loved playing so many roles -of course, Mrs.Potts. I loved being a teapot because the child in me got to play with the adult! And Mrs. Potts, the heart of the castle, she helps guide both Belle and the Beast which that part of me, my mother was in it, the same as in being Mother Abbess. Now I had been Maria earlier in my career and I loved that role because they’re both me- Mother Abbess and Maria because I sang all my life and my sister and I are very spiritual and come from a very faith-filled family. And I still am which is also why I love what I do so much and why there’s so much joy and why I’m so grateful. So playing Maria with so many different people and playing Mother Abbess and again everybody I respected, the women in my life were in that role being also the spiritual guide for someone. My Fair Lady was one of my favorite roles because of the journey Eliza takes. From the guttersnipe to the lady. And so many times I would not be cast in that because people didn’t think I could play the guttersnipe. But the director, Susan Schulman, who directed later Sound of Music on Broadway and Secret Garden, Susan had a star for that role at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, they had a star but she had to cancel at the last minute and the producer said audition, Jeanne Lehman. And Susan said ‘okay’ but she called me and said, ‘I don’t have to audition you, I think you can do it.’ One of my favorite roles to this day. Highlights- Carnegie Hall. I’ll never forget the first night I sang at Carnegie Hall. It was Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops and I sang with him for twelve years after that on and off at Carnegie Hall, tours, but I was able to do that because I stayed true to my talent. When everybody was telling me to belt, to scream, it’s more screamy today than when I was starting out when people were belting. I refused. I kept my voice in shape and because of that, I stepped into being able to sing concerts all over! All over the world! So I have highlights throughout my career.  My first Broadway show, Irene with Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. That was exciting! That was thrilling! And I got that because the musical director liked me from one of the tours he brought me in and he had everybody sing around my voice. He knew what he was doing musically and he hired his ensemble around my voice. Then I went on to understudy both Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds in the role and went on. Those are highlights the times I went on as an understudy, they were the base of my career.

“You’re Ready Now:” Advice on Growing Up, Making Music, and Achieving Your Dreams from JERSEY BOYS Swing Ben Bogen

[Photo 1: BEN BOGEN. Photo credit: Ted Ely Photography.]

Here at Camp Broadway, we can’t take our eyes off of JERSEY BOYS, the Tony-Award-Winning Best Musical hit celebrating the loves, lives, and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

The musical recently finished its 2017-2018 National Tour and will launch a new tour with a new cast this fall.

We caught up with the recent company’s Swing and Frankie Valli Understudy, Ben Bogen, at Broadway San Jose in CA, as he reflects on his journey as an actor and his year-long experience with JERSEY BOYS. Check it out!

CB: Congratulations on an amazing run of JERSEY BOYS! How does it feel to call yourself a veteran of a touring Broadway show?

Ben Bogen: It’s just so surreal, because I literally saw touring shows here at Broadway San Jose when I was in high school! Eight years ago, I saw the national tours of SPRING AWAKENING and LEGALLY BLONDE here, and I thought: ‘Oh, I hope I’m good enough to do that one day!’ And you know… as you get older and you study theater, or musical theater, or whatever, and you move to New York, you start to meet people who are in the shows that you admire… and you realize they’re just normal people like you. And it’s a welcoming theater community. And then you start to think: ‘Well, if they can do it, then I can do it!’

CB: What sort of obstacles have you had to overcome during your journey to JERSEY BOYS?

Ben Bogen: I’ve gotten a lot of ‘no’s. I actually was told by—they will remain nameless, but someone involved in the Broadway company years ago—that: ‘You’re too tall to ever be a Frankie. That’s not really your part…’ And it was right before I was about to graduate college! So, I was like: ‘Oh, wow, OK, I guess it’s not my show’—because they used to say 5’8’’ or shorter for Frankies, and… well, I’m 5’9’’. So I used to think, ‘OK, well, it’s not my part, it’s not my role, fine,’ and I kind of had accepted that. And then it wasn’t until this tour came around that they called for an actor 5’9’’ or shorter.

