Facebook Instagram Tiktok Youtube
Donate

Blog

The Broadway Community Is Spreading Joy Online

As the country (and world) becomes acclimated to social distancing, staying home, and using technology to stay connected, we’ve been inspired by the number of people in the Broadway and theater community who are taking to social media and interactive live streaming to share their talents and uplifting messages. Who doesn’t love listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber play his creations on his living room piano? (seriously, check it out @andrewlloydwebber.)

Camp Broadway®’s AT THIS STAGE™ had an AMAZING first week of online “Broadway Conversations” with knowledgeable, experienced, and engaging professionals who work on- and off- stage. Hundreds of students, teachers, and Broadway fans across North America joined in the LIVE conversations with week one guests that included: actor, Andrew Barth Feldman; actress, Krystal Joy Brown; author, Jenna Gavigan; costume designer, Emilio Sosa; composer, Zina Goldrich; and actress, Jill Abramovitz.

Audience members submitted questions while AT THIS STAGE™ hosts, Anna Raful and Michael Griffo led the conversations. The superstar line-up of experts provided insight into their specific fields and careers and gave aspiring young artists advice on pursuing their own passions. Each session concluded with the question, “What does ‘Character’ mean to you?” in reference to Camp Broadway®’s motto and mission “Develop Your Character”. Each answer was unique, relevant, and inspiring and reminds us of the value of arts education especially in trying times. If you missed any of last week’s conversations, recorded links will be available on the AT THIS STAGE™ webpage.

The AT THIS STAGE™ team is excited to announce week two’s roster! Guests include young, innovative entrepreneur, Andrew Goren; world-renowned scenic design expert, Paul Tate dePoo; Playbill Senior Features Editor, Ruthie Fierberg; award-winning composer, Georgia Stitt; and Moulin Rouge cast member, Kevin Curtis. Sessions take place daily at 1:30 pm EDT and are delivered to audiences by Camp Broadway® LLC and partner, interactive streaming experts, Streamable Learning. To learn more about upcoming guests and sign up to be a part of the conversation visit www.campbroadway.com/AtThisStage.

Have a theater topic or Broadway profession you want to learn more about? Send a message to Barb@campbroadway.com. Camp Broadway® has over 25 years of experience making Broadway and theater arts accessible to students and audiences and this has never been more important. Our team is dedicated to spreading the joy and light of Broadway through these difficult times so that the theater community and world will come through this stronger than ever!

Camp Broadway Brings You Kids’ News NYC!

Through a unique partnership, Camp Broadway is introducing you to Wave and Denise Winchester. The founder of Kids’ News NYC from right here in the Big Apple, Wave, is the best of the best when it comes to youth reporters, and we are thrilled she loves Camp Broadway!

As a theater-loving kid, Wave is the perfect person to check out Camp Broadway’s programming and report back to you what it is like to come to Camp Broadway and perform on a professional stage as a youth through our motto to Develop Your Character.

See a message from Waverly below and make sure to follow both @KidsNewsNYC and @CampBroadway to follow our adventures together throughout N.Y.C. celebrating Camp Broadway’s 25th Anniversary! Check out the #BroadWAVEBeat with us all year long!

Waverly here! I’m super excited to be reporting for Camp Broadway to bring you the #BroadWAVE Beat! I’ve loved theater – seeing it and being in it – for as long as I can remember and I can’t wait to share my Camp Broadway experiences with you and hopefully inspire you to love theater as much as I do….and of course hopefully, you’ll even be inspired to join me on some of my Camp Broadway theater adventures so we can Develop Our Characters together!

