Broadway dreams will come true for sixty-four students from across the country when they perform alongside their Broadway idols in The Broadway Dreams Foundation's Circle of Dreams NYC Showcase at New World Stages (340 W 50th Street) on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:30 pm. Under the direction of Olivier Award-nominated director Stafford Arima and musical direction by Roberto Sinha, sixty-six rising stars will take center stage at the popular Off-Broadway venue home to the Tony Award-winning showsPeter and the Starcatcher and Avenue Q.
"The showcase is a fantastic opportunity for BDF to show the NYC theatrical community what our organization is all about," said BDF Executive Director
Annette Tanner. "We invite everyone to come and see, firsthand, the positive impact the arts and our programs have on students across the country."
Event chair
Rachel Hoffman, CSA of
Telsey + Company said, "It's invaluable to me, as a casting director, to have access to the incredible, young talent BDF fosters. I'm thrilled that my colleagues in the industry, both agents and casting directors, will also get a chance to see these students shine."
All students will spend the weekend in NYC working with BDF's Broadway teaching artists, who will also appear in the showcase. The Broadway faculty includes BDF Artistic Director
Nicholas Rodriguez, BDF Education Director Craig D'Amico,
Calli Alden,
Tituss Burgess, Leandro Coelho,
Joey Contreras,
Greg Graham,
Deidre Goodwin,
Tyler Hanes,
Greg Haney,
Luke Hawkins, Syke Mattox,
Liz McCartney,
Nancy Opel and
Matthew Scott.
The Broadway Dreams Foundation teaches the next generation of musical theater performers how to kick start their career through unique, week-long performance intensives taught by Broadway's brightest stars and savvy industry insiders. Sixty-four exceptional students were nominated from each of the six cities BDF visited this summer to showcase their talents before an audience of the industry's top casting directors, agents and directors. Students performing in the Circle of Dreams Showcase include, Keem Avraham, Brian Binion, Katie Brunson, Liza Canning Skinner, Chase Crandell, Becky Flaherty,
Ariana Groover (bare), Christina Isabel ("American Idol"), Aisha Jackson, Wess Jetton,
Greg Kamp (Harmony, Catch Me If You Can), Rico LaBron, Carina Louchiey, Kelly Methven, Mackenzie Perpich, Destini Shelton,
Emerson Steele (Violet),
Jackson Tanner (Little Miss Sunshine) and
Jonah Verdon (Disaster the Musical) from Atlanta, GA;
Sydney Bell,Caroline Farley,
Sam Faulkner, Libby Hatfield, Hannah Hustad, Ali Ramsier,
Honey Ribar and Leila Wu from Charlotte, NC;Benjamin Ahlers, Rebecca Blaich,
Ashley Brown,
Kaila Cassling, Megan Cassling, Dana Cassling, Samantha Gorjanc, Mickele Hogan, Caroline Iliff, Christopher Kircher, Mason Lewis,
Tanner Pflueger, Hannah Segura,
Sam Swerczek, Christy Troia andRachael Washington from Omaha, NE;
Andrew Berlin, Morgan Leinwhol, Analisa Peyton, Brinie Wallace,
Charlotte Wen and
Galen Williams from Los Angeles, CA;
Jonathan Andrews,
John Battagliese, Caroline Chisholm, Camden Croucher,
Kayla Dixon, Jake Faragalli,
Chelsea Fields, Jeffrey Gorti, Nicole Leigh Hood, Alina John, Leigh
Ellen Jones,
Peter Jones,
Ginna Le Vine, Joe Maddox, Megan Moynahan,
Samantha Pollino, Maddie Russo,
Brooke Singer, Sadat Waddy and Eryka Waller from Philadelphia, PA; and Timothy Perry and Casie Pepe-Winshell from Hartford, CT.
The concert will feature musical highlights from "Circle of Dreams," the BDF Performing Arts Summer Intensive concert that was performed atRISPA in Atlanta, GA; The Matthews Playhouse in Charlotte, NC; Omaha Performing Arts in Omaha, NE; UCLA in Los Angeles, CA; The Kim
Mel Center in Philadelphia, PA and Hartford Stage in Hartford, CT.
Tickets range from $35 - $150 and are available online through
www.telecharge.com or by visiting
www.mybroadwaydreams.com/tickets. Proceeds will allow BDF to continue to offer high level educational opportunities, theatrical training and scholarships to students of all ages.
The Broadway Dreams Foundation offers significant scholarships to hundreds of participants each year, ensuring that all qualified students are able to realize their Broadway dreams regardless of their financial status. This past year, 42% of all BDF students attended programs on full or partial scholarship. Past students have gone on to star in the Broadway, Off-Broadway and National Touring companies of If/Then, Bring It On The Musical(
Ryann Redmond,
Calli Alden), Annie (Gabby Bradbury), The Book of Mormon (Rodney
Earl Jackson, Paris Nesbitt), Little Miss Sunshine (
Jackson Tanner), bare (
Ariana Groover), Porgy and Bess (
Lindsay Roberts), Evita (
Katie Huff), Catch Me If You Can (
Greg Kamp) and more.
For more information on The Broadway Dreams Foundation, visit:
www.mybroadwaydreams.com.