CB: When you first saw that opportunity for this tour, what did you do? What happened?

Ben Bogen: I messaged my agent, and I was like, ‘I think I can do this! I know I’m really young, but I think I can do this!’ And then I waited through six rounds of callbacks…

I had a vocal virus during my final callback, and I was on steroids, and I still had to do my work session where they put you on tape and send the videos to the real Frankie Valli!

CB: Wow! That must have been nerve-wracking!

Ben Bogen: Well, I never saw his reaction…. But, I got cast!

But I did do a Skype coaching with the real Bob Gaudio, who’s 78 now, and that was really interesting… He has his way that he wants you to sing things and phrase things, and so it’s just an hour of me standing on Skype with the real Bob Gaudio—from his studio in Nashville—and he’s like: ‘Hey Ben, how’s it going?’ And I’m like: ‘Pretty good, Bob… Gaudio…’ And he’s like: ‘Let’s start with this…. Now let’s do “Sherry.” Now let’s do…’ And he just has me sing the whole show for him! And I’m thinking: ‘OH MY GOD, please like me! AAAHHH!’

So, yes, that was terrifying. But I get to grow up being able to say: ‘I got to sing for Bob Gaudio!’

CB: And all of your hard work paid off. You gave an amazing performance as a swing in the production. In your words, what does a swing do, and what advice can you pass on to aspiring actors?

Ben Bogen: A swing understudies multiple parts, and usually isn’t a part of the ensemble every night. Anyone aspiring to be a swing needs to be O.K. with not performing, and then suddenly be able to handle stress and be ready at any moment!

For all performers, the most important thing is practice. A lot of voice lessons. And learning not to take ‘no’ for an answer. I had a lot of people who told me: ‘Oh, you’re just gonna be a really great dancer/ensemble member forever.’ I didn’t think I was capable of being a leading man. If you’d asked me 2 ½ years ago, I wouldn’t have believed I could do it. But I practiced and stuck with my dream. And if there’s anything I could emphasize, it’s this: never doubt yourself! Take those fears and channel them into motivation!

 

You heard it, Camp Broadway readers! Practice, stay motivated, and believe in yourself. It just may land you a Broadway role!

And remember: swings are vital to Broadway productions. Next time you’re in the theater, give a swing some love: they deserve it!

[Photo 2: BENANDANNA]

 

Have you seen JERSEY BOYS? What positive messages did you learn from it? Tell us in the comments below!

 

Special thanks to Ben Bogen, from Anna Allport and Camp Broadway, for this delightful interview!

“Who Loves You”? The JERSEY BOYS! Here They Are, with Advice on Music, Inspiration, and Lessons Learned

[Photo 1 : JERSEY BOYS RECORDING. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

“Big Girls Don’t Cry”—unless they’re tears of joy, from sitting in the audience of the wildly popular Tony Award Winning Best Musical, JERSEY BOYS!

[Photo 2: JERSEY BOYS GIRLS. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

Based on the lives and careers of 1960s pop/rock band sensation Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons—and featuring spectacular covers of the band’s original music—JERSEY BOYS has captured the hearts of the nation through classic songs and a captivating storyline since 2005.

More recently, the production’s National Tour played to adoring audiences across the US, in a run beginning in August of last year and ending (with the current cast) on Sunday, June 24th.

Camp Broadway recently caught up with the Jersey Boys: Tommaso Antico (Bob Gaudio), Corey Greenan (Tommy DeVito), Chris Stevens (Nick Massi), and Ben Bogen (Swing, Frankie Valli Understudy) at the end of their year-long National Tour run.

Reflecting on their experiences, these four amazing actors shared their sources of inspiration, favorite music icons, and acting tips. Check it out!