       

Photos of Waverly practicing for her online audition for the Camp Broadway Kids Ensemble

 

From Kids’ News NYC:

Denise and 11-year-old Waverly Winchester are the Mom and Kid Team behind kidsnewsnyc.com, which was dreamed up by then seven-year-old Waverly after taking a walk around the Upper East Side for some “Phone-Free Fun.” After writing a little article about the spooky apartment buildings in the neighborhood, she asked her mom to send it to a website that published kids’ news. Mom couldn’t find one, so Waverly asked her to create one. Together, they built it and in the four years since its creation, Waverly has Kid-Reviewed countless events and Broadway shows in NYC and beyond, as well as “Kid-Terviewed” many celebrities, personalities, and Broadway stars. They hope to inspire other families to engage in phone-free fun by experiencing all that life has to offer and to be examples of how you can take an idea and make it become reality if you believe in it strongly enough and are willing to get out there and make it happen.

Waverly and Denise Winchester, founders of Kids’ News NYC

Camp Broadway celebrates 25th Anniversary with the premiere of “Develop Your Character” Podcast

Camp Broadway kicked off its 25th anniversary with the launch of our very own podcast!  “Develop Your Character“ can be found on the new Broadway Podcast Network.

Elysa Gardner, Host of Camp Broadway’s “Develop Your Character” Podcast

New York theatre journalist, Elysa Gardner, hosts a series of candid conversations with industry experts, theatre educators, and savvy parents discussing strategies to help culture-consuming kids and aspiring young artists become great performers—on stage, off stage, and at every stage of their lives.

Our first episode debuted in December with Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, an arts leader and visionary who for the past 26 years has been the Executive Director of ASU Gammage and Vice President for Cultural Affairs for Arizona State University. Next up we featured the youngest Broadway Producer and Camp Broadway Alum, Greg Nobile, as well as Award-Winning Educator Tasha Partee and most recently Ruthie Fierberg, the Senior Features Editor for Playbill.

Listen to the trailer below and view the full podcast calendar on our website. Make sure to share with all of your theatre-loving friends on social media @CampBroadway.

 

Listen to the Podcast Trailer Below and Tell Us What You Think in the Comments!

 

 

The Broadway Podcast Network is the first-ever digital network dedicated to theatre and its stories. Designed to be a go-to-hub for theater-makers and fans alike, the network already features 30 other podcasts including fan-favorites like “The Ensemblist,” “The Fabulous Invalid,” and “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Tony Award-winning Broadway icon, Donna McKechnie; and “The Untold Stories of Broadway” from host Jennifer Ashley Tepper.

 

Who do you want to hear on our Develop Your Character Podcast? Would you like to nominate someone to be interviewed? Contact barb@campbroadway.com

Destination: Stage Door

by Sunny Naughton

As a lifelong lover of musical theater, being a camper at Camp Broadway® as a teenager was a dream come true! Every session I would wait with bated breath to see what Broadway Stars would come to visit us at camp or sit in the audience to see our Family Finale performance. Back in the late ‘90s, I primarily learned about Broadway from performances that could be seen on talk shows and TV or learned insight from magazines, newspapers, and books. But nothing compares to learning about Broadway by going to NYC in person!

Just recently I visited my friend and cast-member of The Phantom of the Opera, Tug Watson. We hung out in the seats so long after the curtain came down security had to kindly ask us to leave. We ventured out the stage door to the street where Tug had theater loves waiting for him. I gladly took all the photos while he signed autographs. Tug uses Instagram and a few of his fans had written to him to say they would be at the stage door, so he was sure to go out and say hello.

This recent experience made me think back to when I was a kid and first learned about “Stagedooring”. I remember my excitement when I learned I could go stand outside the stage door of my favorite shows to meet my idols and even snap a picture?! Camp Broadway® introduced this idea to me; and from the ages of 12 to 17, I lived at stage doors with my autograph book, my mom, and her camera every time we went into Manhattan. I met Bernadette Peters, Sutton Foster and Craig Bierko to name a few. I would rush home and wait for the photos to develop so I could pair them up with my signed Playbill or autograph book. Since this was before the days of social media, I would mail letters with my pictures to my friends I made from camp. One highlight was when I recognized my camp counselor in Mamma Mia! That was cool!

