Photo Flash: BILLY ELLIOT's Kjellman, Rakos, Galembo, and Yarosh Visit With The Students of Broadway Artists Alliance

Broadway veteran Cara Kjellman (Billy Elliot, 42nd Street) spent Saturday, December 12 mentoring the young talent of Broadway's future as she led the morning portion of a Billy Elliot master class with Broadway Artists Alliance. Kjellman was joined by fellow cast members Ruby Rakos, Chelsea Galembo, and Danika Yarosh to answer questions and speak about their experiences with Billy Elliot as well as other stage credits to a group of eager and talented young performers ages 10 to 21. Rakos, Galembo, and Yarosh are also Broadway Artists Alliance student alumni and have been enjoying success as fairly recent additions to Billy Elliot's Broadway cast! The three seemed delighted to return to their roots and spoke candidly to their fellow young performers about the rituals of their 8 show week. The group’s morning Q & A was followed with a dance class led by Dance Captain Kjellman with Rakos, Galembo, and Yarosh joining in. The master class concluded with a Musical Theatre Audition Technique session by a representative from Tara Rubin casting (Billy Elliot, Shrek, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins).

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 2009/2010 One-Day Master Class series will continue with classes in the theme of West Side Story (December 19 with Matt Cavenaugh), In the Heights (December 20 with Andrea Burns), and resume in 2010 with a Disney-themed Mary Poppins / The Little Mermaid and Pop/Rock Master Class. Enrollment is by audition only and space is 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 13-15, 2010 as well as their popular Summer Intensive in July and August of 2010. A new One-Day Master Class with Sutton Foster (February 16th) has also recently been added to their impressive calendar. (Priority enrollment is given to Winter Workshop Participants.)? Kjellman joins a roster of BAA’s instructors and special guests that have recently included Bill Irwin and Allie Trimm (Bye Bye Birdie), Sutton Foster (Shrek), Lea Michele (Spring Awakening), Megan Hilty (9 to 5), Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Mitch Jarvis (Rock of Ages), Susan Blackwell ([title of show]), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Jennifer Cody (Shrek), Michelle Federer (Wicked), John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening), Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon), Christopher Jackson (In the Heights), Tyrick Wiltez Jones (Finian's Rainbow), Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid), Andrea (Young Frankenstein), Megan McGinnis (Les Miserables), Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening), John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), Lauren Kennedy (Vanities), Kelli O'Hara (South Pacific), Heather Parcells (A Chorus Line), Alexandra Socha (Spring Awakening), Lisa Stevens (High School Musical), Marc Shaiman (Hairspray), Laura Benanti (Gypsy), Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone), Jason Robert Brown (13), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and many more. For more information about Broadway Artists Alliance, please visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org.