[Photo 3: JERSEY BOYS TABLE. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

CB: This show centers on the music of The Four Seasons, but what people don’t realize is that there’s a huge range of raw emotions in the storyline. How do you prepare for your character’s emotional journey in the show?

Tommaso Antico: Luckily, the show is so well written that they do the work for us, for the for the most part: Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman are our writers, and they’re absolutely brilliant. We’re so fortunate to have such a great book. And obviously, the music is what brings people back to the show over, and over, and over again. So, the formula’s already set up there. We’re just the vessel for the story….

We are portraying real characters, so I think I just go back to the 1960s. What was Bob Gaudio feeling at that time?… He was 17. Really think about the character, where they were, where they grew up, and just go on the journey…. Just focus in, and try to tell the story.

[Photo 4: JERSEY BOYS STAGE. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

CB: JERSEY BOYS is filled with iconic songs and wonderful staging, and has so many memorable moments. What’s your favorite one?

Corey Greenan: I can name two, right off the bat.

The first one is the very opening, when I get the chance as Tommy to walk down and just start telling the story. There’s nothing like it when you get an opportunity to break that fourth wall and talk directly to the audience—and start to make your case, when you know the case is going to go very sour later on in the show!—I really enjoy that moment, to make that first impression on the audience…. It puts me right in the world of the show, and it’s such a fun moment.

My other moment is at the very end of the ‘big three’ songs: after “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and then “Walk Like a Man.” It’s that moment when the guys have all ‘arrived.’ They’ve gone through so much to get to where they are—years and years of struggle—and they get there! And it’s that moment when everything’s in unison, and we’re facing the audience, and we’ve made it. It’s just a real uplifting moment.

[Photo 5: JERSEY BOYS STEP. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

CB: In JERSEY BOYS, music inspires the characters. Does music inspire you in your own life? How?

Chris Stevens: Oh, absolutely. I grew up listening to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Billy Joel, my mom’s Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand records… You know, it’s all the icons. And to be able to work on a show about people who actually had an impact on pop culture? It’s kind of a dream come true!

Most everyone knows the music coming in, and I think the story is what takes them away and makes them keep coming back… But first and foremost, the show is about the music, and I’m just really grateful to be able to do it.

And yeah, absolutely, the music in my life is inspired by what I’m doing onstage with these guys… I listen to an eclectic mix of music from the ‘60s and ‘50s… and to be able to listen to current-day music today, and see how music has modernized and really made it through the times and reflects modern culture, is really amazing.

This show… fortunately, is timeless. It’s not going anywhere. Even the youth of today know this music. So, to be able to learn from The Four Seasons’ message of perseverance and brotherhood, and to sing this music the way they used to, is a complete dream.

[Photo 6: JERSEY BOYS MICS. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

CB: The role of Frankie Valli demands serious studying and vocal discipline. What are your tips for aspiring performers to gain control of their range and find their inner voice?

Ben Bogen: I honestly didn’t think I could sing this this role at all, two years ago. I saw the show—in high school—in San Francisco with my dad, and the thought didn’t even go through my mind that I could do this show. I was like, ‘nah!’ But then I thought, ‘why not go for it and try?’ So, it’s one of those things where I just had to say to myself over and over, ‘I can do this!’

Then I got the audition materials, and I just worked on it with my voice teacher: repetition, repetition… At first I knew I had high notes, but I didn’t know I had the middle range. It was like a muscle that I had to work on.

And even a year ago, when we first started the tour: the way I sang it then is not how I sing it now. It was one of those things where I had to go on for the role—now 35 times—to figure it out.

So I would just say, practice, practice, practice! Every day, you should be doing one thing that propels you towards your goal. Whether it’s taking a dance class, or a voice lesson, or learning a new song, or a monologue… if you are doing one thing every day that propels you towards your dream or your goal, then I think that you will reach it, if you are determined.

[Photo 7: JERSEY BOYS SHAKE. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.]

