Taewon Yi to Head Special Edition of Camp Broadway in Seoul

Camp Broadway LLC, Broadway's Drama Desk Award-winning producer of musical theater programs for children, has entered into an agreement with Taewon Yi, Julliard-trained Broadway star and preeminent musical performance educator in South Korea, to present a special edition of the company's acclaimed summer camp at Myong-Ji University in Yongin, Korea, in the Seoul Capital Area, from August 1, 2016 through August 12, 2016.

Born in South Korea and raised in the United States, Taewon Yi is a classically trained coloratura mezzo-soprano educated at The Juilliard School of Music. She started her musical theater career as Lady Thiang in the 1996 Broadway production of The King and I starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Since then, Yi has been an award-winning leading lady in major licensed Broadway musicals and original Korean productions. She is known around the world for her performance of the title role in The Last Empress, the first major Korean musical production to be presented in New York, London and at many performing arts centers in North America. She is currently the musical director and star of Nunsense 2, which is currently playing in Seoul. In addition to Yi's active performing career, she is a Professor of Musical Performance at the prestigious Myong-Ji University, where she founded and built the Musical Performance department into the leading musical theater university program in Korea.

As an educator of musical performances, Yi became aware of Camp Broadway while performing on Broadway. Camp Broadway LLC is a respected leader in the Broadway industry who has been presenting musical theater camps, educational workshops and special events for amateurs since 1995. Recognizing the growing popularity of Broadway in Korea, Yi invited Camp Broadway to become a component of her musical theater summer program presented at Myong-Ji University.

Working in collaboration with Yi, Camp Broadway's creative team has developed two exclusive five-day training programs for students. Classes will feature instruction in iconic Broadway songs and classic musical theater performance styles that have been selected to develop the students' individual and ensemble presentation skills. The programs also incorporate master classes with Yi for high school students and a class on K-Pop dance for middle schoolers. Additionally, the alliance includes future plans for a youth travel tour to New York for Yi's Korean students to see current Broadway musicals and take classes from Camp Broadway's roster of Broadway master teachers.

Presenting Camp Broadway in the Seoul Capital Area is a long-term strategy for developing performing artists and building future audiences in Korea," says Yi. "With the growing popularity of Broadway in Asia, we believe that giving our students the opportunity to work directly with a Broadway director/choreographer and musical director will give students invaluable insight into this uniquely American art forM. Camp Broadway's reputation for excellence in teaching children authentic musical theater material and Broadway traditions makes them an ideal partner."

"Every member of Camp Broadway's management and creative team is honored to be selected by Taewon-whose breadth of talent and experience makes her Broadway's best ambassador," explains Susan E. Lee, CEO of Camp Broadway LLC. "Presenting Camp Broadway in Korea is an exciting step toward our goal of opening Camp Broadway in major theater capitals around the world. As Broadway expands internationally we can play a role in teaching children and their parents about the shows, songs and stories that are a unique part of American culture."

Emerging as Broadways' bridge to all of Asia, Seoul has become one of the most vibrant international markets for musical theater. The city features nearly 300 theaters where a wide range of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows such as Cats, Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, Grease, Ghost, Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde, Guys and Dolls, and many others have played. Thanks to a prolific group of local theatrical producers, Broadway in Korea has grown into an estimated $300-million-dollar industry annually.

Camp Broadway LLC is dedicated to making theatre arts an accessible and relevant vehicle for creative children to build confidence, hone presentation skills and discover their unique talents at every stage of their lives. The company's dedication to quality content, child safety and customer service has become the industry gold standard. Camp Broadway LLC has been honored for excellence by the Educational Theatre Association, recognized for its management by the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, and celebrated for its positive social impact on the community by the Best of New York.

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