Photo Flash: Laura Osnes Teaches at One Day Master Class With Broadway Artists Alliance

On Sunday, October 13th, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes spent the day with a group of students at Broadway Artists Alliance, workshopping audition material and sharing stories about her experience on Broadway. Osnes was most recently seen on Broadway in the critically acclaimed production Bandstand, in which she originated the role of Julia Trojan and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Osnes is also well known for her starring turns in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Ella, Tony Award Nomination), Bonnie and Clyde (Bonnie, Tony Award Nomination), Anything Goes (Hope Harcourt), South Pacific (Nellie Forbush) and Grease (Sandy). Osnes took time out of her busy schedule to connect with the students and share her advice for navigating the theater industry.

The master class began with a quick Q&A, and Osnes answered questions about her popular and beloved "Broadway Princess Party" concert series, her go-to audition songs, and what she learned from each of the characters she's gotten to play. "It's so impossible to say that one role is my 'favorite,' because I love them all for different reasons," Osnes remarked. "I love Sandy in Grease because she was my Broadway debut ... I love Julia in Bandstand because it's the first time I got to truly originate a role, and the list goes on. They're all like my children, I can't choose just one!" Everyone got the chance to work one on one with Osnes and get feedback on their audition piece, and each student commented on the noticeable difference Osnes's coaching inspired in their performances. Throughout the class, Osnes shared her own tips on how to connect emotionally with the music, how to create, sing, and react to an imagined scene partner in a song, and how to build self confidence before going into an audition. "You just have to remember that the people sitting behind the table want you to succeed when you walk in the room. Just go in with the knowledge that what you have to offer is enough, always."

Broadway Artists Alliance of NYC, founded with the goal of providing professional-level training to talented young artists, enlists talented Broadway performers, Tony® Award winners, and top industry professionals. Students enjoy a wide range of classes including vocal training, song interpretation, scene study, on camera technique, and various types of dance. BAA offers four Summer Intensive Sessions and one Winter Workshop for students ages 10-21, BAA Junior for students ages 6-10, the Adult Professional Program, and a College Audition Workshop for high school Juniors and Seniors who will be auditioning for Musical Theatre and Acting degree programs.

Broadway Artists Alliance's roster of master class instructors and guest speakers includes Christy Altomare, Laura Benanti, Susan Blackwell, Stephanie J. Block, Sierra Boggess, Christian Borle, Alex Brightman, Jason Robert Brown, Andrea Burns, Norbert Leo Butz, Carolee Carmello, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Cerveris, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jenn Colella, Gabriel Ebert, Eden Espinosa, Michelle Federer, Katie Finneran, Sutton Foster, John Gallagher Jr., Alexander Gemignani, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Lena Hall, Douglas Hodge, Bill Irwin, Christopher Jackson, Nikki M. James, Gregory Jbara, Adam Kantor, Judy Kaye, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Beth Leavel, Caissie Levy, Norm Lewis, Andrea Martin, Donna McKechnie, Lindsay Mendez, Lea Michele, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Karen Olivo, Laura Osnes, Billy Porter, Alice Ripley, Lea Salonga, Stephen Schwartz, Duncan Sheik, Will Swenson, Marc Shaiman, Aaron Tveit, Noah Weisberg, Lillias White, Scott Wittman, John Lloyd Young, and many more.

For more information about BAA's year round programs, visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org