 

Don’t think twice about taking this golden advice from the stars of JERSEY BOYS, and you, too, might end up with a record deal, or a Broadway booking—or both!

If you haven’t yet gotten a chance to see the JERSEY BOYS National Tour, don’t worry! The tour continues with an all-new cast in October, and tickets are on sale now.

In the meantime, “Let’s Hang On” until the next Camp Broadway Blog post!

 

Are you inspired by music? Post your favorite tunes in the comments below.

 

Special thanks to Tommaso Antico, Corey Greenan, Chris Stevens, Ben Bogen, and JERSEY BOYS, from Anna Allport and Camp Broadway, for this pitch-perfect interview!

Spotlight!

I have had the pleasure of interviewing some excellent employees at Camp Broadway. Their backgrounds are truly remarkable, and I had a great time getting to know them. I was to ask them 3 questions: One about their background as a performer, one about specifics about their chosen career path, and finally a fun summer question just for kicks.
The first spotlight goes to a girl by the name of Kristine Bendul. As a passionate dancer from a young age, her origin story as a dancer starts because her legs were not fully developed. She was enrolled in the local dance studio because her physical therapist had recommended it. Her best friend Mary left to go to a dance school at the age of 10. She didn’t see her much during the school year until a long-awaited playdate occurred and she got to observe her en pointe. She decided that she had to learn whatever her friend Mary. One of her brothers later brought his new girlfriend to her dance recital. This was huge, because not only did she recognize Kristine as an excellent dancer, she also took classes at Alvin Ailey, located in New York. Through the brother’s girlfriend named Nisa’s guidance, she was taken to the School of American Ballet…at age 11.
Though she was remarkable, “it turned out that [she] wasn’t even good enough for their beginner level but they would like [her] to train somewhere and be brought back in a year. [Her] parents were disappointed, [and she] didn’t know any better but Nisa was thrilled. “Do you realize that they see hundreds of children? It is rare that they ask anyone to come back!” That was that. [her] parents found Irine Fokine School of Ballet in Ridgewood, NJ and [her] dance path was set.”
As for her favorite show she’s ever danced for, “Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away takes the cake”. She was the matinee lead of slim and danced for the lead of Kate. “Every show felt like an elegant evening on the town.” she explained, noting how soothing it was to dance to Frank Sinatra’s voice on stage accompanied by a live band. Sounds like an absolute dream, Kristine! Speaking of dreamy settings, she prefers to swim in a “Caribbean-esque” sea rather than lay in the sand.
For my second spotlight, I would like to introduce you to a director Jonathon Stahl. His favorite show that he has ever directed was the musical NINE for the Westchester Broadway Theatre that “had a wonderful cast and was a great opportunity.” The thing he looks forward to most about Camp Broadway would have to be the “new challenge of being Family Finale Director”. When given the choice between swimming in the ocean or a pool, he responded with the words “If I have my choice, I like to swim in the ocean THEN go rinse off in a pool! but if I have to pick one, I guess I would say a pool… a salt-water environment friendly pool.”

So…Why Theatre?

So…Why Theatre?
This is a pretty common question among people these days. Why theatre? It’s not always the “popular” option. Theatre can be a really scary choice for a lot of people, so many hesitate to join Drama Club or sign up for auditions. For those of you reading this who are thinking about joining a show or taking that arts elective in school, I want to give you a little bit of advice and hopefully ease some of your fears if you have any.

Signing up is the first step. If you look on any sign up sheet, you can see who else is joining. Is your best friend Jenny going to do it as well? Even if Jenny isn’t doing it, Drama is an excellent place to make new friends, because these are people with similar interests as you. They all are just as nervous for the audition as you are, whether they admit it or not. If you ever feel afraid, know that you are NEVER alone. Also know that if you do the show, these people will become your family. I’ve never been in a show where everyone wasn’t close by the end. It’s inevitable because you will end up spending most of your time with these cast members by the end.