It’s amazing to reflect back and see how this treasured ritual of Stagedooring has matured with the use of social media for sharing pictures and connecting with actors (like Tug’s fans were able to connect with him), yet continues to be a steadfast tradition and special moment for developing young audience members.

Nowadays, theater-lovers have lots of access to theatrical programming through the movie theater, YouTube, social media profiles of shows and performers, as well as digital libraries. But this whole world is something that Camp Broadway® had opened for me many years ago before all those resources were available. As industries and technology evolve, Camp Broadway continues as an innovative leader in theatrical experiences and providing unique programming for young theater-enthusiasts to access Broadway!

Want to read more about Stagedooring? Take a look at this Camp Broadway® blog post from 2013, “Stagedooring 101” reflecting on some Stagedooring pointers that still hold true in 2020.

We’d LOVE to hear about your Stagedooring experiences! Send barb@campbroadway.com your favorite stage door pictures to be featured throughout Camp Broadway’s 25th birthday year!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

[amo_member id=”22754″ item-width=”250″ align=”left” item-margin=”20″ full-width=”yes” panel=”right”]

Camp Broadway LLC is proud to partner with Homeschooling Parent

Camp Broadway LLC is proud and honored to be endorsed by Homeschooling Parent to make Broadway more accessible to families across America through our camps, digital workshops and partnerships with Broadway productions. Working in collaboration with this important outlet, we look forward to providing families with information about enriching arts experiences, great shows, and other ways for children to engage with this uniquely American art form.

“Over the past 20 years, Homeschooling has become an important part of today’s education system because parents are seeking safety and choice of curriculum,” explains Mark Harris, publisher.

“Homeschooling Parents supports all styles—from Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unschooling to Multiple Intelligence all of which give parents the flexibility to pick what is best for their families. We are very excited to be working with Camp Broadway to deliver quality theatre arts studies and programming to the homeschool community. Camp Broadway is dedicated to helping the growing homeschool population, both parents and students, in all their locations, through audio podcasts, digital workshops, study guides, summer camps, special event performances (featuring online auditions), and unique competitions for aspiring artists.”

Visit HomeschoolingParent.com for the 2020 Summer Camp and Parent Resource Pages.

Top 12 Theater Must-Haves from Craig Coursey, Broadway’s Gift Guru

by Anna Allport

Need last-minute theater gifts for the holiday season?

Look no further!

Craig Coursey—Manager of One Shubert Alley and Theatre Circle Gift Shops—is Broadway’s Gift Guru, and he has you covered.

Read on to learn a little more about Mr. Coursey’s secret gifting tips, celebrity encounters, and his picks for the 12 must-have Broadway gifts this year!

CB: You’ve been working in and managing One Shubert Alley and Theatre Circle Gift Shops for 35 years! What’s your favorite part about the holiday season each year?

Mr. Coursey: Decorating the stores and playing all of the marvelous music that comes with the season.  This year’s favorites are “Carols for a Cure” Volume 21 (carols from many of the Broadway casts), and “Christmas at Birdland,” which is new this year and features the loveable Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch and a surprise Visit from Donny Osmond. It’s fun and really swingin’!

CB: Have you had any celebrity sightings over the years?

Mr. Coursey: When I began working at One Shubert Alley, writer Aaron Sorkin was also working there. Over the years, many other famous folks have worked in or come through the doors to shop at Theatre Circle and One Shubert Alley. Jesse Tyler Ferguson—best known for his role on the TV show Modern Family—also worked in Theatre Circle. Directors Harold Prince, Jerry Zaks, and Susan Stroman have all bought scripts from the stores. Celebrities from legends Helen Hayes to Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli to Mel Brooks, Paul Newman to Ramin Karimloo, Susan Eagan to Estelle Getty, Julie Andrews to Laura Osnes, and many, many more have visited the stores. Recently, I have really enjoyed meeting and watching the children in Broadway shows enjoy the Lights of Broadway Trading Cards. Iain Armitage, who plays young Sheldon in the TV series of that name, and Jake Ryan Flynn, who is currently in Mrs. Doubtfire, the musical, are two of the biggest fans of these cool collectable cards and of the Stores.

