The Franklin School for the Performing Arts musical theatre students came from Franklin, MA for a weekend of master classes with the Broadway Artists Alliance of New York City. The students enjoyed an audition technique class with casting director Bob Cline. Dance master class instructors included Jessica Lea Patty (Addams Family, 9 to 5 ) as well as Jeff Shade, whose Broadway performance credits include Sweet Charity (directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse), Chicago (dance captain), and Teddy & Alice. Song Interpretation classes were taught by John Arthur Greene (Riff in the Broadway revival of West Side Story) and Alexander Gemignani whose Broadway credits include Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, and Assassins. The weekend was wrapped up with special guest appearances from Tony Award Winner Trent Kowalik (one of the original Billys in Billy Elliot) and Tony Award Nominee Jonathan Groff (Melchior in Spring Awakening, Jesse St James in Glee).
Broadway Artists Alliance is the dynamic educational organization that is quickly gaining a reputation for ensuring the future of great Broadway talent by bringing together current Broadway artists and promising young performers ages 10 to 21.
BAA's hosts One Day Master Classes year round. Coming up are two Tony Award Winner master classes on February 22nd and March 20th, and an Annie themed master class April 17th led by top New York casting directors, special guests, and the staff of Broadway Artists Alliance. Additional upcoming master classes include classes in the themes of TV/Film (May 21st), Spider Man (June 18th), and American Idiot (June 19th). Space is extremely limited for all master classes. Please visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org for a full list of classes and audition/ application information.
Broadway Artists Alliance will also host their annual Advanced Musical Theatre Winter Workshop February 19-21, 2011 as well as their popular Summer Intensive Programs and College/Professional workshops in July and August of 2011. Participation is by audition only.
BAA's roster of instructors and special guests have recently included TONY winners Sutton Foster (Shrek) , Katie Finneran (Promises Promises), Bebe Neuwirth (Addams Family), Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Andrea Martin (Young Frankenstein), John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), John Gallager Jr. (Spring Awakening), Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon), Laura Benanti (Gypsy), Douglas Hodge (La Cage), Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone), Jason Robert Brown (13) as well as Lea Michele (Glee), Megan Hilty (9 to 5), Susan Blackwell ([title of show]), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Chris Jackson (In the Heights), Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid), Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot), Kelli O'Hara (South Pacific), Marc Shaiman (Hairspray), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and many more. For more information about Broadway Artists Alliance, please visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org
Photos by Laura McBride