The next step is auditions! There are different types of auditions like dance calls, cold reads, and singing auditions. Basically, they are going to evaluate how you sing, dance and act (depending on if you do a musical or not), in order to cast you in the role you fit best! NOTE: if you are casted in the chorus, do NOT think it is because you are horrible. The show wouldn’t be the show without the chorus. They work the hardest and you can make your part your own even if you don’t have a specified name. Also: if you are not casted, do NOT give up. I repeat: DO. NOT. There is a role somewhere for you just waiting to be auditioned for. Just give it your all every single time!

Rehearsals: Rehearsal time is a learning period for everyone in the cast, not just you. It’s okay to mess up here. Make your mistakes now and don’t be afraid to ask questions! This is the prime time to get to know some of your outgoing cast members that I talked about earlier. You will find friendships unlike any other and will form a trust with each of them that you can’t find anywhere else. You will come to love even the ones you think that you won’t. Plus, you get to dance and sing and goof around with some of the best people on the planet.

The Show: THIS IS A CRAZY WEEK BUT I PROMISE YOU WILL SURVIVE!!! Just get plenty of rest and look over your songs as you prepare for the big day(s). On opening night, you may be nervous. The answer? Talk with some cast mates. Maybe they have some fun warmups that are tradition that you haven’t learned. However crazy it is, it may help to ease the nerves if you have any. This week is filled with all sorts of fun things like costumes and makeup and it’s everyone’s favorite week because you finally get to show it to everyone and see it put all together after working so hard and becoming so close with all of these wonderful people!!

Most of all: HAVE FUN. This is the entire point of theatre. If you aren’t having fun, then what is the purpose of this?

So, why Drama? Well, you receive: A new set of friendships, the opportunity to sing and dance for people and entertain, and finally you get tons of crazy memories that you’ll remember forever! Who could ask for anything more?

CAMP BROADWAY ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM WITH THE NEW YORK POPS IN A STAR-STUDDED CONCERT

April 16, 2024, New York, NY— The Broadway Education Alliance is pleased to announce that the Camp Broadway Ensemble will perform with The New York Pops at their 41st Birthday Gala at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 pm. The New York Pops acclaimed Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will direct The New York Pops’ world-renowned 78-member orchestra and an all-star concert event honoring the Grammy® Award-winning icon, Clive Davis.

Performers scheduled to perform during the stellar concert event include Babyface, Shoshana Bean, Busta Rhymes, Deborah Cox, Brandon Victor Dixon, Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Art Garfunkel Jr., Courtney Hadwin, Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, John Mellencamp, Ray Parker Jr., Carlos Santana, Valerie Simpson, Patty Smyth, Ruben Studdard, Rob Thomas, Adrienne Warren, Diane Warren, Dionne Warwick, and Avery Wilson.

Camp Broadway Ensemble Artistic Director Theo Lencicki and Music Director Christine Riley cast the 55-member ensemble that features talented tween and teen performers, ages 12-17, from 40 cities across America and Jakarta, Indonesia. To prepare for this special performance, the cast will participate in an intensive 3-day music and movement rehearsal that includes a masterclass in dance taught by a Broadway musical theater professional.

This year’s concert marks Camp Broadway’s 16th appearance with the New York Pops.  

“We are thrilled to have Camp Broadway join us once again for our 41st Birthday Gala,” says Anne Swanson, The New York Pops President and Executive Director. “Our partnership is always a highlight at our annual gala concert, as we bring together students from throughout the country and the world to celebrate the power of live music with our orchestra.”

The Camp Broadway Ensemble cast hails from 16 states (representing 40 cities across the United States and Jakarta, Indonesia.)