CB: What can customers expect to find in the store? Do the special selections at One Schubert Alley and your other Times Square gift shops change each year?

Mr. Coursey: The stores are in a constant state of flux, as all of our theater neighbors are often moving in or out of the neighborhood. There are, of course, items specifically for Christmas: ornaments, cards, and this year, we have fun stuff from The Broadway version of A Christmas Carol. Some things do stay consistent: scripts, window cards, vocal selections, and monologue books are a few things that are always consistently available.

CB: What’s your secret to picking the perfect gift?

Mr. Coursey: The perfect gift doesn’t just happen; one must put thought into it. I take lots of time to think about what might be ideal, and fun, and usable for the recipient. If you use that reasoning, you can wind up with the most special thing for the right person.

CB: You’ve hand-picked your top 12 gift items for CB readers this holiday season. What about these special gifts made them just right?

Mr. Coursey: I chose some classic staples that are good for every theater lover, like the comedy/tragedy earrings and the keyboard socks.  I also chose some items that are very unique and only available in these Stores, like the film strip book marks and our own design comedy/tragedy ball cap.  Mostly, I chose things that I know young people will and do like—and that I wouldn’t mind finding under my own tree!

 

Without further ado, here is Mr. Coursey’s list of the top 12 gifts for theater lovers this season: chosen especially for YOU, CB readers!

 

Gift #1: Comedy/Tragedy Earrings

These comedy/tragedy earrings are classic, fashionable, and fun. Available in silver and gold, they’re sure to show off your Broadway style.

 

Gift #2: Broadway Playing Cards

Liven up card games with this festive deck, featuring posters and titles of fan favorite shows. Use them for traditional card games, or make up your own rules—anything goes!

 

 

Gift #3: Star Plaques

Celebrate the stars in your life by gifting them their own star plaque a la Broadway and Hollywood! Featuring an array of titles—Superstar, Singer, Stage Manager, Producer—these plaques add glitz and glam to a dressing table, desk, or anywhere else. Don’t forget to pose with them for the paparazzi!

 

 

 

Gift #4: Alexander Hamilton Building Blocks Puzzle

Got someone on your list who knows the Hamilton soundtrack inside and out? They’ll love spending time putting together this 327-piece building block puzzle of Alexander Hamilton. This gift is a great hands-on way to honor the smash Broadway musical—and the historical inspiration behind it. Don’t throw away your shot to get this gift!

 

Gift #5: Musical Notes Bow Tie

Complete your holiday party outfit with a stylish Broadway musical-themed bow tie. A stunner in classy black with pops of color, this bow tie is the perfect way to blend fashion and fun: standing ovation worthy, for sure!

 

Gift #6: Color Me Broadway Coloring Book

Do you have artists on your gift list? This Broadway coloring book is perfect for creatives of all ages. Featuring scenes from top Broadway musicals, this gift is a great way to remember your favorite Broadway shows and commemorate them in brilliant, personalized color.

 

 

 

Gift #7: Piano Socks

We all have someone in our lives who is a Fun Socks collector. This pair of piano socks is perfect for a musician or musical theater fan, who can imagine tickling the ivories with each step.

 

 

Gift #8: The Prom Novel

Books are presents one can open again and again. Let the theater fans on your list re-live the beautiful story of The Prom: A Novel, based on the hit Broadway musical! Featuring monologue-style writing and the storyline you love, this book is sure to inspire singing aloud and dancing til dawn!

 

 

Gift #9: Film Strip Bookmarks

Another gift for the avid reader on your holiday shopping list: film strip book marks! These bookmarks feature strips of film from real movie reels: hold them up to the light and see the tiny film images appear! Each strip is unique and one-of-a-kind: a meaningful collectible gift sure to delight Broadway and movie fans alike!