 

 

 

ARIZONA

Madilyn Dougherty (Tucson)

Caroline Haller (Gilbert)

COLORADO

Oliver Strubbe (Denver)

Isaac Walker (Denver)

DELAWARE

Olivia Boyle (Selbyville)

FLORIDA

Emery Brooks (Santa Rosa Beach)

Sofia Davis (Sanford)

Eli Dickinson (Lake Mary)

Lila Drowos (Boca Raton)

Gabriella Fuller (Boca Raton)

Brooklyn Moorman (Windermere)

 

ILLINOIS

Natalie Ortega (Grayslake)

Hudson Taylor (Saint Charles)

MARYLAND

Cecilia May (Sparks)

 

MASSACHUSETTS

Annika Hill (Carlisle)

MASSACHUSETTS (continued)

Abigail MacLean (Chestnut Hill) Rachael Rosenberg (Newton Center)

 

MISSOURI

Eli Oster (Springfield)

 

NEW JERSEY

Derek Bedell (Park Ridge)

Jake Ellengold (Harrington Park)

Brynn Howard (Rumson)

Elijah Jackson (Hackensack)

 

NEW YORK

Isabella Aguillo (New Hyde Park)

Alex Asher (Manhattan)

Jacob Ciriello (Central Valley)

Aine Cosgrove (Babylon)

Delilah Damico (West Islip)

Samantha Fiore (Syosset)

Christian Ford (Hempstead)

Joel Garcia (Yonkers)

Liam Ginsberg (Pelham)

Analia Gomez (Yonkers)

Ebony Guzman (Yonkers)

Kayla Mak (Manhattan)

Zoe Martin Lachapell (Yonkers)

Lauren Mitchell (Far Rockaway)

Lyanabel Pascual (Yonkers)

Haylee Pena (Yonkers)

Zaydee Perez (Yonkers)

Catherine Ricketts (Bronx)

Kylee Shellenberger  (Troy)

Isabella Siller (Manhattan)

NORTH CAROLINA

Cora Stumpf (Sanford)

OHIO

Elana Hardesty (Bexley)

 

 

 

 

PENNSYLVANIA

Ellevia Walters-MacDonald (Coatesville)

Lucy Trout (Hummelstown)

TEXAS

Veronica Banicki (Austin)

 

WEST VIRGINIA

Gabriel Rashid (Charleston)

 

VIRGINIA

Joel Crump (Fairfax)

Chase Holden (Moseley)

 

INDONESIA

Hyori Dermawan, Jakarta

London Dimitri, Jakarta

Brian Harefa, Jakarta

Janina Joesoef, Jakarta

Tiffany Utama, Jakarta

Camp Broadway® is an award-winning theater arts education and enrichment program that provides children access to exceptional performing arts instruction and performance opportunities that build confidence and presentation skills.

Camp Broadway Alumna Sammi Cannold Reflects on HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO

This season, Sammi Cannold made her Broadway directorial debut directing How to Dance in Ohio. The show, based on a documentary of the same name, centers on a doctor who plans a dance for his autistic patients.

The show marks not only Cannold’s Broadway debut but the debut of the seven autistic actors portraying the principal roles. Cannold says she hopes that after the show closes, the industry will be forever changed in casting people living with disabilities.

Hear what Cannold has to say to Camp Broadway’s Lauren Van Hemert about the show, the process, and how Camp Broadway informed who she is as a director.

How to Dance in Ohio is playing through February 11 at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway. For more information visit: https://howtodanceinohiomusical.com/.

Q & A with Sammi Cannold (Interview Highlights)

Camp Broadway

For folks who don’t know, the show is based on a documentary of the same name, which I also loved, which follows the work of a doctor who plans a dance for the folks under his care who are living with autism spectrum disorder. So how difficult was it to adapt a documentary? So how is it to take that documentary piece and then adapt it for the stage and keep the integrity of the original source material?