 

 

Gift #10: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Behind-the-Scenes Book

What do you get the Harry Potter fan who has all of the Harry Potter memorabilia imaginable? A behind-the-scenes book of the recent HP musical, of course! This book is a sneak peek into the making of Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and its stage secrets are sure to delight both HP and Broadway superfans.

 

 

 

Gift #11: Comedy/Tragedy Hat

Want a casual gift for a theater lover on your list? This sport cap is the ticket! Featuring comedy/tragedy masks and the word “Broadway,” this one-size-fits-all hat is a great fit for every theater fan!

 

 

Gift #12: Playbill Poster Puzzle

What’s a great gift for puzzle fans, Playbill collectors, and/or theater superfans? A Playbill Presents: Best of Broadway Series 1000-piece puzzle, of course! Featuring playbills from some of Broadway’s greatest hit shows, this puzzle is not only a delightful challenge to put together, it makes a great decorative piece to display once it’s finished.

 

 

 

 

There you have it, Camp Broadway! 12 stress-free picks for holiday gifts, selected especially for you! Be sure to stop by One Shubert Alley and Theatre Circle Gift Shops for these items—and so many more fabulous finds for theater fans.

Happy Holidays—and Happy Holiday Shopping, CB readers!

Special thanks to Craig Coursey for this stress-free holiday shopping guide for Camp Broadway readers

Camp Broadway Alumnus Directs Legally Blonde!

By Skylar Raye Noyes

Camp Broadway kids are always going places and it’s always nice to see one of our former students doing so well in the theatre world! I had the pleasure of checking in with Eric Gelb, a former Camp Broadway blogger who is now a student at NYU. He recently directed NYU’s production of Legally Blonde!

Eric graciously invited me to attend the invited dress rehearsal of the show, and I was blown away! The Lamplighters student theatre club of NYU captured the energy, excitement, and charisma of Legally Blonde and brought Elle’s story to life! The talent of the performers amazed me, and watching them bring their characters to life had me smiling throughout the entire show! Every single actor was vibrant and energetic, and you could tell that they all developed very specific, fun characters! A good director shines through their actors, and this was definitely apparent here!

The student orchestra also added to the community feel and they sounded incredible! They garnered equal applause and enthusiasm from the audience.The supportive NYU community was a major part of the entire experience. While sitting in the audience, I basked in the supportive energy that the other NYU students were giving to the performers, and it was clear that NYU has created a loving and supportive community! Theatre really brings people together!

One of my favorite numbers in the entire show is “Omigod You Guys” because it opens the show with a burst of energy and immediately establishes the fun spirit of the musical! The energy of the performers was contagious, and I wanted to stand up from my seat and celebrate with them! Watching college students perform Legally Blonde was also a special experience because the show is about Harvard Law School students! It was refreshing to see college students playing college students!

Another highlight of the show was the live dogs that they had on stage! Elle’s chihuahua, Bruiser, was adorable and made me and everyone else in the audience smile when he walked onto the stage! The character Paulette’s dog, Rufus, also made an appearance. This dog seemed to love the attention while it wagged its tail the whole time! I would say he was a real scene stealer!

From the energy and camaraderie, to the seamless staging and unique blocking, you could tell this director really took the time to put on a captivating show. The actors really showed appreciation with their enthusiasm and the audience was the benefactor!

Thank you to Eric for inviting me to the show! It is always a treat to see the great work of Camp Broadway alumni. We learned in the show that, “being true to yourself never goes out of style!” Keep being true to yourself and your craft Eric, your true talent really shines through your work!

Camp Broadway Forever with Blakeley, Justin, and Gavin

Dear Camp Broadway Family,

For our 25th anniversary, we have been thrilled to hear from alumni and members of Camp Broadway Forever. Over the last week so many of you have reached out and I am thrilled to share some highlights and flashback photos from your time at Camp Broadway below!