Sammi Cannold

I get asked that question a lot and it’s something I think a lot about because, because I didn’t think a lot about it, if that makes sense. And I think the reason why is because the writers really did the heavy lifting when it came to the adaptation. By the time I had come on board, there was a full draft of the show already on paper, and they had spent hours and hours and hours and hours and hours going through not just the documentary, but they were given all of the footage that was on the cutting room floor by the amazing filmmaker, Alexandra Shiva. And they used that to sort of inform their process. And a lot of the lines in the show come verbatim from either the doc or that cut footage. But what ended up happening over time is that the material evolved to be part documentary, part what was sort coming out of the writer’s brains and then part what our actors were bringing to the table.  And so it was really a collaborative thing that was made over time. But I think adapting a doc if you’re going to be extremely faithful to the details of what happened and to the plot line, I think is very challenging. In our case, the writers decided to use the true story as a jumping-off, but not to be beholden to all the details that are depicted in the doc.

Camp Broadway

I would be remiss if we didn’t mention how Prince who had started working on this and developing this piece, what notes or vision had he had for the show that you and the creative team were able to use and glean from?

Sammi Cannold

So at the point that he very sadly passed, the riders had completed a draft of the show and they were about, they had had sort of an internal reading, but they hadn’t had anything beyond that. And so Hal never got to stage the show or design a set or anything of that sort. That said, he did have three copies of the script that he had written all his notes in the margin of, and those scripts were given to me. And then I used them to sort of craft and mold sort of the direction that I took, which was such a gift. And I also had recordings of his meetings with the writers and with the producers about the show. And so I used those recordings to also sort of inform the choices that I was making, but unfortunately, he never did actually stage or design anything on the show. And so it was sort of up to the team that came on board to kind of take his vision and run with it as much as we could.

Camp Broadway

At the beginning of the show, right at the start, the seven principals come out and they say if one person with autism, one person with autism, now seven, the seven young people in this live on the spectrum. And what’s so interesting to me is as I’ve done so many of these interviews and talked about inclusivity, a lot of the producers I’ve spoken to are hesitant to cast people living with disabilities either because they’re afraid that they won’t be able to make accommodations or they’re afraid of not getting it right, not getting it a hundred percent perfect. And so I want you to speak to that because I know you brought in accessibility coordinators and folks to help you make those accommodations. And so can you speak to that process and what kind of accommodations these performers needed?

Sammi Cannold

Yeah, absolutely. I think in our case it was about making sure that everybody, I think it’s exactly what you say, everybody had what they needed. I think that we as a team felt like it was our responsibility and our job to make sure that both the audition process and the rehearsal process were ready to meet our performers, autistic or otherwise, wherever with what they needed. And I think that in the audition process, a lot of that was just sort of breaking down different parts of how to make it as human as possible. So for example, some audition rooms that you walk into, you just automatically are supposed to start doing your material, and there’s not sort of any introduction or conversation or anything of the sort. So what we really wanted was an actor comes in the room and we say, hello, here are the names of everybody at the table. Here’s how this audition process is going to work. We walk them through it. And I think to people who aren’t in the theater, that’s a little bit like, well, duh, why wouldn’t you say hello? And I think to people who are in the theater sometimes that’s like, oh my gosh, you have to fit so many people in one day. How do you have time to do that in the audition process? And I think it was really just about saying, our priorities are where our priorities are, and so we’re going to prioritize saying hi.  And then that’s just one example of many, many, many different things that we did to sort of adjust the process. And I think that one of my big takeaways is of course the impetus for adjusting the process was that we had autistic actors in the room and were going to have autistic audience members as well. But ultimately, a lot of what we learned from making the process more accessible is that we should really just be doing this always. It is really just about asking what people need and then figuring out how to make sure everybody can do their best work. And that’s something that I will carry with me into any other process I do regardless of who’s in the company.

Camp Broadway

The show is sadly closing, but I feel like there’s been so many conversations and narratives around the show that I’m hoping it changes the industry. Do you think we will, not just with this show, but even with performers like Ali Stroker who won her Tony Award, even with that kind of representation that we’re going to start seeing a shift on Broadway as to the kinds of stories we’re seeing in the folks who get to tell those stories?