Stay tuned as we debut online meet-ups, connections, and more. Anyone that has attended a Camp Broadway program and their family age 14+ (and anyone that has worked for Camp Broadway!) is encouraged to join through our website and our Facebook Group, Camp Broadway Forever.

Check out these awesome memories and be sure to send me your own, too! I will be featuring several alumni every week.

See you at the theater one day soon

 

Gavin Mahoney

Since Camp Broadway, Gavin has continued taking voice lessons and has been auditioning for TV, Theater, and Movie projects. He has most recently been accepted to the South Carolina Governors School for Arts and Humanities residential program starting this fall. He hopes to be back in NYC as soon as possible and will be applying to NYU for 2021.

 

 

Blakeley Knox

Camp Broadway helped ignite that artistic spark I had as a kid. I always looked forward to the summers I would spend up in NYC at Camp Broadway. It gave me an outlet to explore my artistic abilities and grow as an artist at a young age. Summers at Camp Broadway built the foundation for me to explore musical theatre at Stagedoor, Cap21, and throughout college. I learned so much about musical theatre, but also just basic life lessons that helped me succeed in other camps and schooling.

 

 

Justin Greer

I was involved with Camp Broadway for many years as a choreographer, director, associate artistic director, and director of professional development. Camp Broadway played a big part in my eventually becoming a full-time performing arts teacher, as I developed my parallel career as an educator while I was still performing! Before retiring from Broadway in 2014, I performed in nine Broadway productions and am now a full-time faculty member of The Dalton School in Manhattan. I teach dance and theatre to grades K-3. I am very grateful to Camp Broadway for the many experiences I had and friends I made over the years.

“Phone-Free Fun”

by Waverly Winchester

Phone-Free Fun. You probably never heard of it and that’s because I made it up – me and my mom, on a crisp fall afternoon stroll spent observing holiday decorations just begging for Halloween to come sooner. It was a time filled with fun, with love, with laughter, and what it wasn’t filled with was phones. Believe it or not, that hour of “Phone-Free Fun” led to my becoming a Kid Reporter at just 7-years old. Now, I’m 11 and my website, Kidsnewsnyc.com, is going strong. I have met people and done things I never would have imagined! I’m even blogging for Camp Broadway. One little walk changed my whole life!

You may be wondering, “What is Phone-Free Fun? Is it even possible?” Well, I can tell you it IS possible and it’s where you have fun…without phones! I guess it may seem self-explanatory, but many people didn’t get it when we went around the circle in my second-grade class one Monday morning sharing what we did that weekend. I didn’t care. I was hooked, and I made sure to have plenty more “Phone-Free Fun” with my mom.

So, what do we do? It’s not always walking. We see a lot of shows together, and I take acting and theater classes every week and love them! Of course, theater counts as Phone-Free Fun. We make sure to see all the amazing shows on and off Broadway that NYC has to offer. Which is waaaay more fun than staring into my phone. Also, I’ll be performing with the Camp Broadway Kids Ensemble at – wait for it – CARNEGIE HALL for the Annual New York Pops Birthday Gala! There’s no app for that…

I admit, sometimes it’s hard to have Phone-Free Fun. Occasionally, we must force ourselves to make it happen. But, Phone-Free Fun has many benefits.

Picture this: the warm sun hitting your face or stomping in a rain puddle. Maybe making a snowman. Or, you’re watching live theater with a talented cast that makes you think about things you’ve never thought about before while singing songs that will play in your head for days to come. Or, maybe you’re the one performing on the stage! No, this isn’t virtual reality this is Phone-Free Fun: bonding time, laughter, exercise, fresh air, health, dancing, singing, and moving! These are only some of the benefits of Phone-Free Fun. It changed my life, and maybe it can change yours too!

Waverly Winchester blogging for Camp Broadway

 

 We want to hear from you! Tell us about YOUR Phone-Free Fun.

 

 

Meet the Author

 

[amo_member id=”22921″ item-width=”250″ align=”left” item-margin=”20″ full-width=”yes” panel=”right”]