Sammi Cannold

Absolutely. I mean, I think to me, the show’s closing is first and foremost related to the financial state of Broadway right now. And the fact that of the five new musicals that opened in the fall, only one will still have survived a week from now, and that’s back to the future, which has its own built-in audience. So I think that to me, what’s happening with these shows, and it’s not just ours, is that the cost of running them and the time it’s taking to build an audience for titles that people may not be that familiar with, isn’t aligning. And it’s really unfortunate and it’s really sad. That said, on the other side of it, I think that to me, the legacy and the purpose and what the show has accomplished stands on its own regardless of the length of its run. And that’s not my sort of patting myself on the back.  It’s about a company of hundreds of people that made this happen. Because I think that to me, the victories are a few different things. One, I don’t think you’ll ever be able to have a musical on Broadway that has an autistic character and not cast an autistic actor. Again, we’ve proven that the talent is out there, and so that happen. Two, I think that it’s a plan to take these stories and have the platform of Broadway says, these stories are important, these stories need to be amplified. And I hope that it, for folks who might not be that familiar with the subject matter, I hope it encouraged them to go learn more, ask more questions. And I think it’s a step in a series of many steps, but I think there are many different ways in which the show, being on Broadway at all or existing at all is really important.  And so I’m excited to see what comes next in terms of where else it could be performed. And I’m really excited to actually see productions one day directed by other people in schools and community theaters and everything. And that will be such a joy for me.

Camp Broadway

You’re a Camp Broadway alumna. So I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about your Camp Broadway experience and how going to Camp Broadway informed your approach to theater or even you wanting to go into theater.

Sammi Cannold

My Camp Broadway experience was a spectacular, and B, so much of the reason I do what I do, I think I went like seven summers, six summers maybe. I don’t know the number, but I do know I got the gypsy robe, so there’s that now legacy robe, but at the time it was called the Gypsy Rope, but it was so formative. I think it’s so funny to me that the New York program, at least at the time, and I think maybe it still is, it’s only a week, and yet that week was the seminal week of my year.  I was like everything built up to that week. And I think it’s both what I was learning as a camper in the studio, the practical skills, the choreography and everything, which obviously I don’t use as a dancer today, but I use my understanding of them as a director. But it was also the pre-professional exposure of meeting people from all corners of the industry going to the show on the Wednesdays of that week and talking to the cast. And I also, I mean, I remember things like we would meet with makeup designers, and I remember meeting many directors through the program, and I think that it really gave me, and I know for several other alums, a sense that you don’t have to be an actor to be involved in theater. There’s so much more you can be, but for those of us who do not have the talent, there are other ways to be involved. So I was really excited about that. And yeah, I loved it a lot. And I also, in addition to camp, I did the parade and I did Carnegie Hall.

Camp Broadway

What advice would you have for those kids who maybe feel othered or who just don’t fit into the box, what advice would you have for them as they move forward in pursuing their dreams, either in the theater or not?

Sammi Cannold

I would say I do as much as you can in the theater. And what I mean by that is try as many different parts of the theater that are exciting to you. I think that once you reach maybe like 13, 14, opportunities start popping to be on crew or help with the advertising of the show in your school or wherever it may be. And I think that to me, a sort of well-rounded theater education where you understand all the moving parts and not just what it’s like to be an actor can lead to so many career paths in the theater.  Because I think a lot of people when they’re growing up don’t know that there are all these other peoples in arts. I think they know that there are actors, they see the actors on stage and they know that part, but they don’t really see much beyond that. And I think that for me, camp Broadway was a huge part of the reason that I understood that there were all these people off stage doing all these different things, and that was more where I belong. But I think to me, so much of theater is about passion and love. And so if you love it, do it. And if you don’t love it, don’t do it. A lot of, I think that working in the theater is a lot harder than enjoying it as a consumer. And so you really have to love it to keep working in it, because working in it is very hard and not very lucrative.